285 



1 The 'timeless clock' 



The auction system has now existed for a 

 1 "I T 4-m.g-i^-i I r*i-i /"hTt hundred yeare, and that's certainly a reason for 



LI i nirOClUCllO n celebration, for this system operates nowhere 



/^ ". \ else in the world. The auction, where supply 



:." and demand meet face to face, is one of the 



\: The scene is the town of Broek op reasons why the Netherlands has won itself an 



— jdLangendijk, in 1887. A cauliflower important international position in marketing 



grower s ailing his small open barge full of v^tables, fruit and flowers. Much has changed 



cauliflowers to the market place finds a crowd in the auction field during the last century, 



of eager customeis. In order to avoid time- primarily due to technological progress, but 



consimiing negotiation and still get agood price also because of a better understanding of 



for his cauliflowers, he calls out a hig^ price trade, marketing systems and, for instance, the 



and gradually brin^ it down. The first buyer minimum price system. Apart fi^m this, the 



to accept purchases the batch of cauliflowers, number of measures implemented in relation 



little knowing that he is laving the foundation to the produce and its presentation lias grown 



of a unique sales system: the auction of fruit considerably over the years. The quality classi- 



and vegetables in the Netherlands. fication, grading, standardisation, packaging. 



Without being aware of it, this cauliflower conditioning and expansion of the range all 

 grower from the north of Holland created a spring to mind- 

 unique method of selling, which was later to The auction system is still changing in 

 grow into a sophisticated marketing system for order to achieve even greater effectiveness and 

 vegetables and fruit Instead of the grower cal- efficiency. There is even more cooperation, 

 ling out his prices a 'clock' w^ used, with a hand there are more mergers, and the use of compu- 

 that was calibrated to swing from the highest teis and modem communication systems has 

 to the lowest price. Wherever the dock was become commonplace.At virtually all auctions, 

 stopped fixed the price - the highest possible the traditional manual clocks have given way to 

 price - for that of course W3S most important computer driven clocks, making tele-auction- 

 to the grower. While this is obviously the pri- ing with other auctions possible. 

 maryaimoftheauction,theclockhidesamulti- This new edition of 'How the auction 

 tude of other measures. For if the grower is to works' provides an insight into the lOO-year- 

 achieve the best possible price, more is needed old, but still flourishing auction system, 

 than just a group of buyers on the auction 

 benches, the produce and the clock system used 

 to establish that price. 



The clock is the tip of an iceberg, consist- 

 ing of a package of measures which together 

 form marketing policy. The organisation is 

 based on a cooperative principle: the auctions 

 and their umbrella organisation, the Central 

 Bureau of Eiiit and Vegetable Auctions in the 

 Netherlands, belongs to and e.xist for the 

 growers. It is the growers who put 100 percent 

 effort into producing top quality produce, 

 whilst their oipmisation is primarily involved 

 in organising and promoting sales. 



