“Sometimes auctioning through Troostwijk yields more than selling ‘normally’”

Seller Roy Huibers (left) with next to him Floris Bakels, Account Manager Construction at Troostwijk Auctions.

 

Roy Huibers (left in the photo) from timber trade and woodworking company Huibers Hout auctions wood and machines five times a year via Troostwijk Auctions. “Auctioning is a great way for me to sell surplus material at a good price. And I also regularly buy through Troostwijk myself!”

 

“It often happens that we have a specific order from a customer, but that we produce too much,” says Roy Huibers, owner of Huibers Hout. He gives an example. “Recently, we had to make 1000 m² of flooring for a client. It’s never possible to make exactly 1000 m²; it often becomes something like 1032 m². Those surplus 32 m² of flooring are so specific that it’s hard to find a suitable customer within our own network. We auction these surplus materials through Troostwijk Auctions. The broad audience of Troostwijk ensures that we almost always sell our goods for a good price.”

 

“It also happens sometimes that a customer cancels or partially cancels an order,” he continues. “We photograph all those surplus materials, create descriptions, and set them aside. We save them up and auction these batches of wood five times a year through Troostwijk. And if we have machines that we no longer need for whatever reason, they are also included in the auction.”

 

Not too specific

Still, Huibers doesn’t only auction leftover materials. “If we have a very nice piece of wood, I know it will yield the most if we auction it through Troostwijk. So we immediately add it to the materials we are going to auction.”

 

Huibers always ensures that the items he auctions are conventional. “It shouldn’t be too specific, but rather somewhat standard. That way, more people will bid on it. For example, we once had very thick posts. If we had offered them at auction, it wouldn’t have yielded much because most people prefer average-sized posts. So we processed the posts to a standard size before auctioning them.”

 

Satisfied with Troostwijk

For several years now, Huibers has been auctioning his materials through Troostwijk Auctions. “Before that, we tried selling surplus materials via Marktplaats. But it was difficult to keep the momentum going there. With Troostwijk, everything runs very smoothly. We have good contact with Floris Bakels, our account manager for Construction at Troostwijk Auctions, and we are very satisfied.”

 

Huibers himself also sometimes buys something at a Troostwijk Auctions auction. “Right now, I’m looking at machines. I’ve set my sights on a special robot that I can connect to one of our machines. I hope I win that auction!”

 

‘You can set a minimum price’

To entrepreneurs who are unsure whether they should try auctioning with Troostwijk, Huibers advises that they should definitely give it a try. “You can follow similar lots on the platform to get an idea of what your own materials might fetch. Moreover, you can set a minimum price for the machines and materials you auction. This way, you can be sure that you won’t sell it for less than you have in mind. And maybe even more.”

 

However, Huibers adds that every auction is different, and so are the results. “During one auction, I had a minimum price of one thousand euros in mind for a certain batch of wood. It didn’t reach that. But when I entered the same batch in the next auction, it suddenly fetched 5400 euros.”

 

‘Research the lots’

To buyers, Huibers advises to thoroughly research the lots before bidding. “You can attend a viewing day; I really recommend it. Then you can see if something is complete and if it works. Before I buy something at auction myself, I always check what it would cost if I were to buy it new. Because an auction is, of course, most fun if you can get something for a better price than in the store.”

 

To Sint Maarten

When buyers come to pick up lots at Huibers Hout, there is a forklift with a driver ready to assist. “If a buyer has purchased multiple lots, we group them together in advance. This ensures a smooth pickup day. Still, we experience some funny situations, and it’s always a spectacle to see what kind of vehicles people bring to pick up their goods. Sometimes someone shows up with a tiny trailer to pick up a huge pile of wood. Then I sometimes wonder: will that even fit?” Huibers laughs.

 

“Once, during an auction, we sold something to someone from the island of Sint Maarten. On the pickup day, the man arrived with a full shipping container, asking if we could load the wood into it. He even asked if he could wait a bit for another delivery that also had to go into the container. Afterward, the container was shipped to Sint Maarten. Funny, right?”