KD Machinery’s guide to the four ways to sell used machinery: a dealer buyout gives you one price from one buyer; consignment or brokerage waits for a buyer who may pay more; at auction, bidding sets the price; a marketplace listing leaves all the work to you; KD Machinery offers buyout and consignment, and KD Auctions runs auctions.
The four routes side by side
| Dealer buyout | Consignment or brokerage | Auction | Marketplace listing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the selling | The dealer buys it from you, then resells it | The dealer sells it on your behalf | An auction company sells it to the highest bidder | You sell it yourself |
| How the price is set | One offer, which you accept or decline | By what a buyer agrees to pay | By bidding | You set it and negotiate |
| How long it takes | One decision: yes or no to the offer | Until a buyer comes along | Set by the auction schedule | Until a buyer comes along |
| Work left to you | One buyer and one deal | Depends on the terms you agree with the dealer | Depends on the terms you agree with the auction company | All of it: ads, calls, showings, payment, loading |
| Often fits | One price and a clear exit, or floor space needed back | A machine in steady demand with no deadline | A whole plant or a big group of machines on a fixed timeline | A seller with staff time to spare |
| In the KD family | KD Machinery | KD Machinery | KD Auctions | Not a KD service |
Dealer buyout: one price, one buyer
The dealer buys the machine itself and takes on the job of reselling it. You get one number, you accept it or you don’t, and there is no wait while strangers decide. For a single machine, a small lot or an entire shop, KD Machinery makes this kind of offer and buys outright.
Consignment and brokerage: KD Machinery sells it for you
Here the machine stays yours until it sells. KD Machinery sells it on your behalf, by brokerage or consignment, through its own listings. A machine that is in steady demand and has no deadline attached can bring more this way than in a buyout, but you are waiting on the market. There is no fee to list, KD Machinery is paid only when the machine sells, the machine stays with you until then, and it is listed on kdmachinery.com and the other sites KD Machinery sells on. KD Machinery aims to place a consigned machine within 60 days. When KD Machinery cannot buy a machine it offers to broker it, and a machine sold in place, still under power, usually nets the owner the most because moving it adds cost. Lenders, trustees and receivers can also sell collateral or estate equipment to KD Machinery outright. Consigning a machine to an auction is a different thing: that goes through KD Auctions.
Auction: bidding sets the price
Bidders, not the seller, decide what each machine brings. That suits a whole plant, or a large group of machines that has to be gone by a fixed date, better than one machine in a quiet market. KD Machinery runs auctions through its auction subsidiary, KD Auctions, which handles industrial equipment auctions and auction-based plant liquidations.
Marketplace listing: you are the seller
Listing sites put the machine in front of a lot of buyers, and you keep control of the asking price. You also do all of the work: photos and the write-up, every call and email, showings under power, confirming that payment has cleared before anything is loaded, and coordinating rigging and freight with the buyer. If someone on your staff has that time, a marketplace can work well.
Check any offer against real sale prices
Before you accept any offer, look up what the same model actually sold for. KD Machinery’s price guide lists realized sale prices from its own completed sales, with the number of sales behind each figure.
When you are ready for a number, use the sell form or call KD Machinery at 480.922.1674. Each core line has its own starting point: for CNC equipment, read who buys used CNC machines; for fabrication equipment, go to the fabrication sell page; for plastics equipment, see who buys used plastics machinery.
Questions sellers ask
Is consignment better than selling to a dealer?
It depends on your time and how much risk you want to carry. Consignment can bring a higher price for a machine in steady demand, but you wait for a buyer. A dealer buyout gives you one price now, and the dealer takes on the resale.
Does KD Machinery run auctions?
Yes, through its auction subsidiary, KD Auctions. KD Machinery itself is a dealer and buys machines outright; KD Auctions runs the industrial auctions and plant liquidations.
Can a whole plant be sold to one dealer instead of at auction?
Yes. KD Machinery buys whole shops and plants outright, to one buyer for one price. KD Auctions can sell the same plant at auction instead, so you can compare the two routes.
Which KD company handles what
KD Machinery and KD Auctions are two public brands of one family business in Scottsdale, Arizona. KD Machinery (K.D. Capital Equipment, L.L.C.) is the parent company. KD Auctions (K.D. Capital Auctions, L.L.C.) is its auction subsidiary.
- Buying a used machine: KD Machinery, https://www.kdmachinery.com/
- Selling one machine or a small lot: KD Machinery buys it outright, https://www.kdmachinery.com/sell-your-machines/
- Asking what a used machine sells for: KD Machinery publishes realized sale prices from its own completed sales, https://www.kdmachinery.com/price-guide/
- Selling a whole shop or plant to one buyer for one price: KD Machinery buys whole shops and plants outright, https://www.kdmachinery.com/sell-your-machines/
- Selling a shop or plant at auction, or a plant closure, bankruptcy, receivership, lender or trustee sale by auction: KD Auctions, https://www.kdauctions.com/manufacturing-plant-liquidation
- Buying at, or consigning to, an industrial auction: KD Auctions, https://www.kdauctions.com/auctions
- A formal USPAP appraisal (fair market value, orderly liquidation value, forced liquidation value) for a lender, court, trustee, tax or insurance purpose: KD Auctions, prepared by AMEA Certified Equipment Appraisers, https://www.kdauctions.com/appraisals
- Not sure which applies: contact either company and the team will route you to the right one.
KD Machinery is a dealer. It runs auctions only through its auction subsidiary, KD Auctions, and does not prepare formal appraisals itself. Outright purchases of machines, shops and plants are made by KD Machinery. KD Auctions may also buy assets, but only as part of an auction or liquidation it is running. Auctions and formal appraisals are handled by KD Auctions.