Prices slipped at the store sale in Pakenham on Thursday as a smaller yarding of 1500 lesser-quality stock attracted fewer buyers.
Elders Delaney managing director Anthony Delaney said cattle were back $50-100 a head on previous sales.
"For us ourselves, this is a bit of an in-between sale in the light of such a big sale at Leongatha tomorrow," he said.
Mr Delaney said the quality of the cattle had slipped "quite majorly" and this didn't allow major feedlotters or operators to really get going.
"Hence, we've seen what I would say was a softer trade in today's market," he said.
He said most cattle were bought by locals at the sale alongside a couple of feedlotters buying cattle for the Riverina.
He said smaller lots were "swallowed up by locals".
Everitt Seeley & Bennetts auctioneer Michael Jolly agreed with this outlook.
He said prices for all types of cattle were "definitely" back on recent sales.
"There were some decent cattle through the yarding but just the smaller numbers, the buyers weren't here where we needed them," he said.
"It was definitely a tougher market.
"I'd probably nearly say [prices] could have been [back] $100 on the better cattle.
"There wasn't a lot of feedlot competition here and it was just all a bit tougher."
A few feature runs of quality cattle started the sale.
John Camilleri, Catani, sold several lots including 10, Angus steers, Leawood blood, 578 kilograms, for 314 cents a kilogram or $1820, and six, Murray Gray steers, 546kg, for 275c/kg or $1500.
The second of these pens was bought by Melbourne-based commission buyer Campbell Ross.
Mr Ross also bought six, Angus steers, 512kg, for 254c/kg or $1300, from David Bywater, Garfield North.
Charles and Caesar Monitto, Vervale, sold 17, Angus heifers, Wattlewood Blood, 386kg, for 246c/kg or $950.
Ben Mills, Ceres, sold pens including 23, Angus steers, 505kg, for 340c/kg or $1720, six, Angus steers, 450kg, for 306c/kg or $1380, and 14, Angus steers, 415kg, for 306c/kg or $1270.
Ross Webb, Trafalgar, sold six, Angus heifers, 468kg, for 278c/kg or $1300, and five, Angus heifers, 355kg, for 230c/kg or $820.
Jamie Stanton, Main Ridge, sold 12, Angus steers, 495kg, for 299c/kg or $1480, also to Mr Ross.
Ed Burston, Shoreham, sold 18, Angus steers, 514kg, for 323c/kg or $1660.
Ben Allen, Tynoy, sold two pens including 13, Angus steers, 322kg, for 323c/kg or $1040, and 11, Angus heifers, 302kg, for 248c/kg $750.
Neil Preston, Cardinia, sold five, Limousin steers, 565kg, for 283c/kg or $1600.
Nutrien auctioneer Michael Robertson said prices were back due to a large yarding of 5000 scheduled for Leongatha on Friday.
"It's a little bit in between," he said.
"Not a lot of cattle to maybe warrant as many buyers as usual, a smaller buying gallery, but you did see the want and the need for those well bred steers, in particular the feeder cattle.
"There was just no one here to really push them."
Mr Robertson said lighter cattle were back up to $120 with better stock back $50.
He suggested Pakenham's closure in June was already affecting sales.
"Pakenham has not long until it all shuts and everything is starting to make that shift towards Leongatha and I think that showed a bit today," he said.
"The quality was there but there just wasn't a lot of it."
