International event

摘要

The international nature of the construction machinery auction business can be illustrated by figures from Ritchie Bros' auction at its Caorso, Italy, site in May, which attracted more than 1,300 registered bidders, including 680 online bidders, from 69 countries. There were over 460 buyers - of which more than 90 were online - and 210 sellers. The fact that 1,640 lots were sold gives some indication of the speed of the process. Of those, 43% went to online bidders. There is a sense of theatre, as the bid catchers at the front drum up and take the bids, and the auctioneers' high-speed patter gives the occasion an almost surreal feeling. Outside, a small army of drivers bring the machines from the waiting area and move them one by one across in front of the potential buyers. A basic price goes up on the screens, and it is lowered until the first bid. Then it starts to rise. At the same time, virtual bid catchers are at the head office in Breda, the Netherlands, linked to the auction.