Another 345 registrations were received online, the firm reported.
There were 300 lots of items from across the construction, transport and agricultural industries.
Cobar’s Chris Bruce travelled to Dubbo for the auction, checking out earthmoving equipment.
Todd Burgess, Jordie Cosh, and Jack Harris, all from Walgett, and Warren’s Daniel Cassegrain looked at harvesters.
As the bids flowed, Ritchie Bros. APAC marketing manager David Fanning said the event had flow-on effects for the community.
The firm had been in the city for about a month preparing for the auction.
It had hired local contractors, and many of its sellers, as well as some buyers were local, Mr Fanning reported.
A local service club was was there charity fundraising by doing a sausage sizzle, he said.
The auction had also brought visitors to town.
“Obviously anyone we attract from interstate, probably going to be two, three hundred people coming into Dubbo just for the auction so all that’s good for the economy,” Mr Fanning said.
“Because they’re going to be here, they’re going to be eating, drinking, accommodation.
“So we like to think that Ritchie Bros. is also part of the community for the time we’re here.
“So we’re adding value to it as well, we’re not just here, to have a show and leave.”
One man had come from Port Lincoln, Western Australia and spent Monday “climbing all over some of the tractors” up for sale the next day, Mr Fanning reported.
Other prospective buyers had flown in from New Zealand, he said.
Global economic conditions helped tempt buyers - online or in person - to Dubbo.
“The Australian dollar being a little bit lower than in the US and the Japanese yen, it makes it competitive for people to look at our equipment, buy it and ship it overseas,” Mr Fanning said.
“So that’s why we get more people to our auctions internationally because Ritchie Bros. has that global footprint.”
| A daily liberal release || February 20, 2018 |||
