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Farm Fresh Auctions – a new angle on the local niche

By Becky McCray

Crowd listening to the auctioneer at a farm auction
When most auction companies are doing more and more online, one is keeping their focus on locals. Photo (CC) by Mangrove Mike

 

 

In an era when we’re encouraging every rural business to look further outside their local market, it’s interesting to see a business go the other direction.

Most rural auction companies use the internet to promote the items at their sales and to accept bids from far-flung customers. But one auction service I heard about in Elkhart, Kansas, advertises their auctions of antiques and collectibles as “farm fresh auctions.” They don’t take online bids.

See, antiques and other country collectibles are often “picked” from farm auctions and other sources by dealers, then marked up and re-sold time after time. This company is differentiating their service by promoting that their sales are a chance to get items “fresh on the market.”

Another reminder that there is no one correct way to run your business. Find the angle the works for you, and go for it.

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Becky McCray wearing long braids and a professional outfit smiles as she stands on a rural downtown street with twinkling lights in the background.
Becky McCray

Becky started Small Biz Survival in 2006 to share rural business and community building stories and ideas with other small town business people. She and her husband have a small cattle ranch and are lifelong entrepreneurs. Becky is an international speaker on small business and rural topics.

www.beckymccray.com
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July 3, 2017 Filed Under: entrepreneurship, ideas, marketing, rural

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  1. Rachel Stones says

    July 10, 2017 at 1:37 pm

    I think this is great. You’re right, it’s all about finding your niche and making it work for you and the way you market it can make a big difference.

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