THERE was no doubting the keen interest in the custom-built 1929 Ford Roadster at the Nutrien Ag Solutions clearing sale at Lake Grace on February 19 on behalf of Grant Oborne.
Mr Oborne had recently sold the farm and his concreting business and was returning to New Zealand.
Potential buyers came from far and wide but they were careful with their wallets - seeking to buy at the best possible price on all items.
Despite that, Nutrien Ag Solutions auctioneer Gary Prater, who led the sale, said it grossed more than expected at about $300,000, which was a "fantastic achievement" considering the amount of sundry items on offer.
"It exceeded expectations - I guess it all adds up," Mr Prater said.
A Boyup Brook tractor collector - who has 40 odd tractors at various stages of restoration - brought the Roadster, which had a 350 V8 Chevy engine and had 130,000 kilometres on the clock, for $32,500.
He decided not to drive it home, but was looking forward to shaking the windows down the main street of Boyup Brook.
The top selling item at the clearing sale was a 2001 Sterling LT9500 truck.
It came with a 440hp Detroit series 60 engine, 15 speed Roadranger gearbox, with an alloy tipper and trailer unit.
A local farmer outbid a few contenders to purchase the truck package at $62,000.
A Nitro 100ft boomsprayer was passed in at $30,000 - which Mr Prater said was worth more than the bid offered.
A Stieger Panther ST325 series 3 tractor with duals sold for $26,000 to another local farmer, while a John Deere 2800 tractor with 3 point linkage sold for $12,500.
A Harman 40ft, 34 Airseeder bar with knife points and cultivator discs and press wheels, with a Harmon 3100 Airseeder cart attached sold $22,000.
One of the biggest buyers at the sale was A Wiech, Newdegate, who arrived with a ute and ended up buying 18 lots in total - which needed an additional trailer to fit it all in.
Mr Wiech has been active at many clearing sales in the area, always picking up bargains.
The largest item he bought at the sale was a newish 43,000L Flexi-N tank for $3750 - about half price on a new one.
Other items included a mattress, cupboard, television, concreting gear, tools and an air compressor for $800.
About 15,000L of liquid Flexi-N, which was still in the tank, sold separately at a steal for $1900 to another local buyer, while 32 tonnes of Mace wheat seed sold for $4500.
About a third of the attendees at the sale dropped off prior to the big ticket machinery items came up for sale, highlighting the interest in the sundry items on offer and also the difference in the type of crowd that was attracted to the sale because of what was on offer.
A Chamberlain Champion 306 front-end loader with three-point linkage sold to B Watson, Lake Grace, for $8000.
A 2006 Honda 4WD 4Trac quad bike with 2500 hours sold to Norfield farm, Lake Grace, for $6600.
A 2011 Holden Colorado 3L 4WD with an Earnshaw canopy and 183,000km sold for $12,000.
The final item in the sale was a John Deere CTS II Maximiser header, having done 5139 engine hours and 3820 rotor hours.
It came with a 936 Draper front with triple belt and transport kit, and sold to a Hyden farmer for $19,500.
