luck money

roscoe erf

Member
Livestock Farmer
sold some cattle to a neighbour a few weeks ago and when the deal was done he asked for luck money now i thought this had died out i remember my dad talking about it in the 50's and 60's. so does anyone else still do this how and why did it start and is it only in the cattle trade.
 

multi power

Member
Location
pembrokeshire
when i was growing up, 80s, my granny used to deal with selling the dairy bull calves, think she used to give them a pound note then, plenty of people give luck money with dairy cows in carmarthen mart
 

DrDunc

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Dunsyre
Selling store cattle here is always done with luck. Usually a couple of pound a head.

Lanark and Stirling UA (mind you it's usually the same buyers:confused: )
 

Bluetooth

Member
Location
North east
still happens here, don't its as common place as it used to be but then I don't go to mart that much. we bought 2 tups in September think we got £10 luck money for one nowt for the other. about 5 years ago I was at mart and someone selling fat lambs and offered £5 a head luck money he had about 50 lambs in total they'd be making about £50-60 at the time couldn't get my head round it.
 

wdah/him

Member
Location
tyrone
depends here, old timers will give pound or two, all pedagree stck we buy come with luckpenny as does machinery purchases-delivery or service parts if not cash, same when we sell, but not normally on sucks or stores or cows unless they buy a few.
 

Longlowdog

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Aberdeenshire
Luck is still very common within the sheep trade. At the premier sales it is not uncommon for folk to offer fixed luck on a sliding scale with luck penny insurance offered if a certain minimum price is reached. Luck money worth a few quid, insurance worth 5-10% of purchase price depending on length of cover. Still some tight pocketed big fisted buggers out there, bought the ewe in my avatar for near 4k and got 'the last twenty quid' in the guys pocket, this at Carlisle where you can collect your cheque or cash on the day. On same day bought a ewe for 700 quid and was freely given £20 by a guy who sought me out after the sale to wish me well.
The question of luck is a very divisive one, with some folk expecting serious proportions of the purchase price back and others offering literally a few quid for luck there can be quite a lot of ill feeling generated at a sale particularly with shepherds buying for owners flocks who regard luck money as a perk.
 

Flossie

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Lancs
Do it round us. The beef dealers make their brass doing it. Some of the big beef men walk round the ring waving a tenner. Now dairy culls have got to £8-900 I give a fiver. It's generally the same 2 buyers that buy them off me(y)

Give luck on decent calves-up to a fiver if it's a decent Blue down to £1 for a B+W at £100 or so. If it's a giveaway, then nothing(n)

Dairy cows and heifers are generally sold with "a shilling in the pound" luck money. i.e. £2000 is £100 luck back. Others just give it out that there's £50 luck with this heifer:)
 

roscoe erf

Member
Livestock Farmer
Luck is still very common within the sheep trade. At the premier sales it is not uncommon for folk to offer fixed luck on a sliding scale with luck penny insurance offered if a certain minimum price is reached. Luck money worth a few quid, insurance worth 5-10% of purchase price depending on length of cover. Still some tight pocketed big fisted buggers out there, bought the ewe in my avatar for near 4k and got 'the last twenty quid' in the guys pocket, this at Carlisle where you can collect your cheque or cash on the day. On same day bought a ewe for 700 quid and was freely given £20 by a guy who sought me out after the sale to wish me well.
The question of luck is a very divisive one, with some folk expecting serious proportions of the purchase price back and others offering literally a few quid for luck there can be quite a lot of ill feeling generated at a sale particularly with shepherds buying for owners flocks who regard luck money as a perk.

somebody needs to publish the rules i had no idea what to offer:confused:
 

Flossie

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Lancs
When mum and dad packed up milking I used to show their heifers which they sold as they calved. People would come and ask if there was a shilling luck whilst I was washing the heifer. I just replied "if you pay enough" or if the price was sticking in the ring-give out a shilling, and it might make another £50:)
 

Giles1

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Central Scotland
Absolute b*****ks.Hate the system.Don't give and never ask.Seen and heard some well dodgy tales in the past involving this.Would far rather Mr. Buyer paid less than ask for luck,and when told no,"could be something wrong with that......"As far as I'm concerned,when I sell and buy at auction or otherwise,what you see is what you pay for,which leads me on ,for some strange reason, to stupid prices for tups........
 

An Gof

Member
Location
Cornwall
So where does all the cash come from? Do you draw cash from your farm account to pay this luck money? Does the recipient enter it in their accounts :ROFLMAO: Does the Inland Revenue know or care?

I have a natural distaste for these practices, it's bordering on blackmail and should be resisted in my opinion.
It's like tips for Keepers, it can get out of hand ............... (no pun intended) :p
 

S J H

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Bedfordshire
Absolute b*****ks.Hate the system.Don't give and never ask.Seen and heard some well dodgy tales in the past involving this.Would far rather Mr. Buyer paid less than ask for luck,and when told no,"could be something wrong with that......"As far as I'm concerned,when I sell and buy at auction or otherwise,what you see is what you pay for,which leads me on ,for some strange reason, to stupid prices for tups........

How dodgy can it get?!

Still quite common especially round Christmas time must be a big bonus for the dealers as said before, should think it can easily give a days wages annodes pasted on to the end buyer.
 

lim x

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Nottinghamshire
Used to be my job when i was youngster to stand in the pen with sheep/pigs/cattle as they were being sold to hold up the luck money. Also when we bought stock, i was shown who the seller was and to go and ask if there was any luck.

We still do it with the fat cattle, the buyers know they get a 'good drink' and it certainly helps with the end price:)
 

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