SELLING his spare tyre in Yarrawonga for beer money is just one of the many stories commission agent Jim Forsyth recounts of his four decades in the livestock industry.
"I came back and told the boss I had a blow out," he laughs.
There are stories aplenty and Jim's memories of a career spanning the extremes of the livestock sector from drought to flood, good times and bad, ring loud and clear.
Fittingly, his 37-year career ended at last week's store cattle market at Bairnsdale, Victoria, a main buying centre for Jim over the years.
The former Essendon ruckman hung up his boots in the mid 1960s, now he is hanging up his agent's hat and handing the reins to Jason McInnes. McInnes, who has been under Jim's guidance for three years, has bought the Trafalgar business.
Jim began at Trafalgar in 1972 and took over when his father retired in 1984 - also after 37 years in the business.
"This job has been very good and very rewarding, but while my wife Jan and I still have good health we want to retire," he said.
Jim witnessed the extremely low prices in the early 1970s when "we were giving cattle away" to the highs in more recent times of receiving up to $2 a kilogram for bullocks.
But he lists making the top money for bullocks in South Gippsland and the success of the Thorpdale lamb sale held three times a year as some of his greatest achievements.
"There is pen after pen of quality lambs which comes back to the type of ewes we buy our clients," he said.
And, although it may not be in an official capacity, Jim says he will still be spotted in the crowd at a sale or two.
