You Don't Want To Miss This Event You Don't Want To Miss This Event You ...

TAG:  silent auction 

Published Time: -

Filetype: pdf

Filesize: 305299

AUCTIONS HAVE PROVEN TO BE A POPULAR METHOD OF SELLING LARGE QUANTITIES OF
MERCHANDISE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. The selling process can be traced back to the ancient
Babylonians and Romans who used it to liquidate the
spoils of war. In more recent centuries, auctions have become popular venues for selling everything from
expensive antiques to garage sale items. In fact, auctions
have become highly publicized events that draw large
crowds for bidding and socializing. Dealers, collectors,
and general curiosity seekers are drawn to the rapid ?re
chants that make auctions both a business event and
entertainment. Going Once, Sold Going Twice, Written by Dan Whetzel Photography by Lance C. Bell Bob Mallow in action
with his rapid chant. June and Bob Mallow of
Mallow Auction Service. m o u n t a i n d i s c o v e r i e s 21 Auctions can be divided into several general types. One common type is referred to as the “English” auction
where bidders openly compete by raising a low starting
bid until no participant is willing to raise it further. A
“Dutch” auction works in the reverse manner because the
auctioneer starts with a high asking price which is lowered
until a participant accepts the last announced dollar
amount. Other types, like a silent auction, sealed-bid ?rst
auction, and all pay-auction, are less common but can be
expected to yield the same expected revenue for a seller. One commonality among all open-cry auctions is the auctioneer’s chant, a rhythmic form of communication.
Each auctioneer develops his own style that is complete
with “?ller” words that can make the rapid-?re sale a form
of entertainment. Until the audience becomes familiar with
the auctioneer’s chant, it can be dif?cult to determine what
is being stated. It is useful to know that ?ller words are
never numbers but instead are favorite terms frequently
used in combination by an auctioneer as he develops a
unique style. A typical auction chant goes as follows: “Who’ll give me a one dollar bid,
now two, Now two, who’s gonna give me
three? Three dollar bid, who’s gonna
give me four?” Or: “Who’ll give me an eight
dollar bill, An eight dollar bill? I got an eight dollar bill! Now, who’ll give me a nine dollar
bill, A nine dollar bill?” Chants are sometimes supple- mented by light hearted comments:
“What you see is what you get, And you’ll get what you can’t see,
too!” And when a piece is being hoisted for display at bidding, and
then dropped and broken: “All right, and we’ll even include the pieces!” And when the bidding seems too slow: “Hey, wake up out there!” And when the auctioneer wants to stress the cleanliness of property: “This house is so clean, she even put newspapers under
the cuckoo clock.” And in between numbers and bidding shouts: “Always listen to the auctioneer, he’ll never steer you
wrong.” And, of course, the signature cry: “Sold to buyer number 223 for eight dollars!” Ernie Ellifritz, Assistant Auctioneer
at Mallow Auction Service. Mallow Auctions are held at the Baltimore Pike Firehall, 5 miles east of Cumberland, MD, on the
National Pike, Rt. 144, just off I-68, Exit 46. For a
listing of their auctions, go to Auctionzip.com. Ball Auctions are held every Saturday, starting at 4 pm, located on Rt. 39, Terra Alta, WV (within 10
miles of Oakland, MD). www.ballauctioninc.com. 22 m o u n t a i n d i s c o v e r i e s m o u n t a i n d i s c o v e r i e s 23 Mark Ball leads his audience like the conductor of a symphony. RHYTHMIC HAND MOVEMENTS are generally used to signify bids, thus making prices more apparent to
the audience. Sometimes auctioneers sound like singers
because they have developed a rhythm and a beat to their
chants. Despite the variety of chant styles, they all serve
two common purposes—to move the auction along at a
faster pace than permitted by conventional speech and
to enable the audience to listen more intently for longer
periods of time. Auctioneers are able to attend schools
that provide information and training on different aspects
of the business. In particular, they provide instruction on
number calling, ?ller words, and voice control. Auctioneers become interested and trained in the business in various ways. Well-known Western Maryland
auctioneer, Bob Mallow, started with an interest in
antiques and collectibles. The general knowledge acquired
in that ?eld helped him to become successful in a number
of other related areas. Mr. Mallow believes a major
draw for auctions is the belief that people are able to set
prices rather than have them established by someone else.
“There is an element of control in that belief,” according
to Mr. Mallow. The size of crowd’s attending Mallow’s Auction depends on what is being offered. “I have my trustworthy crowd that comes most of the time, but it really depends
on what is listed. There might be a coin auction that
would not interest antique dealers and vice-versa. Antique
and collectibles auctions usually draw a lot of people.
People check it out for an adventure, hoping to ?nd that
one item they may want. It’s a form of entertainment.” Mark Ball of Terra Alta, West Virginia, also learned the business through experience, working for two auctioneers
before establishing his own business in 1982. After a start
in Aurora, West Virginia, the auction house was moved
to Terra Alta (just a few miles west of Oakland, MD on
Rt. 39), where crowds gather every Saturday of the year
to hear the auctioneer’s cry. And according to Mr. Ball,
“Auctions should be entertaining. The crowd expects a
fast paced auction and the entertaining part of it keeps
the bidding going. If the auction pace is too slow or not Sean Ball, Mark’s son, leads an outdoor auction at the
Terra Alta location. Sean has been auctioneering for
the past six months. Although new at auctioneering,
he has grown up with the auction experience. 24 m o u n t a i n d i s c o v e r i e s Mark Ball presiding over one of
his weekly auctions where a wide
variety of items, from household
and garden to electronics and
antiques cross the auction block. entertaining, you will lose the crowd.” Bob Mallow and
Mark Ball’s views on the showmanship aspect of auctions
is supported by research that shows a major reason people
attend the events is the entertainment value they hold. One of Ball Auction’s most entertaining and well- attended events occurred in unusual circumstances. A
Franklin, West Virginia, estate auction featured coffin
maker’s equipment, including old wooden caskets and tools
of the trade. Mr. Ball sold the items from a chicken coop
to a crowd estimated at 2,000-3,000 people. Regularly
scheduled Saturday auctions in Terra Alta draw regular
customers and vacationers. Ball Auctions is the largest
weekly auction in the area and it features scratch and dent
items as well as new goods. The bidding process is interesting to watch. “Some- times people are willing to pay more for an item at an
auction than at an antique store because of a ‘comfort
zone.’ A person may walk into an antique store and see an
item they like. Not being an expert on it, they may feel un-
sure about making the purchase. But at an auction, there
is someone bidding against them who is willing to pay
just a dollar less, so the bidder knows the item has value,
and a comfort zone is created,” stated Mr. Mallow. Also of interest is why people bid. Auction-goers recognize dealers and closely watch them because they know
that dealers need to make a pro?t on goods purchased at
an auction. According to Mr. Mallow, “A collector knows
that if he outbids a dealer by one bid, it’s a good deal.”
Another reason to bid includes a competitive spirit that may develop over time. Collectors attending local auctions
sometimes end up bidding against each other, thereby creating
a possible bidding con?ict at some point in the future.
When collectors meet in head-to-head competition for an
item they both want, the one may continue to run up the
bid insuring that his competitor will have to pay a premium
price. Mr. Ball agrees with the competitive spirit of bidding,
“Competition between bidders happens a lot. One bidder
will make sure another one has to pay a higher price.” A major in?uence on traditional auctions in recent years is the internet, especially eBay. “What was once
uncommon became common,” stated Mr. Mallow. “There
may be ten of one item listed on eBay that we wouldn’t
normally see locally in ten years.” On the other hand,
“smalls,” that is, little goods that can be quickly packed and
sent through the mail, have risen in price at local auctions
due to eBay. Mark Ball has noticed other changes in auctions over the years. “Now days, people want a place to sit, food
services, and a nice building. Its part of the entertainment
value and you need a place for that. Also, younger people
don’t care as much about accessories for the home, so the
prices on those items have fallen.” Despite ?uctuations in the price of goods caused by on-line auctions and aesthetic trends, the live event will
always remain a popular source of entertainment and an
opportunity for good values. Nothing beats the live show. So, when you hear the auctioneer’s cry, “wake up out there,” the next bidding opportunity could be yours. Mark Ball with son, Sean and wife, Sherri.