Introducing AuctionsPlus machinery expert Matt Cotton

AuctionsPlus’ Business Development Manager, Matt Cotton, runs the platform's machinery sales. He's seen extraordinary items listed since he joined the company in 2017, and below shares some tips on how to get the most out of buying and selling machinery online.

Mr Cotton knows better than most that there's not many limits to what can be sold in an AuctionsPlus multi-vendor or standalone auction.

Over his time at AuctionsPlus, he's seen extraordinary items listed.

Items typically include regular agricultural machinery, second-hand cars, motorbikes, earth-moving equipment, spare parts, and sometimes even speedboats and airplanes.

“One of my most memorable listings would have to be a few historic Lanz Bulldog tractors that went to buyers in England and Germany,” Mr Cotton said.

However, it was an auction in South Australia that remains most memorable.

The Glenroy Clearing Sale, held on a property in March 2022 in Penola, interfaced through AuctionsPlus, grossed over six-figures across 315 lots.

“It was a multimillion-dollar sale full of machinery, all sold live, and we were doing phone bidding. It was just fascinating," he said.

The sale grossed $7.2 million, with online purchases contributing $4.39 million, or 61% of the total auction takings with 47% of the catalogue sold to online buyers from five different states.

An online buyer from northern NSW, secured the top-priced lot of the day—a 2020 John Deere 8R370 tractor, which sold for $420,000.

Towards the end of the sale, there was also “red-hot” demand for 30 lots of wooden potato boxes. The boxes sold for “considerably more than their retail price” due to global supply chain constraints during the pandemic bolstering domestic prices.

Mr Cotton started at AuctionsPlus in 2017 as a Market Operator, after graduating from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science.

After 12 months he stepped away to travel, however, the hiatus proved to be short-lived, as he was soon offered a position to rejoin the company in sales in 2018, helping to get the machinery commodity off the ground.

Since rejoining the sales team, Mr Cotton has been part of the exponential growth of alternative commodities such as machinery, fodder and property.

In 2017, AuctionsPlus ran 15 machinery auctions, by 2023 this had grown to 503 auctions for the year.

The 2020 to 2021 boom across the AuctionsPlus platform during the Covid pandemic will always be memorable for Mr Cotton.

Vendors and buyers became accustomed to using the online platform to facilitate sales when in-person visits to properties for clearing sales were no longer allowed.

The ability to host a sale without having to open your property to hundreds of visitors became much more effective and easier to manage online. In some cases, vendors even attracted international buyers for the first time.

The fortnightly machinery sale, instigated by Mr Cotton early in his role, has grown into one of the standout features of his time at the company.

“One of the highlights has been seeing the fortnightly sale get more popular. It’s also been really satisfying to see the growth from three or four auctions a month to around 40 auctions booked monthly—with about 200 lots booked fortnightly," he said.

Lessons for listing

When it comes to listing machinery, Mr Cotton believes good photos and frank, honest descriptions are key to achieving high returns.

“Having genuine descriptions and not trying to dress up your listings is the way to go. Being really clear about the condition is always effective, and buyers appreciate it,” he said.

As for timing, Mr Cotton advised listing as soon as possible, as the longer a listing remains on the platform, the more exposure it gets.

Purchasing pointers

When purchasing, Mr Cotton said utilising the timer effectively during large auctions was crucial.

“If you’re looking at something in a big clearing sale auction, come in when the timer is about to start and treat that as the start of the auction,” Mr Cotton said.

Optimising the search function is also important.

"AuctionsPlus search filters are highly effective for finding machinery," he said.

Additionally, Mr Cotton highlighted the value of the "favourite lots" function.

When logged in, items you "star" will appear on your dashboard, which is especially helpful for frequent buyers.

Using the "auto bids: function can also give buyers a better chance at securing their desired lot.

Be sure to check out any upcoming machinery auctions on the platform. Interested in selling your items? Learn how to list them here.