Saturday, May 14, 2011

AUCTION TODAY!

Along with rummage sales and garage sales, auctions are a BIG DEAL in my new town.    It seems that when someone dies, the family often auctions off the deceased's home and the contents thereof, so there are several advertisements a week for auctions.  Today, despite the weather being cold and drippy, my sister and I decided to go see what these auctions were all about.

We drove to the address listed in the newspaper about 30 mins. before the start of the auction.  This was to give us time to see "the goods"!

Wellllllllllllll, by the time we got there the folks that are old hands at this had clearly been there a while and had brought their chairs to stake out a place in front of the auctioneer.  Once you arrive you look over all the stuff ... inside and out.  Someone (the auction company would be my guess) cleans out all the household goods and sets them out on the front lawn on tables ... and under them as well.  The family of the deceased has already gone through the house and removed what they wanted to keep.  So on the day of the auction, the stuff the family did not want goes outside.  The furniture stays INSIDE the house.  And the best part of all?  Some guy actually has a small food truck that he pulls up in the driveway so you can be sure to keep your strength up for all  that bidding  :-)

Homestead B-B-Q Food Truck



 






Auctioneer in red poncho,
'helpers' in yellow.
We signed up for a bidding number ... lucky number 65 ... and waited ... in the rain ... under a tree ... with no where to sit.  The auctioneer got the bidding started right on time and off we went.  The auctioneer's "helpers" (???? I don't know what to call them), would arbitrarily pick up stuff from the tables, hold them up in the air and the auctioneer would start the bidding.  The really fun part was that if folks did not start bidding immediately, the auctioneer would LOWER the price!  The pricing and the determination of what actually made a "lot" was wonderfully arbitrary ... the helpers held up something, the auctioneer took a quick look and the bidding  started. 
 
My sister wanted a box lid full of miscellaneous stainless steel knives and other small kitchen gadgets.  Unfortunately, there was a gentleman who wanted this "lot" more than my sister did, but it was fun to watch and listen to them move the bidding along until my sister reached her limit.


I had my eye on a wonderful BIG clear-glass ice bucket with a gold rim as well as a lovely pitcher with the same motif.  I just knew they would be put in the same "lot".  Now, do I NEED either of these items?  Nooooo, I do not!  But that didn't stop me.  I enjoyed a short, albeit spirited bidding "war" over the items and WON!  But wait ... there's more!!!  Not only did I get the ice bucket and pitcher ... oh no ... I also got 8 matching dessert plates, cups, a small bell, a cream and sugar set and a lovely little compote dish!!!  Twenty-two pieces all total.  And the price???  $23.75.  Dear Lord help me, I had to bring it all home in A BOX!  Now what in the heck am I going to do with it????  If I ever figure it out, I'll let you know. 
Next time I'm bringing a chair.

It was a fun day  :-)



3 comments:

  1. Cute post and nice plunder! If you go to too many more of these things, you'll need a bigger place or a 12-step program. XOXOXO

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  2. Sounds like so much fun. Glad you're enjoying.

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  3. Oh, they're darling!! *covet* Now you need to have a party (open house? New to the neighborhood? Do you really need a reason?) :D

    Looks like fun!

    x0

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