The purpose of this study was to determine the general condition of culled dairy cows sold at auction markets in Ontario, Canada, and how this related to the sale price of the cow. Culled dairy cows were visually observed and evaluated during weekly sales at licensed Ontario livestock auction markets. Data were collected on 4460 dairy cows sold at 3 Ontario auction markets over 16 weeks. Observers recorded the general condition of dairy cows entering the sales ring, by recording each cow’s hock injury score, body condition score (BCS), gait score, and tail score in accordance with the Dairy Farmers of Canada 2017 proAction Animal Care standards. Observers also recorded each cow’s sale-ring bodyweight (in pounds), breed, and the sale price paid ($/pound). Results were then later converted to metric units. Standardized data collection sheets were used to record observations and data were directly entered into an excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet data were then imported into statistical analysis software (SAS) the frequency of each variable, and its relation to price paid, was assessed. Results showed that 27.2% of the culled cows scored had a medium to severe hock injury, 40.7% had a BCS ≤ 2, 72.7% had an abnormal gait, and 12.5% had docked tails. Culled cows with a BCS ≤ 2 sold for $0.20 less per kg compared with those with a BCS > 2, which equated to an average loss of $117 per cow (P < 0.001). Cows with an abnormal gait sold for $0.04 less per kg compared with culled cows with a normal gait, which equated to an overall average loss of $32.45 per cow (P < 0.001). The main issues identified with culled cows in this study were the high prevalence of suboptimal body condition and lameness, which translated into a reduced sale price for the cow compared with cows with good body condition and a normal gait.