Everything from transports to fire trucks to massage chairs was on the auction block Thursday.
Industrial equipment auctioneers Ritchie Brothers were in Thunder Bay for their annual heavy equipment auction, drawing nearly 1,200 potential buyers for the approximately 500 lots.
‘We’re selling anything from construction, forestry, a little bit of mining gear, and obviously a lot of transportation,” said Danny Fortier, the northern Ontario regional sales manager for Ritchie Brothers.
The items for sale Thursday were all consignments, and they fell into a wide range. There were tires, pickup trucks, snow plows, tanker trucks, even new-in-box massage chairs. The age of the items ranged from a few decades old to last year’s models, Fortier said.
There’s a big market for used industrial equipment, Fortier added.
“We have five major auctions in Bolton, Ont. per year,” he said. “We also have two off-sites in Ottawa, and we also have an off-site here, per year, in Thunder Bay.
“It’s a big market across Canada and North America, and globally.”
‘He just connected with it’
One of Thursday’s lucky buyers was Sean Main, who snagged a gem – a vintage 1958 Mack truck.
“It stands out,” Main said of the forest-green diesel, complete with its classic bulldog hood ornament. “It was definitely an odd thing to have here.”
“I came around with my son, who’s 11 years old. He took one look at it, fell in love. He just connected with it. I said I’d come and have a look on sale day, and the prices were right, so we’ll be taking her home.”
Main said the truck needs very little in order to make it road-ready, as a lot of work has already been done.
“This one’s had a lot of customizations,” Main said. “Air-ride suspension, a bigger engine . . . all the bells and whistles work on it, so somebody’s put a lot of money into it.”
“I think it was a really good deal.”