What Makes The Great American Miniature Donkey Sale a 'Must Do' Event?

No farm can offer the diversity and selection that this select sale offers. You definitely know the donkeys are for sale, and you can buy them today. You know there was a second bidder, whose bid was close to yours. We've all been to someone's farm and said, "Gee, I really like that miniature donkey", only to find the owner is not willing to part with her / him. Well today, all the donkeys are for sale.

For consignors, the Sale provides cost effective advertising. The Sale is a place to get known, a place to showcase your farm and your breeding program in front of the entire miniature donkey industry. Print catalogs, flyers, and web space are allocated to your donkeys, and your farm. This information is distributed to a targeted audience, hundreds of miniature donkey aficionados, people you don't have to convince that miniature donkeys are wonderful. Donkey people keep these catalogs for years, referring back to them periodically. Past Sale catalogs, pictures and descriptions are archived on The Great American Miniature Donkey Sale web site. Your consignment investment yields returns far beyond just Sale day.

This Sale establishes benchmark pricing for quality miniature donkeys. The prices brought at this Sale directly influence the value of your quality miniature donkeys, and what you can expect to receive from donkeys sold from your farm. By attending the Sale and talking with the large number of breeders present and examining first hand the donkeys being offered, you will develop a reference point to judge the relative quality and value of your donkeys at home. There is a big difference in the insight and knowledge you will gain by combining your first hand observations and discussions at the Sale with the catalog and prices obtained versus your ability to gain similar insight using only the catalog and a list of prices found somewhere afterwards. You can use your first hand sale experience to critically evaluate your own donkeys and have a basis to substantiate your pricing on your top quality donkeys.

Miniature donkey owners/breeders submit prospective donkeys to the Sale sponsors for consideration based on guidelines concerning conformation (structure) of the donkey. The Sponsors review the information, still photos, videos, and select top quality donkeys representing various bloodlines and colors to put together an interesting group of well conformed miniature donkeys. This group becomes the selected group in the Sale.

Donkeys are available for viewing prior to the Sale and provide you the opportunity to personally inspect, ask questions of the consignors and build relationships with other donkey breeders / owners. The actual Sale is conducted in an auction format lasting about 3 hours. One big difference in the way the Sale is conducted from the standard auction format is the pace. The Sale is conducted slower than the pace of most pedigreed cattle, antiques, or other sales. If you have ever been to a sale where a house or farm is being sold, you will be more familiar with the pace we use here. If you don't understand what the bid is, you can ask. If you are unsure if you have the bid or not, you can ask. If you want to ask a final question, you can do it. If the consignor wants to say something, they can do it. The objective is to have an open buyer - seller forum with some of the best miniature donkeys in North America. If you are into donkeys, whether you plan to buy or not, come experience the difference.

The Sale is a rare opportunity to see a number of quality miniature donkeys from different breeders, with different attributes in one place with all those donkeys being offered for sale. You can examine the miniature donkeys in person, ask questions about any individual donkey and, in short, have a really good opportunity to personally view, up close and personal, about 60 quality miniature donkeys. You know the donkeys have been selected from those offered and top breeders are consigning their best, as those donkeys represent their farm and breeding program. It would literally take you many days and thousands of miles to view an assortment of available, quality stock like that you can see at the Sale. In addition, you will experience the camaraderie; share in the experiences and learnings of a variety of breeders from across North America. You will make, and renew friendships, and hopefully, have a most enjoyable experience.

There is a very strong case for consigning your top quality miniature donkeys to the Sale. Four significant reasons are outlined below:

(1) Showcasing Your Farm & Breeding Program:

The Sale provides an unusual opportunity to place your best quality miniature donkeys and showcase your breeding program in front of a group of motivated buyers. Purchasers develop lasting impressions, so you want to be sure to consign your best. Lastly, but not least, sale attendees are coming to the Sale to find top quality miniature donkeys to add to their herds and are motivated to purchase today.

(2) Advertising:

This Sale gets the word out about your donkey operation. Advertising is placed in all major publications, catalogs are sent out, and mule and donkey associations distribute flyers. Over 1000 catalogs are distributed to a targeted audience worldwide. The Sale website, www.donkeys.net, features a complete web catalog with multiple lot pictures, and a downloadable PDF catalog. All of this creates quite a buzz in the miniature donkey world and builds anticipation for Sale Day.

(3) The Audience:

The Great American Miniature Donkey Sale is held in the Midwest in Lebanon, Ohio, a location which is less than a day's drive from 70% of the US population and a sizeable Canadian population; - talk about reach. The Sale is located less than 50 miles from 2 airports, 90 miles from a 3rd, and 120 miles from a 4th International airport, making the Sale accessible to purchasers from across North America and the World.

(4) Supporting the Industry:

If you own donkeys, you depend on the total industry. Sales make news, they are talked about, and they confirm value. Sales are important to the future health of the industry and are a significant mechanism to attract future donkey owners. Your participation is a show of support for the miniature donkey industry, as well as giving you the opportunity to sell your top donkeys.

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Sales such as The Great American Miniature Donkey Sale are good for both buyers and sellers, and for the Miniature Donkey industry. Hopefully, this has explained The Great American Miniature Donkey Sale and its benefits for attendees, purchasers and consignors. We hope you will consider consigning and / or attending this exciting event. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email or call us.