online sale lookers

with only a week before our sale on Caldwell Willoughby and we have had very little traffic to look at calves this year. The pictures look great and have been up for about 2 weeks and we have blasted facebook and had hits on the website but mostly the same people come every year. Has anyone else seen a decline in people looking prior to the sale? Check out the calves and let us know what you think Clifford Farms in Columbia City IN on facebook and showsteers.com

One thing that made a huge difference for us this year was picturing some of our better calves twice.  We had some pictured for State Fair adverts and then we did them all again for the sale.  Had quite a few people contact us because they saw just how much the cattle have come on in a month. It's also really important to have a few (3 or 4 or 5) that get worked on the most.  People that spend the real money want to know they're getting a premium product, and the folks that like to have projects don't always need their picks to be quite as shiny.

The other thing that probably helped us the most compared to last year was making kind of a big deal about our "Open House".  It was the same weekend as two other big Hereford sales in IL and we got a ton of people just coming through that would have never even known to come look otherwise. 

Also, don't forget to just send pics to people that you know, but aren't necessarily customers.  Just shoot them a text with a picture on your phone, even if it's just of a couple calves on the tie rail or fresh washed in pens or something.  Anything to get the word out, especially if you think you've got a couple of pretty special ones. 

We sell purebred heifers, which is definitely different than crossbred market animals - but this has been our best year for selling calves. 

I'll have a look, and feel free to PM me if you think I can help at all.

I feel there is a major decline.  I've had a calf listed on Craig's List for over a week and have yet to get a call.  Other years I would have a dozen or more by now.  I don't put the price in the ad so they have to call even if they're just nosey.  I think the serious showers, that are also ready to put out some dough, have their calves or know where they're coming from.  The Freddy 4-Hers are skipping this year or buying sale barn calves to spend the least as possible. 

We had an online sale last year and the year before and went back to doing a phone sale this year. We sold more calves to new customers through Facebook this year than we ever did in an online sale. Maybe it was just a weird year but we are planning another phone sale for next year.

I have sold more on facebook this year and just sold my first bull off of here. I think people are doing alot of looking around this year. I was getting very discouraged then here in the last week I have been getting quite a few calls.

Good comments on here!

The crew that we get our calves from had seen virtually NO traffic (other than the traders) until the day before their sale.  The day before the sale, they had 4 ATV's, and 2 pickups out in the pasture for 12 solid hours, and at times there were people waiting too.

I can't speak to this from the sellers perspective, but I can from the buyers perspective.  With the prices being what they are this fall, we have just pretty much quit looking.  We pound up and down the highway looking for calves, and picking the "middle of the road" stuff...calves that can be "made" pretty good with some work.  We aggressively bid on about 8 steers, and have been the contending bidder 8 times.  On all 8 of them, we have been taken out by traders......and not Joe Blow down the road that sells a few.  We have been taken out by people that everyone on here has heard of. 

So......with that said, we are just going to wait awhile and go see the traders in late November or December.  I don't have the time or the energy to chase these calves all over the central United States just to get outbid over and over.  We will end up with good calves.  We have just been forced to take a different approach.  Truth be told, this is probably going to be easier anyway.

My advice to you is to make darn sure you can get some traders to come look at your calves.  Make sure you give Caldwell a call and tell him what you have......so that he will perhaps personally come out to work your sale.  I wish you the best with your sale, and I will certainly log in and take a look at your calves!

I to can tell you from the buyer's side that I have done similar to what Tallcool1 has. I found me a trader and told him what we were looking for and let him do all the looking. We got two quality heifers that when he told me what they cost I was pleasantly surprised. Needless to say the days of us hitting the road are over.

Just saying.
<alien>
SD

Hey on this topic-- Tallcool1 stated that you need to get traders to come and look at your sale pen of calves.  I have a question about that-- Do the traders expect all the calves they look at to be clipped up and at least started on the halter?  Do the traders look at unbroken/unclipped calves?
There was another thread on here about looking in your "own backyard" for the breeders that don't have the big sales, but have nice calves just waiting to be discovered-- is anyone searching the dirt roads for the sleepers in the neighbor's herd?
Thanks
EF

As somebody that has only done a little trading, I can tell you that I'll look at anything as long as it has quality. I'd rather look at unclipped unbroken good ones all day than washed fluffed and clipped bad structured ones. 

Thanks for the input. I always had enjoyed the weeks of running up and down the road when I was showing and still do it now with my kids to show them that it is as much about the people you work with as it is the cattle. As a breeder and seller I enjoy showing them to people talking to them before and after they buy and being able to follow them through the year. That's what this business is built on working with the kids and teaching them how to evaluate the cattle not just pick up the phone or click a mouse and have someone find it for them.
I think that with so many online sales its kinda like buying out of a catalog anymore you pick a color, size, and price and get it delivered to your door.

pds said:

Thanks for the input. I always had enjoyed the weeks of running up and down the road when I was showing and still do it now with my kids to show them that it is as much about the people you work with as it is the cattle. As a breeder and seller I enjoy showing them to people talking to them before and after they buy and being able to follow them through the year. That's what this business is built on working with the kids and teaching them how to evaluate the cattle not just pick up the phone or click a mouse and have someone find it for them.
I think that with so many online sales its kinda like buying out of a catalog anymore you pick a color, size, and price and get it delivered to your door.

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Do you sell any calves to traders?

We have had an online sale the last 3 years and the few that do come we tell them that we want to leave our good calves for the sale and they never come back

pds said:

We have had an online sale the last 3 years and the few that do come we tell them that we want to leave our good calves for the sale and they never come back

Click to expand...

Getting calves with a trader isn't all bad most will say who bred the calf and its free advertisement. If they buy one from your program from a trader they might want to come see more or buy direct from you the next year.

The 2 traders and jockeys that we had came mid summer and wanted to take the calves and put them in their own sales and wanted to do it on a percentage after they sold them. like a 60 40 and 70 30 split but we had never even heard of these guys and didn't know if we could trust them or if we would even get our money after the calves were gone. One of them told us that if they buy any calves we can go and watch them show but we can have no contact with their buyers and would not be able to use any pictures for advertising.

Just an update. Today we had 4 groups come through and a few more phone calls. one of them it was for a second look and the others were new to us so maybe we will get along fine. This is the most popular calf today he is a May Unstoppable X Donor 122 (F22 x Full Flush)