The planter market has been a roller coaster since 2014. Four years ago, if you had a planter larger than a single row you had a hard time getting rid of it. Like other equipment segments, planters were highly produced and the market was flush with inventory. Used planters had piled up on dealer’s lots and the auction market was the new place to buy used planters.

Our expert Casey Seymour answers a reader's question about on valuing equipment for spring auctions in this latest installment of the "Ask the Expert: Remarketing Used Equipment" series.

It’s not a shock to anyone when I say over the last 5 years auction activity has greatly increased. At the end of 2014, used equipment inventories where at all-time highs. The auction market became a dumping ground for all kinds of equipment — late model, high hour and everything in between.

The planter market has been a rollercoaster since 2014. Four years ago, if you had a planter larger than a single row you had a hard time getting rid of it. Like other equipment segments, planters were highly produced and the market was flush with inventory.

In 2013, the signs of a looming collapse were becoming clear. In Farm Equipment, Dr. Jim Weber had been writing a series titled “The Business of Selling.” An article from the series “Gathering Storm Clouds” was posted in July 2013. I am paraphrasing but, in the article, Dr. Weber talks about low return on sales, dealerships dependence on volume and market share payments. Because of the low returns, dealerships should have been failing in droves. But because of record high commodity prices, record low interest rates and record on-farm income, dealerships were able to spike margins with new and used wholegoods.

In 2013, the signs of a looming collapse were becoming clear. In Farm Equipment, Dr. Jim Weber had been writing a series titled “The Business of Selling.” An article from the series “Gathering Storm Clouds” was posted in July 2013. I am paraphrasing but, in the article, Dr. Weber talks about low return on sales, dealerships dependence on volume and market share payments. Because of the low returns, dealerships should have been failing in droves. But because of record high commodity prices, record low interest rates and record on-farm income, dealerships were able to spike margins with new and used wholegoods.

The best way to work with the marketing department is to drive content to them. I have worked with some great marketing people — but few have paid attention to equipment inventories because it’s not their job.

When it comes to the future trade-ins, I’m not so much concerned about trying to find a home for the $100,000 combine. What I’m more concerned about is that first and second trade that are $350,000 or $280,000 machines. So when I look out there, I try to see how many guys might be interested in those units. Unfortunately, right now when we go to talk to somebody about a high dollar, late, low hour used model, that same person is probably someone who could buy a new one, too. So we have to be careful who we talk to. We have to get to know their business before saying, “Hey, why don’t you buy a new one?” Because there’s a likely chance they should be buying a used one.

The biggest couple of things I heard at the 2017 Dealership Minds Summit included keeping the late model stuff moving and how much new equipment should be sold to support used sales. Most of the customers who can buy late and low are also the same buyers who can by new.

There are two things you have to consider. First, you have to understand the washout cycle. The washout tells you how long you will hold equipment and how many units you will need to sell through to get to a cash/no trade scenario.