Thousands of items will be sold during six-day auction; Rental Show
    auction to benefit ARA Foundation

ORLANDO, FL, Dec. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA), the world's largest auctioneer of industrial equipment, will conduct its annual six-day unreserved public auction at its Orlando, Florida permanent auction site from February 15 - 20, 2010. The large auction will feature thousands of heavy equipment items and trucks - and every item will be sold to the highest bidder on auction day, with no minimum bids or reserve prices.

"The February Orlando auction is the largest Ritchie Bros. auction of the year as well as the world's largest industrial auction each year. Last year, with a 200-acre auction site and six days, it featured more items than any of our other auctions," said Steve Kriebel, Regional Manager for Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "This year, with thousands of equipment items and trucks being sold, we will have something for almost every one. This wide selection of equipment and our commitment to unreserved auctions help attract thousands of bidders from all over the world each year."

Last February Ritchie Bros. conducted its first six-day auction in Company history at its Orlando site, selling more than 8,300 items over six days, generating US$184 million in gross auction proceeds and attracting 7,600 unique bidders from 75 countries. The annual auction is definitely the place to sell and buy the equipment you need.

A week prior to this February 2010 Orlando auction, Ritchie Bros. will be conducting a live benefit auction on Monday, February 8, 2010 starting at 6:00 p.m. at the American Rental Association Rental Show. All proceeds go to the ARA Foundation, which implements programs that create educational opportunities, build relationships and aid the equipment rental industry.

Last year's ARA Foundation benefit auction received donations from 24 ARA Rental Show exhibitors. Auction proceeds were used to award 24 scholarships for 2009-2010 students pursuing rental-related education at accredited institutions. This year's benefit auction features a wide range of donated items, including equipment and travel packages.

Established in 1976 as a rental industry education resource, the ARA Foundation's other initiatives include a Rental Executive Advisory Program, a disaster relief program and an international rental exchange program.

Like every Ritchie Bros. auction, both auctions will be unreserved, which means there are no minimum bids or reserve prices. Every item will be sold to the highest bidder on auction day, regardless of price.

    Orlando auction details:
    ------------------------
    -   Location: corner of I-4 & US Hwy 27 (700 Ritchie Rd.), Davenport, FL.
    -   Orlando site phone: +1.863.420.9919
    -   Date: Monday, February 15 to Saturday, February 20, 2010. Auction
        start time: 8:00 a.m. daily.
    -   Auction is open to the public; registration to bid is free
    -   Interested buyers can register to bid in person, in real time over
        the internet or by proxy.
    -   On-site registration begins a few days before the auction; photo ID
        is required. First-time bidders from the U.S. and Canada must place a
        refundable CA$1,000 deposit when they register. For international
        bidders, a US$25,000 refundable deposit is required.
    -   Internet bidders must register online before auction day at
        www.rbauction.com. First-time bidders are advised to register online
        at rbauction.com 2-3 business days before the auction.
    -   Full equipment details, including photos, are available at
        www.rbauction.com.
    -   Anyone can come to the auction site before auction day to inspect,
        test and compare items.

    ARA Foundation benefit auction details:
    ---------------------------------------
    -   Location: Orange County Convention Center, 9860 Universal Blvd.,
        Orlando, FL (on-site at the ARA Rental Show).
    -   Date: Monday, February 8, 2010. Auction start time: 6:00 p.m.
    -   Auction registration is available on Monday, February 8, 2010, at the
        ARA Foundation and Ritchie Bros. booths on the show floor.
    -   All proceeds from the benefit auction go to support the American
        Rental Association Foundation.

For more information, visit www.rbauction.com.

For more information on the ARA Foundation, visit www.ararental.org

About Ritchie Bros.

Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world's largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and online bidders than any other company in the world. The Company has over 110 locations in more than 25 countries, including 39 auction sites worldwide. Ritchie Bros. sells, through unreserved public auctions, a broad range of used and unused industrial assets, including equipment, trucks and other assets utilized in the construction, transportation, agricultural, material handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries. The Company maintains a web site at www.rbauction.com and sponsors an equipment wiki at www.RitchieWiki.com.

SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers

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