Send photos
Photograph the material, nameplates and quantity, then send them through the quote form, by email or by phone.
LIQUIDATION GUIDE
Auction or Direct Sale? How to Sell Your Plant’s Equipment
Auctions work for some sellers — but they are slow, public, and uncertain. Here is the honest comparison, from a direct buyer.
How auctions work.
An auctioneer catalogs your equipment, markets the sale, and sells to the highest bidder on sale day — for a seller’s commission plus fees. Timeline: weeks to months of preparation, marketing, and settlement. Risk: no-reserve lots can sell for whatever the room decides that day, and you pay whether the prices please you or not. Auctions shine for huge, diverse asset lists that draw a crowd of competing buyers.
How a direct sale works.
You photograph the equipment, send it to a buyer, get a firm offer, and schedule pickup. Timeline: days, not months. Price: negotiated and certain before anything moves. Privacy: no public listing of your closure. Direct sale fits sellers who value speed, certainty, and discretion — or whose equipment list is too focused for an auction crowd (one buyer who wants exactly your electrical gear beats fifty browsers).
Which fits whom.
Choose auction for very large, diverse plants where bidder competition across categories drives prices. Choose direct sale when you need speed (lease ending, building sold), certainty (a number you can plan around), privacy, or when your assets are concentrated in categories with strong direct buyers — electrical, generators, tooling, and copper-heavy equipment. Many sellers do both: auction the general assets, sell the high-value categories direct.
Sell it the straightforward way.
Photograph what you have — nameplates, labels, and overall condition — and send it to Ironcrest for today’s offer. We buy nationally and coordinate pickup from your site.
Sell your plant equipment to Ironcrest → | Call or text 312-880-8174 | Send photos →
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Questions, answered.
What do auctioneers charge sellers?
Typically a seller’s commission plus marketing and administrative fees — the structure varies by auctioneer, so ask for the full fee schedule in writing before consigning.
How fast is a direct equipment sale?
Days from first photos to scheduled pickup in most cases — versus weeks or months for an auction cycle.
Can I sell just part of the plant directly?
Yes. Many sellers auction the general assets and sell high-value categories — electrical, generators, carbide tooling — directly to specialist buyers.
Do I need to clean or rig equipment for a direct buyer?
Present it honestly; we coordinate rigging and transport. You do not need auction-level staging and cataloging.
Is a direct sale private?
Yes — no public listing, no sale-day crowd. For businesses that prefer discretion around a closure or downsizing, that matters.
THE CHOICE
Two ways to sell a plant.
Auction: public, slow, uncertain. Direct: private, fast, certain. Here is how to choose.
New: Explore the Ironcrest Copper Resource Center — grades, markets, identification guides, and interactive tools.
HOW SELLING WORKS
Three steps to an offer.
Material review
We review what the material is, its condition and quantity, and whether it fits a direct purchase.
Receive an offer
For qualifying material, we discuss a direct purchase offer and the next steps.