Published: 04/03/2026 By George Russo
2026 is off to a flying start for Symonds & Sampson’s Agricultural Auctions department, with online listings proving to be invaluable for both marketing lots to a national and even international audience.We have recently conducted entire dispersal sales online rather than onsite, with impressive results. Auctioneer George Russo reports that, in an Online Sale, an unreserved piece of machinery or vehicle is more appealing to prospective purchasers as it is portrayed to be more genuine, being sold directly from the farm.
“Comprehensive listings include photos and videos, providing a reassuringly full description of the lots, providing ‘buyer confidence’ which has been reflected both in terms of numerical value, and also in terms of bidders being located from a far wider field than would be expected to attend a sale in person.
“Although Online Timed Auctions have their place and can still achieve good prices for our vendors, we still firmly believe that a hybrid onsite auction with online bidding offers the full package and will be our first option when a vendor comes to us with a dispersal sale.”
Symonds & Sampson looks forward to several significant onsite dispersal sales at farms in Hampshire, Devon, Somerset, and Dorset this Spring, as well as the South Dorset Collective Sale on 19th March and a new Axminster Collective Sale in May. Further collective sales are in the pipeline, planned for the New Forest in the Summer.
The Agricultural Auctions team, Greg Ridout, Paul Heard, James Morrish, Harriet Andrews, and George hold regular onsite livestock auctions, fodder sales, and sales of standing crops. If you have any machinery, equipment, or items to sell, irrespective of size or location, they would be pleased to assist. Please contact George on 07494 588013 for further information.