The used printing equipment markets both at home and overseas continue to be in the doldrums with prices below half of what they were a decade ago. The recent Geon and Blue Star auctions showed that there are still buyers out there, but they expect low prices.
Gone are the days when a top-brand press might be worth close to the purchase price three or four years later. The traditional used equipment buyers from China, India and other parts of Asia are increasingly buying new presses.
“The used graphic machinery game has changed enormously,” says Andy McCourt, who has both auctioned and sold millions of dollars in equipment over the years to buyers locally and overseas. “Not so many years ago used equipment trade was worth more than new – around $40 billion a year versus $35 billion for new.
“I don’t have the numbers for today but they are decidedly down due to the rise of China, the impact of digital where the used market is nowhere near as strong as with offset; new media and post-GFC effects,” he says.
McCourt says he has been trying to help Smeaton Grange, NSW printer Tony Wolf & Son offload his late 1988 Roland Favorit RVF OB (pictured) for some time. According to McCourt, he “very nearly had it sold to Turkey but that went quiet and recently a Bolivian buyer went all the way up to requesting invoicing and bank details, but never came through with the money. The owner now has to vacate his premises and move elsewhere, so it’s ‘give-away time’.”
According to McCourt, the Roland press is in good mechanical condition and was printing great commercial work all the way up to last Christmas. It’s still powered up for a demonstration near Liverpool and is a four colour plus coater Favorit RVF with new IR lamps throughout. Sheet size is B2; 720mm x 520mm. Tony Wolf will accept $10,000 ‘take it away’.
“I can point to several of this model, probably not in as good condition, on the world market for $35,000 to $50,000 – there’s even one in Europe asking $95,000. At $10,000 to take-away, it’s an absolute steal,” says McCourt.
Anyone interested should contact Ian Wolf by email: ian@wolf.net.au or phone: 02 4646 1714.