Helping bring some holiday cheer: selection of die-cast heavy equipment models to be sold for charity at this week's Ritchie Bros. unreserved public auction in Chehalis, WA

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Dec 18, 2013, 04:00 ET

Proceeds from the sale of the models will go directly to support Toys for Tots and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southwest Washington

CHEHALIS, WA, Dec. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - At its upcoming Chehalis, WA unreserved auction tomorrow, Thursday, December 19, 2013, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE and TSX: RBA) will sell a selection of die-cast models, including rock trucks, dump trucks, truck tractors, bulldozers and more with all proceeds going directly to support the kids and families of Toys for Tots and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southwest Washington. In total, more than 1,100 heavy equipment items and trucks will be sold in the Ritchie Bros. Chehalis auction, including the 1:50 and 1:32 scale models—all items will be sold by unreserved auction, with no minimum bids or reserve prices. Bids can be made in the auction in person at Ritchie Bros. Chehalis auction site, online in real time at www.rbauction.com and by proxy.

"The holiday season is not an easy time for the kids in our program and their families," said Roger Jones, Executive Director, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southwest Washington. "This is why we were so excited when the Ritchie Bros. team in Chehalis reached out to us saying they wanted to host this unique charity auction to help support the kids and their families during the holidays. The money raised at tomorrow's auction will be put toward helping the families that belong to our program purchase food for the holidays."

More than 20 scale models will be sold as part of the charity auction tomorrow, including a selection of die-cast 1:50 and 1:32 Caterpillar, Kenworth, John Deere, Freightliner, New Holland, Volvo and Komatsu models as well as an axe autographed by Mike Phil from the History Channel's Ax Men.

The items are being sold using the Ritchie Bros. Timed Auction system. A Timed Auction takes place over several days with online bids taking place from the time bidding opens until bidding closes during the live auction. The Timed Auction system provides customers with the ability to place bids on smaller consumer goods and other items prior to the auction, as well as on auction day. Bids can be placed on the Timed Auction lots online at rbauction.com, through internet kiosks at the auction site, by using their personal mobile device, using the free public wireless available at the auction site and by phoning the auction site to place a proxy bid.

Interested bidders need to register if they want to bid on an item being sold by Timed Auction. The Chehalis charity auction items (lot numbers 5474T to 5495T) will begin closing at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time (Pacific Standard Time) tomorrow, Thursday, December 19, 2013 — with lots closing in 30-second intervals. For more information about Ritchie Bros. Timed Auctions, visit rbauction.com/timedauctions.

"We have been a proud member of the Lewis County community for a little over a year now," said Brad Maas, Regional Sales Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "This is why we are excited to have the opportunity to help kids from our community during a time of year that should be special for everyone. The items that will be sold as part of the charity auction have been generously donated by our customers from across the Pacific Northwest, and we believe we will receive bids on these items from far and wide, quite possibly from outside our region. This truly is a community effort and our customers are always very generous. We look forward to being able to bring some families in need a little more holiday cheer this season."

Chehalis, WA unreserved public auction details:

Date: Tomorrow, Thursday, December 19, starting at 8 a.m. (local time)
Address: 214 Ritchie Lane, Chehalis, WA 98532
Phone: +1.360.767.3000
Auction is open to the public; registration to bid is free; a refundable bid deposit may be required when bidding on trucks and equipment. There is no bid deposit required for the charity auction.
How to register and bid:

In person at the auction site
Online at rbauction.com - register in advance and bid online in real time on auction day; a refundable bid deposit may be required; first-time online bidders should register several days in advance of the auction
By proxy - phone the auction site to place a proxy bid

About Big Brothers and Big Sisters
For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation's largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers ("Bigs") and children ("Littles"), ages 5 through 18, in communities across the country. Big Brothers Big Sisters develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people. For more information, visit www.swwabigs.org.

About Toys for Tots
The mission of the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is to collect new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community in which the campaign is conducted. The objectives of Toys for Tots are to help less fortunate children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas; to play an active role in the development of one of our nation's most valuable resources - our children; to unite all members of local communities in a common cause for three months each year during the annual toy collection and distribution campaign; and to contribute to better communities in the future. For more information, visit www.toysfortots.org.

About Ritchie Bros.
Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is the world's largest seller of used equipment for the construction, transportation, agriculture, material handling, energy, mining, forestry, marine and other industries. Ritchie Bros.^TM solutions make it easy for the world's builders to buy and sell equipment with confidence, including live unreserved public auctions with on-site and online bidding (rbauction.com), the EquipmentOne^TM secure online marketplace (EquipmentOne.com), a professional corporate asset management program, and a range of value-added services, including equipment financing for customers through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services (rbauctionfinance.com). Ritchie Bros. has operations in more than 25 countries, including 44 auction sites worldwide. Learn more at RitchieBros.com.

ATTENTION MEDIA:

You will have the opportunity to interview representatives from Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, Big Brothers and Big Sisters as well as Toys for Tots during the unreserved public auction tomorrow, Thursday, December 19, 2013 at approximately 1:00 pm — please contact Jose Vargas, Corporate Communications Lead, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers at +1.604.765.2909 (Canada mobile) or email [email protected] if you'd like to organize a visit to the Ritchie Bros. permanent auction site in Chehalis.
Visuals of the scale models can be captured as well as interested bidders looking at items. Auction visuals can include people bidding at computer kiosks, as well as bidders in the crowd bidding live on large pieces of equipment as they drive across a ramp in front of the seated crowd. Auction footage and photographs can be gathered while on site as well.
Photos and other media resources are available for use at http://www.rbauction.com/media. Members of the public and the media can follow Ritchie Bros. on Twitter @RitchieBros.