HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1975-09-11, Page 210 wOOklY Ion's* ye *Awl*
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INCLUDING THE BATHROOM SINK—This man had a wide ranging interest which in-
cluded an old gramophone, a wheelchair and a bathroom sink. •
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ACTIVE BIDDER—This 'man called hls bids through a barn
window from which he had an excellent view of all activity.
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Everyone has a good time
WHAT
and a ho
fine for
A BARGAIN—A man who had just bought a farm,
rse, on Manitoulin Island said the harness would be
his purpose.
TH EVIR E YOURS—Auctioneer John McPhee points to. the lucky budder on a hal# a ctozen
old horseshoes.
e go for business, some for pleasu
• Auctions are becoming extrerriely 'popular these
days, especially with the ever-increasing interest in
antiques. Many enthusiasts will drive hundreds' of
miles on a given weekend to seek out the treasures
these auctions offer. The household effects arid
antique. auctions draw the serious, curious and 7
novice.
t , tgaier by 4yQte a ar a pa l pf . r
their week to the auction circuit. Travelling.from
auction to auction, they search for particular pieces
for themselves and their customers. For them,
going to auctions is their business.
For those who go to an auction for fun, the experi-
encecan often end with a car full of old bottles, par-
tial sets of china, a wagon jack, and the question in
mind of what to do with it all once they get it home.
They're the collectors and whether they put a
candle in the bottle or actually eat off the china
doesn't matter. They got it and what's important is
that they're usually glad they did..
Livestock and machinery auctions, on the other
hand, are very serious business. The bidders are
talking in hundreds of. dollars of hard earned
money. The success of their livelihoodoften de-
pends on their ability to accurately estimate an ani-
mal's worth.
At a livestock auction the tone is more sombre.
There are few excited yells and laughter at the pur-
chase of an item, as there are at a general auction.
No one buys an item first and later wonders why he
bought it.
The livestock auction has few little groups
socializing or children running and playing
amongst the bidders. In fact, the crowd at this type
of auction is largely made up adult men, some ac-
cotnpanied by their sons. For the children who are
present it's a be seen and not heard day. They
either help in the barn to prepare the cows for the
ring or simply listen as their fathers carry on a
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business which will one day be theirs.
At any auction, the auctioneer is the focal point
and his mesmerizing delivery drums constantly in
everyone's ears. Again, the livestock auctioneer is
' a bit more serious than the general merchandise
auctioneer. The latter puts on somewhat of a show.
He banters with the crowd, jokes and talks, all in an
effort to sell incl' make people ejoy buying.
"4Oh, •come on, folks! Hey; give me a two dollar
bill. OK, we got tvWo dollars,'we got two fifty, who'll
give me three dollars for the bells, ring 'em Billy,
'three, three, three, three ... y000000u got 'em for
$2.50"
It all happens very quickly and a general mer-
chandise' auiction can go through 500 to 1,000 items
in an afternoon. And that's a lot of selling.
The auctioneers work in pairs, one doing the call-
ing while the 'other sometimes works at increasing
the crowd's enthusiasm. When one gets tired, they
switch jobs.
At either kind of auction the real excitement hap-
pens when two or more people are bidding against
each other for the same item. The crowd strains to
watch the battle and the bidders try to maintain
their sense of value in the midst of ,all the action.
The crowd hopes it will go on forever but one of the
bidders finally gives up and it's on to the next item.
The bidding itself is much like a poker game.
Some bidders know exactly what they want and
how much they will pay. Some try to bluff, but, as
with poker, you never know for sure which type
you're bidding against.
Whether it's fun or business that brings one to an
auction, more and more people are doing it. What-
ever the case, it's good, cheap entertainment and
few leave an auction without having some laughs,
making a new acquaintance and buying something
or other.
Photo feature by Campbell Cork
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GETTING IT HOME—After having outbid everyone, the
next challenge is getting the item home.
SOME , COME
pleyirng around
TO PLAY—The youngsters have more fun
the furniture then In watching the bidding.
IT'S UP TO YOU'— C. R. Baird, pointing his cane at a bidder in a barn window announced, "It's up to you."
SOME COME TO SIT—There are always plenty of comfort-
able chairs around at an auction.