Before it became a habit....

I wished I could sell something I get attached real quick. Since I’ve had some experience lately with the newer stuff I’m thinking about trying it. It seems like the newer tractors that don’t run are everywhere around me. Nobody has any of the older stuff.
 
jabelman said:
The sad part is you cannot sell a vintage garden tractor for 100 to 200 anymore, yet if you nut and bolt it online you can make 1000 to 1500 in parts.
Sadly my collection of restored ones are worth more in parts than whole
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Thats the truth. Same with my minibikes. I have one bike whole bike would go for 600-700. Chrome gas tank and clutch cover would sell got 400-500 each. Light coil minibike correct 5hp tecumseh would sell for the same.
 
Im trying to slow down a bit these days but I still have fun and make pretty good cash doing it..... and I have been able to play with alot of very nice GTs along the way..... some impressed me, others not so much. I certainly never expected an old MTD to become one of my favorites but it really does pull like a tractor should.

There isnt much money in fixing up newer machines but there is still good profit in the older ones, if you dont get carried away 'Restoring' them, I buy cheap and get them into working condition only, most any decent old GT in ready to run condition with at least one attachment can/will sell for over $1000. I just brought home those two Sears for $125 and Ive already sold the gt18 for $500 without even getting it ready to work.... and I still have the gt19.9 that I can fix up over the winter. Complete with deck, 3pt and cultivator I expect that will fetch somewhere near $1200-$1400.

If you want to make money you have to avoid buying off craiglist or kijiji.... those are usually overpriced tractors to begin with. When I got into this I placed ads saying I would pickup unwanted equipment and that I may pay $$ for some. Within a couple years I had 30+ tractors that were either cheap or free which gave me a couple good tractors worth fixing and a good supply of parts right in my back yard.... after flippin them for ten years I have a pretty good idea what models will sell easily and make a profit... and what to avoid. Now that Im established in this area I dont even need to look for tractors anymore.... they often find me, I get calls from folks that have heard about me and they call to ask if Im interested in what ever they might have.

Im not even normally a wheeler/dealer type of guy, Im actually a lousy salesman, and Ive heard every excuse as to why flippin tractors doesnt/cant work.... but Ive made out quite well at it.... more $$$ than I care to admit to on a public forum thats for sure ;)

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Well I live on an acreage outside of a small town with about 1000 people in it.... and Ive sold several tractors to folks that have driven 6+ hours one way to get here and pay $1000 or more for a garden tractor.... and I have driven 4+ hours one way myself to pick up some tractors.... I think what your selling is more important than where you are... and obviously how/where you advertise makes a huge differance. I havent even started working on the gt19.9 yet and already have two guys both over 3 hrs drive away trying to buy it as is. There is nothing special about my location, and there isnt alot of decent GTs advertised locally so when I started out there was alot of long drives to get cheap tractors... but the right tractors from the right era makes the differance..... from the early 70s to the mid 80s most manufacturers were building some pretty stout equipment and such machines are not hard to sell for good $$$ if they are in ready to run condition. I probably didnt make any profit until into the second year but thats kind of expected with any venture.... its all about what your willing to put into it.
 
well they are rare here also... thats why folks will come from 6 hours away to buy them.

I got a message from a guy in Oklahoma about the gt19.9 last week... thats over 2000km.... and "IF" he was to buy it... it still wouldnt be the furthest some of my tractors have gone..... one dude bought two MF1650s from me and put them in a container bound for South America.
 
Must be some folks down south turning wrenches cause Ive sent many packages with parts down to several differant states... and have had parts sent up here from the states..... the market area is only limited by a persons own choices.... if had the same "Around Here" mentality as some of you guys then Im sure this flppin tractors thing would not have worked for me either... but I didnt put up boundaries.
 
Lot of it is the number of people. Look at the population of Alberta, and this whole county has about 4500 people. Vast majority are farmers and they won't spend a dime on older stuff, they buy new from one of the big 3.
 
I dont believe things are any differant here... and sales have even slowed some since the start of this scamdemic crap... it took almost three weeks to sell the gt18 at $500, it ran and drove onto the trailer but it still needed some tlc..... that buyer didnt live very far from here but I did have calls from people alot further away, one guy from Sask about 8 hrs away offered $350.... MOST of the time Im not dealing with people 'Around Here'..... but I do focus on the tractors that many people do collect.... an early Jacobsen might not sell very well but the identical model in Ford Blue will usually sell pretty quick... same goes for Simplicity, it might not sell but the same tractor with Allis Chalmers stickers will, any Case will sell quick but an Ingersol wont. Most any pre-MTD Cub Cadet will sell easily... any older Massey will sell fast but the same thing dressed as a Snapper might as well be used as a parts machine.

I been doing this along time and I have sold alot of tractors... so now I have a pretty good idea which will sell and how much I can get for them... but I never know how far away a buyer might be so my first ad posting is usually on a FB group that covers the four western provinces, BC to Manitoba and there is often interest from Montana, Idaho, and occasionally Washington or North Dakota... and Im pretty sure I could make this gig work from anywhere now.

Remember the freebie electric golf cart I had last year.... took me a few months but eventually I found a freebie charger to go with it.... a buyer drove over 3 hours one way and gave me $1000 for it... and he was happy as heII about it, sent me pics last week with it repainted with custom wheels and a tilt box on the back... had that been a gas cart I probably could have gotten $1500.

but hey its all good.... I dont want the rest of you doing what I do... that might cut into my sales.... just like I dont want to see any other MTD960s with ATV tires at the tractor pulls..LOL :p
 
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