Place an offer. File photo: Andrew Goff.

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The final phase of grief for a deceased industrial operation?

The auction.

The Los Angeles-based liquidator Tauber-Arons, Inc. recently announced that it will be conducting a “MASSIVE” auction of the fixed assets of Mad River Sun Valley Floral Farms, the deceased bulb giant that graced the Arcata Bottoms for several decades.

Industrial liquidation auctions were common on the Humboldt County scene around the turn of the century, during the timber industry’s precipitous decline, but this must be the first significant one we’ve seen in a while. Basically, it’s a manufacturing estate sale.

Need greenhouses? Planting crates? A big ol’ stacking robot that looks like it’s seen better days? A huge generator? A tractor? A forklift? Etc., etc? An industrial auction is a place to potentially pick them up on the cheap.

The auction will be held online from Sept. 17 through 19th. You have to qualify in advance if you’d like to bid —follow the instructions at this page — and there’ll be an opportunity to check out the stuff up for sale in advance. Here’s a whole printable brochure, if you’re interested.

If you’re new to this world, know that you’ll likely be bidding against people who make their livings buying stuff on the cheap from sales like this, then selling it for a profit. Good luck!