luck money

Giles1 · Jun 9, 2013

S J H said:
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.

Going back a few years,a midlands mart,young pig farmer sold a batch,got backed into a corner by a dealer and told he certainly would pay luck money,and not just a nominal amount either.(No it wasn't me, avoid anything to do with pigs,except bacon)

Giles1 · Jun 9, 2013

lim x said:
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

How does it help the end price and are you sure you wouldn't get that price anyway?

lim x · Jun 10, 2013

The buyer glances my way when my cattle come in the ring, i nod, he bids and gets them most times, i slip some folding in his pocket

. I don't think he would bid so strong without it. Rightly or wrongly, its an age old tradition, and i want the best price possible.

Cowabunga · Jun 10, 2013

We never stay to see the calves sell and regularly get top of the mart. In fact we got five of the top six sellers, including the highest, at the last but one mart we sold at.

Dealers will tend not to bid against each other aggressively, having come to an agreement beforehand or, if not, agree after the event as to who gets what and for how much. If it is made known that one dealer tends to buy your cattle then the other dealers will know when to stop and it will seem to you that your luck money works but in fact it is their understanding of each other that has worked.
The best place to sell is in the Scottish Islands, where there always appears to be a good premium over England and Wales even despite the inevitable ferry and haulage cost to get them to where the final customers are. This has always puzzled me.
For calves it is at marts where famers buy. Tregaron is a good one around these parts but is too much of a faff from here, so mine go to the most convenient which is maybe not quite the best for calves. Carmarthen is the biggest but 35 miles is nearly twice the distance to the one we use.

chipsngravy · Jun 10, 2013

Large calf buyer told my mate who rears for him he make £200/300 week in luck money.

As Cowabunga said round here the the calf job is most corrupted, dealers have it all sorted before hand who wants how many of what. Also known if you want to buy some dont bid against them, they will run you up & up, just tell them what you want and they will buy for you and put £10 on per head

roscoe erf · Jun 10, 2013

chipsngravy said:
Large calf buyer told my mate who rears for him he make £200/300 week in luck money.

As Cowabunga said round here the the calf job is most corrupted, dealers have it all sorted before hand who wants how many of what. Also known if you want to buy some dont bid against them, they will run you up & up, just tell them what you want and they will buy for you and put £10 on per head

feck that sounds like a monopoly i have brought calves at mart without both luck money and being run up paid what i wanted and what was right.this is beginning to sound like bribe money not luck

rusty · Jun 10, 2013

I give luck on store cattle and the odd surplus dairy heifer we sell. No luck for barren cows or calves. I don't like the system and especially the calf ring in our local market. It's very difficult to understand what calves make, especially B&W bull calves.

Robigus · Jun 10, 2013

Sold a really nice sprayer to some scoundrel the other day, no bloomin' luck with that!

Used to see it a bit with sheep (haven't had any for 10 yrs), but much more in the west than around here.

topground · Jun 10, 2013

When buying suckled calves at Cutcombe I was always surprised to be given a few quid by the office clerk on behalf of the Auctioneers when I handed over my cheque. Luck money?

Flossie · Jun 10, 2013

topground said:
When buying suckled calves at Cutcombe I was always surprised to be given a few quid by the office clerk on behalf of the Auctioneers when I handed over my cheque. Luck money?

No that's a thankyou for paying on the day-I suppose it's a bit of luck back

roscoe erf · Jun 10, 2013

Robigus said:
Sold a really nice sprayer to some scoundrel the other day, no bloomin' luck with that!

you weren't the only one i had no luck with it either

Bill the Bass · Jun 10, 2013

£5 for fat cattle and stores, £10 for breeding outfits and £5-£10 per £1000 for breeding bulls + 6 months insurance. I like to give luck on breeding cattle so you can then at that point swap contact details and make sure the product they have bought gets settled and they are happy with it - I believe this is called customer care?

I value my customers, I am sure that there is some theory in business that 80% of your trade comes from repeat buyers so why not look after them?

I dont buy much stock, but generally find if I am buying bulls people want to give you luck for the same reasons above.

I don't see it as dodgy, its no different than Nectar Points, Air miles or Cash Back deals that you get on many products in many other industries - only a little more primative in our case.

Princess Pooper · Jun 10, 2013

An Gof said:
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 Does the Inland Revenue know or care?

I do recall doing the books for a cattle dealer 25-odd years ago when I worked in accountancy. Funny he never seemed to bank any luck money.

He used to draw out cash for luck money, so we used to allocate to drawings.

It's still common round here although we don't bother any more when selling. It means hanging around at market to see calves sold when there's plenty of work to be done at home.

penntor · Jun 10, 2013

Bill the Bass said:
£5 for fat cattle and stores, £10 for breeding outfits and £5-£10 per £1000 for breeding bulls + 6 months insurance. I like to give luck on breeding cattle so you can then at that point swap contact details and make sure the product they have bought gets settled and they are happy with it - I believe this is called customer care?

I value my customers, I am sure that there is some theory in business that 80% of your trade comes from repeat buyers so why not look after them?

I dont buy much stock, but generally find if I am buying bulls people want to give you luck for the same reasons above.

I don't see it as dodgy, its no different than Nectar Points, Air miles or Cash Back deals that you get on many products in many other industries - only a little more primative in our case.

No, your Nectar points etc. are a thank you for giving the seller your details and all the data they then generate about who buys what.
Never give or accept luck money, as father used to say they got their luck when they bought the animal, the price you bid is the price you pay.
When you sell direct to slaughter do you send some of the money you get back to the buyer, don't think so.

penntor

An Gof · Jun 10, 2013

penntor said:
No, your Nectar points etc. are a thank you for giving the seller your details and all the data they then generate about who buys what.
Never give or accept luck money, as father used to say they got their luck when they bought the animal, the price you bid is the price you pay.
When you sell direct to slaughter do you send some of the money you get back to the buyer, don't think so.

penntor

Here Here!

Common Sense prevails in the SW.

Johnny400 · Jun 10, 2013

I remember Dad and Granda back in the day with a handfull of fivers at each tup sale ready to give out. I was selling tups last year for dad, one guy(older man) came up and asked for i managed to find a couple of quid as i wasnt expecting. The next guy(young lad) came and i straight away said i had run out of luck and he wasnt even looking for! So maybe a generational thing?

One suffolk ewe sale i was at years ago a noted breeder was giving out a bottle of whiskey per sheep!

Bill the Bass · Jun 10, 2013

penntor said:
No, your Nectar points etc. are a thank you for giving the seller your details and all the data they then generate about who buys what.
Never give or accept luck money, as father used to say they got their luck when they bought the animal, the price you bid is the price you pay.
When you sell direct to slaughter do you send some of the money you get back to the buyer, don't think so.

penntor

I dont sell direct. If someone wants to buy they can bid for it and if they are going to stand all day on concrete in a freezing auction buying cattle they deserve a few quid.

roscoe erf · Jun 10, 2013

Bill the Bass said:
I dont sell direct. If someone wants to buy they can bid for it and if they are going to stand all day on concrete in a freezing auction buying cattle they deserve a few quid.

thats what they are buying the cattle for to make a few quid i did not see coal miners getting luck money and their conditions were a lot worse if you want to tip them thats fine but why should they expect it

Bill the Bass · Jun 10, 2013

An Gof said:
Here Here!

Common Sense prevails in the SW.

Note to self - never buy anything from the SW!

C.J · Jun 10, 2013

Bill the Bass said:
Note to self - never buy anything from the SW!

The cartel wouldn't let you

luck money

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Up to 25%

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100% I’ve had enough of farming!

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