The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Trucks to farm auction

Need a little input. A friend lost her husband last spring in a car accident and has decided to a have a farm auction to get rid of all the equipment and trucks. Jack was a bit like me and couldn't help buying old trucks from everyone else. I don't know about some of these, and I was hoping someone could give us some advice on avg values in their present condition. I know you can't see them, but it's not like they're showroom condition. All of them are RWIPI condition. If anyone has a particular interest in any of them, please let me know. The old farm trucks around here don't bring much at the auctions, and I told her I research the best I could. I'm doing this to make sure noone else takes advantage of her, as a mechanic and an electrician have already done.

(1) late '50's GMC COE, single axle, no dump, manure bed, no driveline. Has a "350" below and center of grill. painted horrible orange w/white trim.

(1) '54 Chevy 2 ton w/tall wood bed. Looks like a 235L6, no dump, no corner windows, grill and front end in very good shape.

(1) early '50's Chevy 6400 5 window, no dump, wood bed, looks like a 235L6

(1) F**d, late '40's to early '50's 2 ton, rough condition, wood bed, no dump, has what looks like a "y" block v8.

I can usually pick up early '50's GMC's around here in various conditions for an average of $500. My best guesses on these others is $500 for the '54 Chevy, about $600 for the 5 window chevy, $200 for the F**d, but the COE I haven't a clue.

We would greatly appreciate any advice.
Thanks,
Terry Wofford

sorry to see she is being taken advantage of. the coe seem to bring a little more in good condition but have a few more unique parts then the conventional cab trucks which makes them a little harder to find parts for. if you haven't already you might post the coe question at www.oldgmctrucks.com as well.

Your local auctioneer is probably the best source of what they should bring. It's his business to know and I've found the good ones are pretty tough to outsmart.

The problem w/the auctioneers is they're going to tell her the most money she can get is at the auction, which I have found is not the case here. If I thought it would benefit her to sell them privately before the auction for more, then she would also be saving the commission cost. These trucks might not be much of a difference in price anyway so she might not want to bother with them. I'll post them if she does decide to sell the separately.
Thanks

i think a fair price is a relative term. hopefully your friend didn't pay a lot for them and she will at least break even, which is better than anything you would buy new. i know you want her to get top dollar, rare is it a farm auction will do that. i have seen it many times though. more often i see people saying i could have done better myself. on a lot of those type of trucks won't even bring what they would for scrap metal. if someone bought one of these and parted it out and scraped the rest you could prob get at least $1000 each. that takes work and time and i bet it will be hard to get that at a auction. when you get a sitting truck you take a bigger chance and that iswhy they bring less. i have got 2 of my trucks for free and paid $1000 for my c60 it could have been parted out/ scraped for more and i didn't have to do anything much to it.good luck though, hope she gets a good price. hr