How an Online Auction Made a Difference for a Newly Widowed Client

Imagine losing your husband to cancer. Saying goodbye to someone you love is always devastating, especially when that person dies within weeks of the diagnosis, leaving you with little time to prepare for life after the loss. 

Such was the case for a recent client of MachinesUsed.com. When her husband passed away, not only was the widow grieving his passing; she was also faced with important—and pressing—decisions about his machine shop, including how to pay loans against the machines and cover the monthly lease to the building owner. All this, with no one to run the business or generate income to pay the bills. 

That’s where MachinesUsed.com came into the picture. With over 100 combined years of experience in selling used machinery, we knew exactly what to do. “The landlord called us to see if we could help a woman liquidate her late husband’s machine shop,” said John Lawton, founder and general manager. “He was confident we could generate enough revenue to help everyone involved.” 

It’s a common scenario. Sometimes, an owner is retiring. Other times, there’s an unexpected life change. MachinesUsed.com is uniquely equipped to address situations just like these. We can assess the condition of the machines, create auction lots of all equipment and supplies, post pictures, videos, and specs of the equipment, and host the online sale. 

“Our liquidations services offer turnkey solutions for our clients,“ said Lawton. “After the auction, we prep equipment for transport, arrange the shipping, and supervise the removal of the items. We start with a full building and finish with an empty shop.” 

Because MachinesUsed.com sells all over North America, we can find the right buyer for the right machine at the right price. 

“The widow in this recent sale was in a tough spot,” Lawton said, “so we fronted some of the money from the upcoming sale to help her cover the lease until the date of the auction.” 

“Then, we attracted the right national buyers to the sale, and exceeded the appraisal of the equipment that the bank showed to us by far,” added Lawton. “She was able to pay off all the loans, meet expenses, and still walk away with more money than originally estimated.” 

“Our goal is always to go above and beyond what our clients expect,” Lawton said. “In this case, meeting that goal was even more satisfying, knowing we were taking care of a client in the hour of her greatest need.”