The Quiet Boom in Industrial Auctions

If you have been around this industry the past few years, you already know what is happening
with industrial auctions. This is not some brand new trend. The shift really started back in 2020 when COVID shut down in-person events and forced everything online. Since then, online auctions have not only filled the gap but have taken over. And five years later, the momentum has not slowed down.

We are seeing more auctions, more listings, and a lot more bidders. Whether it is metalworking equipment, process machinery, or power systems, people are showing up ready to buy. The ease of bidding from your office or phone has brought a whole new wave of end users into the mix, and that is changing the game.

At Surplus Record, we are seeing this play out daily. Auctioneers and dealers who post their sales and do eblasts with us are getting more traffic, more visibility, and more leads than ever. But with that rise in attention, there is also a flip side. It is becoming harder for traditional machinery dealers to score a deal.

Dealers are used to finding under priced equipment at auctions, fixing it up, and reselling it. But now they are going head to head with end users who are willing to pay top dollar because they actually need the machine. A dealer might be looking to turn a margin. The end user just wants to get their line running next week. That buyer is always going to be more aggressive.

We hear this frustration more and more. Dealers are saying, “How am I supposed to outbid a guy who is going to use it tomorrow?” And they are right. In many cases, they cannot.

That does not mean there are no good buys out there. But the dynamic has shifted. Auctions are no longer just for resellers. They have become a primary channel for serious buyers who want machines quickly and are not afraid to pay for them.

That being said, there are still in-person industrial machinery auctions out there. Surplus Record has received several requests from auction companies that do not have any experience in machinery auctions but are required by the foreclosing bank to advertise the auction in a printed magazine. These auctions are not held online and you can only bid in person, they are difficult to find, but if you can find them there should be plenty of good deals!

For those of us in the business of connecting buyers and sellers, it is interesting to watch. The auction world has gotten louder, more competitive, and more crowded, but also more efficient. If you are not paying attention to it, you are missing one of the busiest corners of the equipment market right now.