About 85% of wool sold in Australia is sold by open cry auction.[citation needed] 'Sale by sample' is a method in which a mechanical claw takes a sample from each bale in a line or lot of wool. These grab samples are bulked, objectively measured, and a sample of not less than 4 kg is displayed in a box for the buyer to examine. The Australian Wool Exchange conducts sales primarily in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle, and Fremantle. About 80 brokers and agents work throughout Australia.[citation needed]
Wool received by Australian brokers and dealers (tonnes/quarter) since 1973
Wool buyers' room at a wool auction, Newcastle, New South Wales
About 7% of Australian wool is sold by private treaty on farms or to local wool-handling