| Sold to Bidder Number... |
Have you ever been to an auction before? I attended an Estate Auction on Monday. It was the most unusual thing. I did not bid even once. There were coins and baseball cards, firehouse memorabilia, paintings, furniture, brass beds, chairs, lots of dishes, knifes, electronics, a piano, lamps, vases, a car, a couple of items of clothes, books, and a lot of other STUFF.
We got there 45 minutes before the auction was to start so we could look things over. I looked at everything there was and there were probably 4 items I considered bidding on.
First there were two pictures that were tributes to Princess Diana. Now I was fascinated with Diana. She had a kind sole and seemed to be a truly lovely person. She was born on July 1 which also happens to be my birthday. I saw her wedding and it was unbelievable. As I soon found out there was a bit about Diana I did not know but all and all I still have a lot of respect for her. But know I looked at this. What would I do with these pictures? Also, at least the one looked like it would be expensive. I thought a while about this one and kept waffling about what to do but in the end I just could not justify it.
I also saw some nice dishes. They had a nice blue pattern on it. I thought they were china but I really do not know these things. When they called it I am not sure what they said but it did not sound like china. Anyway it looked like the kind of plates you might get if you went to a nice Chinese restaurant. There was about 4 different groups interested in this and I think I probably could have got it for 65 to 75 dollars (the winning bid was 45 but I think they would have put up a fight still). Before I go and bid on something like that I think I need to do some shopping and research so I understand what I am bidding on. It would be nice to have some china however.
The final item I considered was a table. Not to big with a couple of drawers in it. I was not sure if it would work for what I was after. I want a small table to put by the entrance door so you have a place to set things down when you get in. I prefer that people take off their shoes before coming into the house and I thought it would be nice to have somewhere to set things down while you take off or put on the shoes and the coat. There were a couple of tables with one being promising but you know, I really do not know what I want at the door. I think I need to do some measuring and see what I think would work so when I attend an auction I at least have guidelines as to what I am looking for. I also need to know a price for something like that because the item went for much more than I would have liked.
The auction was run by Dennis Beals and he had a second Auctioneer to help out. I have been to one of his auctions before. He is a great person. He is firm about how he calls things but also very fair. He is real easy to understand and also has a charming personality. He takes care of people and does not seem to be there just to nickle and dime you to death unlike one other auctioneer I have been to in the area. He has free coffee and hot water for tea cocoa. He had maybe 5 large boxes of donuts, again free and two thirds of the way of the auction (which lasted almost 6 hours) he came running out with a case of orange juice, but wait, there it more. He then ran out with a case of V8 juice. The more I see of this guy the more I think he is super. I can not wait to attend another auction of his but maybe bid next time.
The second auctioneer gave Dennis some backup. After he had been at it for 4 hours the other person took over for a while. Also while Dennis handled the main items the other person auctioned off the firehouse memorabilia and the coins and cards. He has a very different style. he is constantly yelling something. We have a five, five, five, five, do we have a ten, ten, ten? He just constantly was going on and on. He is your typical auctioneer. Now Dennis move you through also but he is much more clear and you just feel comfortable with him.
The both of them were very fair. If they saw anything like chips or thought something was a reproduction they would mention it to make sure people were aware. They even held back some baseball cards they felt were reproductions until someone said they wanted to bid on it just the same since they though they were original.
I had to stand about the whole time which was a killer on my feet. I am not used to that at all. So what did I do for the auction. Why I took part in my favorite things these days. I people watched. First I spent a lot of time getting a feel for how the auctioneers worked. Dennis in particular would let you know as much as he could in 3 to 4 seconds what it was and would add it is a sleeper or this is mighty fine or not add much of anything. He then would ask if he could get let say $50, 000. Now that was a joke but usually the amount he tried to start at was roughly where it sold at. Typically he might start at 50, drop to 25, and then to 10 where he got his first bid. We have 10, do I hear 15, 15, 15? He would get 15 and then he would start the bidding war between the two bidders. Some bidders would make large gestures to signify they were bidding, others barley moved their head but the auctioneer seemed to do fine what ever you did. They also confirmed as they went to make sure there was not hard feelings.
Sometimes peoples bids were missed or there were multiple bids at the same time and Dennis took the other persons bids. He was trying to be fair but he was firm. When an item was done he would close with item sold your way to bidder number, bidder number 154, bidder number 154 for 12.50. At that point it was over. If you missed it, you missed it. Also items where as is and he mentioned that at the beginning of the auction. One person bought a bunch of china for a certain amount and then after 30 minutes or so they complained because they did not realize it was so chipped up. Dennis stood pretty firm on that but he said we would work things out. At the end I heard hive give here a deal to mark it down some but he said the person was responsible to the bid and he could charge the full amount. There was hard feelings there but come on, you have at least an hour before the auction to check everything out and everyone knows it is as is.
The people were interesting. I saw a bunch of people I recognized from the first auction I had been to. One lady in particular I hoped would be there was not. That was a shame as I was fascinated with her. I got to know the types of things she would bid on and saw her fine little moves she made. I also found I had no idea when she was ready to drop out, she just did. She ran an antique shop.
The people there were there were just as interesting. There was one heavy set gentleman, what a super person. He seemed to be interested in collectable items although I think I remember a previous auction him bidding on several boxes of porno that was there. There was this one kid, about 16 years old, who was there with her mom and possibly aunt. Her mom looked like she had done a lot of sun worshiping in her days as her face was a bit dried out. They did not do a lot of bidding at first but several of the items were obviously for the daughter and she was tickled to win them. They were a little slow on two bids in a row and did not get one of the brass beds which they were disappointed about but an auction is fast paced. They did end up with several large pieces of furniture and it was interesting seeing them handle that at the end of the day. They could handle their own.
There was this little black kid running around here and there. Very polite and well mannered. At one point he was helping move the box lots and other items down the table toward the auctioneer and he was really very helpful. He also was running around the place playing with a few toys. At one point they one a cowboy hat and he enjoyed that. What a pleasant distraction he was.
There was a couple of cats running around although only one of them was an attention whore. It ran from place to place to get what attention it could. Then time to move on to the next person. When people picked it up the cat allowed it but hung on to make sure it was not dropped. Obviously this cat had experiences a lot before. So yes, even the mousers were entertaining.
My friends I went with won many an item and filled up the back of the vehicle they brought. It was a pretty good day for them. They would keep some of it but auction most of it off on eBay.
All and all, even though I did not bid, it was a most enjoyable day. I know I will be back. By the way, I was bidder number 154, my friends were 149. I believe there were almost 300 bidders there in the end.
Well that was my first half of Monday. If you have never been to an auction before, you really should try at least one. It can be addictive however so be careful.
Item 157... Global Domination. Enslave the human race. Do I have any bids?
I'll take any bids. $1. Enslave the human race for $1?
-- Family Guy
We got there 45 minutes before the auction was to start so we could look things over. I looked at everything there was and there were probably 4 items I considered bidding on.
First there were two pictures that were tributes to Princess Diana. Now I was fascinated with Diana. She had a kind sole and seemed to be a truly lovely person. She was born on July 1 which also happens to be my birthday. I saw her wedding and it was unbelievable. As I soon found out there was a bit about Diana I did not know but all and all I still have a lot of respect for her. But know I looked at this. What would I do with these pictures? Also, at least the one looked like it would be expensive. I thought a while about this one and kept waffling about what to do but in the end I just could not justify it.
I also saw some nice dishes. They had a nice blue pattern on it. I thought they were china but I really do not know these things. When they called it I am not sure what they said but it did not sound like china. Anyway it looked like the kind of plates you might get if you went to a nice Chinese restaurant. There was about 4 different groups interested in this and I think I probably could have got it for 65 to 75 dollars (the winning bid was 45 but I think they would have put up a fight still). Before I go and bid on something like that I think I need to do some shopping and research so I understand what I am bidding on. It would be nice to have some china however.
The final item I considered was a table. Not to big with a couple of drawers in it. I was not sure if it would work for what I was after. I want a small table to put by the entrance door so you have a place to set things down when you get in. I prefer that people take off their shoes before coming into the house and I thought it would be nice to have somewhere to set things down while you take off or put on the shoes and the coat. There were a couple of tables with one being promising but you know, I really do not know what I want at the door. I think I need to do some measuring and see what I think would work so when I attend an auction I at least have guidelines as to what I am looking for. I also need to know a price for something like that because the item went for much more than I would have liked.
The auction was run by Dennis Beals and he had a second Auctioneer to help out. I have been to one of his auctions before. He is a great person. He is firm about how he calls things but also very fair. He is real easy to understand and also has a charming personality. He takes care of people and does not seem to be there just to nickle and dime you to death unlike one other auctioneer I have been to in the area. He has free coffee and hot water for tea cocoa. He had maybe 5 large boxes of donuts, again free and two thirds of the way of the auction (which lasted almost 6 hours) he came running out with a case of orange juice, but wait, there it more. He then ran out with a case of V8 juice. The more I see of this guy the more I think he is super. I can not wait to attend another auction of his but maybe bid next time.
The second auctioneer gave Dennis some backup. After he had been at it for 4 hours the other person took over for a while. Also while Dennis handled the main items the other person auctioned off the firehouse memorabilia and the coins and cards. He has a very different style. he is constantly yelling something. We have a five, five, five, five, do we have a ten, ten, ten? He just constantly was going on and on. He is your typical auctioneer. Now Dennis move you through also but he is much more clear and you just feel comfortable with him.
The both of them were very fair. If they saw anything like chips or thought something was a reproduction they would mention it to make sure people were aware. They even held back some baseball cards they felt were reproductions until someone said they wanted to bid on it just the same since they though they were original.
I had to stand about the whole time which was a killer on my feet. I am not used to that at all. So what did I do for the auction. Why I took part in my favorite things these days. I people watched. First I spent a lot of time getting a feel for how the auctioneers worked. Dennis in particular would let you know as much as he could in 3 to 4 seconds what it was and would add it is a sleeper or this is mighty fine or not add much of anything. He then would ask if he could get let say $50, 000. Now that was a joke but usually the amount he tried to start at was roughly where it sold at. Typically he might start at 50, drop to 25, and then to 10 where he got his first bid. We have 10, do I hear 15, 15, 15? He would get 15 and then he would start the bidding war between the two bidders. Some bidders would make large gestures to signify they were bidding, others barley moved their head but the auctioneer seemed to do fine what ever you did. They also confirmed as they went to make sure there was not hard feelings.
Sometimes peoples bids were missed or there were multiple bids at the same time and Dennis took the other persons bids. He was trying to be fair but he was firm. When an item was done he would close with item sold your way to bidder number, bidder number 154, bidder number 154 for 12.50. At that point it was over. If you missed it, you missed it. Also items where as is and he mentioned that at the beginning of the auction. One person bought a bunch of china for a certain amount and then after 30 minutes or so they complained because they did not realize it was so chipped up. Dennis stood pretty firm on that but he said we would work things out. At the end I heard hive give here a deal to mark it down some but he said the person was responsible to the bid and he could charge the full amount. There was hard feelings there but come on, you have at least an hour before the auction to check everything out and everyone knows it is as is.
The people were interesting. I saw a bunch of people I recognized from the first auction I had been to. One lady in particular I hoped would be there was not. That was a shame as I was fascinated with her. I got to know the types of things she would bid on and saw her fine little moves she made. I also found I had no idea when she was ready to drop out, she just did. She ran an antique shop.
The people there were there were just as interesting. There was one heavy set gentleman, what a super person. He seemed to be interested in collectable items although I think I remember a previous auction him bidding on several boxes of porno that was there. There was this one kid, about 16 years old, who was there with her mom and possibly aunt. Her mom looked like she had done a lot of sun worshiping in her days as her face was a bit dried out. They did not do a lot of bidding at first but several of the items were obviously for the daughter and she was tickled to win them. They were a little slow on two bids in a row and did not get one of the brass beds which they were disappointed about but an auction is fast paced. They did end up with several large pieces of furniture and it was interesting seeing them handle that at the end of the day. They could handle their own.
There was this little black kid running around here and there. Very polite and well mannered. At one point he was helping move the box lots and other items down the table toward the auctioneer and he was really very helpful. He also was running around the place playing with a few toys. At one point they one a cowboy hat and he enjoyed that. What a pleasant distraction he was.
There was a couple of cats running around although only one of them was an attention whore. It ran from place to place to get what attention it could. Then time to move on to the next person. When people picked it up the cat allowed it but hung on to make sure it was not dropped. Obviously this cat had experiences a lot before. So yes, even the mousers were entertaining.
My friends I went with won many an item and filled up the back of the vehicle they brought. It was a pretty good day for them. They would keep some of it but auction most of it off on eBay.
All and all, even though I did not bid, it was a most enjoyable day. I know I will be back. By the way, I was bidder number 154, my friends were 149. I believe there were almost 300 bidders there in the end.
Well that was my first half of Monday. If you have never been to an auction before, you really should try at least one. It can be addictive however so be careful.
Item 157... Global Domination. Enslave the human race. Do I have any bids?
I'll take any bids. $1. Enslave the human race for $1?
-- Family Guy
Posted by barman at 6:11 AM::
I don't know how you did it. I can't stand auctions. Gives me anxiety, especially when the speaker talks like some bad disclaimer at the ending of a commercial on the radio.
I love silent auctions. At my old job, we used to have this huge conference room, and hold silent auctions, where people would outbid you on a peice of paper next to the item they wished to have.
Now here's the funny part... I went to my boss's Christmas party. I brought her this really good bottle of wine.
When I got back to work after the holidays...guess what was on the table as to be auctioned off?
My fricken wine! Can you believe it? That little wench auctioned off my wine!
Anyway, I bought it back for double of what I paid for it. What an @ss I am, huh? But it was my favorite wine, and I thought she would like it.
Okay, I am done rambling on your blog.
Auctions = anxiety... (for me)
LMAO at Deb ^_^
Such a descriptive post. I felt like I was there with you.
Bryan, I know you're an adventurous soul but six..6 frickin hours standing up...at an...AUCTION...paleeeeeeeeeeese!lol
I did like the story about the cats tho.
later bud,
tc
I have never been to an auction before. Bryan, you do realize that you spelled soul as sole...like the sole of a shoe, when refering to Diana don't ya?? LOL just messing with ya! hahahha
Also, when reading the comments left for my last post, you were, as always, the defender of the underdog...thats why we love ya Bry!
I like the auctions in the winter. There is a place near by that has them every Wednesday night. I get a lot of cool 40's and 50's stuff for the house there. I'm on the look out for a buffet table for my dining room- has to be vintsge!
Great blog today! as always....
Deb, the one auctioneer, the one that I like, does not talk like that at all. He is pretty cool about it all. I think that is why I like him. The other one was exactly what you are talking about. Luckily the majority of the auction was done by the guy I liked. I do not like the way the traditional talker does it either.
One of the things that made it not as bad for me is I was able to stand back away from the auction a lot so I was not right there in the action. I am not a real crowds kind of person at all.
Anxiety is no fun. No auctions for Deb!
I can not believe the boss did that with the wine. If she was going to re-gift it she should have at least had the good sense to do it somewhere else where you would not see it.
Jenn, the post was a bit much. I think the next one needs to be one, two paragraphs tops but can I do it?
Top Cat, I thought that one cat was pretty cool myself. The feet hated me for a while.
Wendy, how do you know I was not into Diana's shoes? I just might have a thing for shoes you know. OK, I don't but that was to funny.
Sabatkes, I need to know more so I can go and get what I want. I did enjoy the people watching but I am not sure 6 hours was that much fun. There wasn't even any lovely ladies to distract me other than the 16 year old and I don't do that, no sir.
Oh Wendy, I do have a thing for underdogs. I guess it shows. So I won't tell everyone here how much I love them because then you might think I was calling you an underdog. NEVER!
As a matter of fact I think I will brink coffee, donuts and a little something, something to add to the coffee to the blog tomorrow.
If you are into soles, you're gonna love my HNT post!
I saw it Jenn, nice. I think I left a comment, if not I best make my way back over and do so. You little devil you. LOL
I loved this story! Six hours is long for sure.........but if you are watching people, the time goes fast. I thought back to an auction I went to. It was my first. I like 'sh-tuff'. All kinds of 'sh-tuff'. I was particularly fascinated by these old, carved, wooden candy boxes. Some were handpainted on the top and others were old and just carved. I bid on a lot of three. Two were neat, but the third one was to die for. I bid 5$, someone bid 8$, and back and forth, you know the drill, until I won at 75$ LOL. Now that was a lot of money for three wooden carved boxes. But I just loved the one that was all carved. It was an old wooden cigar box that someone had hand carved. I later came to find out it was worth much, much more! It is a primitave piece called Tramp Art. Or it was in the same style as Tramp Art. This piece had some old carayn markings on the bottom and I did not think much of it. Someone told me later it was a signed piece by so-and-so and it was a great piece to have. So, I made out ok after all. I still have it and keep special trinkets in there. Did I mention I collect trinkets too? lol.
Thanks for the story, Barman! I really loved the cat story!
At my very first auction I attended they were auctioning off a pile of houses and I bought my current house. Talk about nerve racking. $75 is nothing. The bidding started at $12,000 and I finally won it at $90,000. Yikes.
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