Breed/Club Calf Sales

[AAOK]

I receive about two snail mails a week, and maybe one email every two weeks advertising someone's Show Calf Sale. I regularly attend two sales a year, not as a potential buyer, but just to observe the folks who apparently have more Dollars than Sense. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would pay at least double, sometimes as much as two or three times the price for a Show Heifer or Show Steer, when they could buy much cheaper, and higher quality from a breeder, right off the farm. :roll: Now, I'm certainly not begrudging the sellers from making too much money; I'm for them getting all they can. I also don't have anything against the cattle jockies. I know that I too could make much more money if I would consign my calves to the sales, but I don't have the time, plus I really don't have the desire (maybe my conscience won't allow me). ;-) I just want to hear from people who go buy show calves at these sales. Why pay for all the Foo Foo, Hype, and Marketing when you don't have to? :?: I'm always curious about this after I have been to a sale, and see the hands waving that obviously don't have any business bidding. I would particularly love to hear from someone who has ever purchased a Sale Topper. :shock:

 

[6M Ranch]

It's hard finding breeders that will sell to you for a fair price. The other problem is quality. Most people, not all, want to make as much money as possible. All of my kids show cattle, so I've looked for a lot of years to find potential winners for a reasonable price. Haven't had a lot of luck. That's why I started purchasing some quality breeding stock a few years ago and raise our own.

 

[showme]

never had enough money to buy the sale topper.

You said on here that you payed $20,000 for a show heifer before. I cant remember but it was either BullLady or ffamom or txshowmom. One of them posted how much you pay for cattle and you said on that topic I payed $20,000 before. You just said you could never afford a sale topper.

 

[certherfbeef]

I bought a sale topper 2 yrs ago in Feburary. $1900. Showed her a little bit and now she is one of the best uddered, best mamma cow in my herd.

 

[showme]

Its what they look like not what they cost.

 

[AAOK]

I bought a sale topper 2 yrs ago in Feburary. $1900. Showed her a little bit and now she is one of the best uddered, best mamma cow in my herd.

Wow! That must have been quite a sale!! Most ot the sale results I've seen lately have about a $5000 average. Sounds like you found the right one. Clue us in; where was it?

 

[farmer rich]

The auction is the best place to get an animals true value.
The buyer knows hes paying a fair price and the seller knows he sold his animal for a fair price.

Yes, inexperienced or naive people can sometimes get their fingers burnt but they can lose a lot more from unscrupulous operators in a private sale.
If you think you paid too much then you could have stopped one bid ago.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Why pay for all the Foo Foo, Hype, and Marketing when you don't have to?

Some people do not have a good "eye" for cattle, especially out in a pasture situation. If they go to a top notch club calf sale, they can compare "the best" against "the best" and may be able to choose what they are looking for. And some just keep bidding until one sells for what they can afford - not necessarily one that they "picked" out as a good one - thinking they are all good enough.
Also, some people simply do not have the time it takes to travel to find "a good one". Time is money.
Now, I also am AMAZED at what some people are willing to pay for a STEER. Paying $$thousands$$ of dollars for a 450# freakie fronted, big butted steer, they may not continue looking like that - or worse yet - you get him home & wet him down and the "big butt" is gone!! :shock:
I sell show heifers for good money ($2000-$4000), but they can show, than raise quality calves out of a heifer and get some or probably all their investment back. Most high dollar sales are direct off my farm.
This year I sold "pick" of our steers for $800. Just had a buyer pick up two this weekend, one weighed 700# & one was 550#. That's $1.14 & $1.45 per #. I'll get more out of the advertising next year.

 

[AAOK]

The auction is the best place to get an animals true value.
The buyer knows hes paying a fair price and the seller knows he sold his animal for a fair price.

Yes, inexperienced or naive people can sometimes get their fingers burnt but they can lose a lot more from unscrupulous operators in a private sale.
If you think you paid too much then you could have stopped one bid ago.

Interesting Philosophy; the auction being the best place to get a true value.

I've been to a few Farm Auctions, and seen old, worn out junk sell for more than the price for new. Ever been to a Pie Auction? O.K., bad example, they are usually fund raising events. How about a Sherriff's Auction: usually poorly advertised, and attended only by insiders. Cars, Houses, Guns sell for pennies on the dollar. My dictionary defines value as the "fair" return for something exchanged. Most auctions I've seen, whether it be the frenzy of the crowd, all the planted bidders, or the secrecy of the event, are anything but "fair". They do give you the "market worth" of the attending group, but what can you compare it with, as done in an appraisal?

Now, a one-on-one negotiation between a buyer and seller; that's a different story. They can deal in terms of the tradeoffs between competing alternatives as observed through measurable quantities such as input, price and output. In short, nobody gets "taken". A mutual agreement is reached without alteration from forces outside of the two parties.

Think about this the next time you go to an auction. This is precisely the reason the commercial cattleman has no control over his own product.

 

[JHH]

Quick question about frame on steers for show.I have a real wide made crossbred steer but am concerned about frame with him, his mother is probably a 4 1/2 frame cow father is a 6.3 frame, he is about 6 months old now and was wondering if there is a normal height that judges want to see? pic of him is on another thread. He is the nicest steer I have raised but am worried about frame.Sorry to get off subject.JHH

 

[JHH]

This may be my daughters 4-H steer for show. Note the tail it was steped on when he was little will they dock him for this? Just thinking about it dont know yet.Not a real good pic will get better one and post it soon.JHH

 

[AAOK]

Talk about changing subjects in a hurry. But, this is the "Show Board".

The tail won't hurt. Size appears OK, but it's tough to tell from a picture. In the South, the mature Hip Height averages 50" - 53". The further North you go, average hip height increases, but not much. Top end is about 55", and that steer better be near perfect to pull it off.

I say he will work. Looks pretty decent to me, but I'm not judging your show.

 

[JHH]

Thanks for the info, I know every judge is different with what they (like).Now I have something to go on and some sort of idea. Went to show last year but did not show steer.Correction my daughter went last year.She likes it but I cant see spending 2 to 3 thousand dollars on a steer that you should eat.She knows she wont win but I of course would like her to and would like to be competitive also.Thanks again JHH.Sorry about getting side tracked.

 

[SF]

I receive about two snail mails a week, and maybe one email every two weeks advertising someone's Show Calf Sale. I regularly attend two sales a year, not as a potential buyer, but just to observe the folks who apparently have more Dollars than Sense. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would pay at least double, sometimes as much as two or three times the price for a Show Heifer or Show Steer, when they could buy much cheaper, and higher quality from a breeder, right off the farm. :roll: Now, I'm certainly not begrudging the sellers from making too much money; I'm for them getting all they can. I also don't have anything against the cattle jockies. I know that I too could make much more money if I would consign my calves to the sales, but I don't have the time, plus I really don't have the desire (maybe my conscience won't allow me). ;-) I just want to hear from people who go buy show calves at these sales. Why pay for all the Foo Foo, Hype, and Marketing when you don't have to? :?: I'm always curious about this after I have been to a sale, and see the hands waving that obviously don't have any business bidding. I would particularly love to hear from someone who has ever purchased a Sale Topper. :shock:

Lots of people don't know where the farms or ranches are that have these calves. Sales are an easier avenue to find the show calves. JMO

 

[SF]

True value of an animal or any other product is when the buyer and seller both agree on a price and the transaction takes place. This will be true whether this is done at an auction or private treaty.

 

[farmer rich]

I can see youre point AAOK, but what does the private seller/purchaser base his valuation on? Market value is generally determined by auction prices.

The reason cattlemen have no control over the price of their own product is because there are so many thousands of small producers who are unprepared to co-operate to counter the massive influence held by a small number of processers and an even smaller number of retailers.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

JHH - steer looks good. With parents in the 4.5 - 6.3 range, he should be fine, unless there is an extreme somewhere in the background that he takes after. Height is important, but final weight is also. In our area, you want 1200-1350 range. Much heavier & they will balk at using him, even if he's great.

In a private treaty sale, it doesn't make any difference "where" the price comes from. If both parties are agreeable, than it is a good price. We base our prices on how much we want to keep that particular animal in our herd & what it would take to replace her.

 

[AAOK]

I can see youre point AAOK, but what does the private seller/purchaser base his valuation on? Market value is generally determined by auction prices.

Not really. Market Value is simply the price at which something will sell within a reasonable period of time. This being on the open market, not in the confines of an auction.

As consumers, most people shop in retail stores and pay the price printed on the price tag. A sweater in a retail store is worth $34.95 because the tag says so. Three months later that same sweater may be on sale for $8.75, because it did not sell within the appointed period of time.

In a private treaty agreement, the buyer and seller must come to an agreement within a certain period of time. They may, or may not, be on the same time schedule.

Auction is immediate. The results are determined by the number of active bidders. More bidders favor the seller; fewer bidders favor the buyer.