The Auction

"Gimme $20 now, who'll gimme $5 more? Lookit $25 now, c'mon, gimme $5 more!"

The song of the auctioneer was loud and clear last Saturday as he cranked up the volume and frenzy to get the buying mojo going. I love auctions, especially if they're held in the meeting hall at the village fairgrounds, which this one was. Oddly enough, it wasn't all that well attended, perhaps because it was a gorgeous, sunny fall day, and the long Canadian Thanksgving weekend was in full swing. Families and friends together to celebrate the harvest with every root vegetable known to man, roasted turkey and pumpkin pie.
But I digress.
Back to the auction, which was a combination of three different family estates. Lots and lots of old, rusty, battered tools; sheets that might serve as rags; plain old trash, and here and there, a treasure or two!

Like this Massey Ferguson tractor. The auctioneer brought the crowd outside to take a look at this "dandy, handy thing" and he immediately got the ball rolling.  "All right folks, $1500 bucks...let's get'er started." he said. Silence, finally broken by the old gent standing next to me who called out "$1300." That to me is a lot of money in these trying times, especially for an old tractor. But, the auctioneer didn't think so. He merely looked at him, and said to the crowd in general, "Folks, this here is a damn fine tractor, and if you want to get serious and make me a good offer - over $1500 - then talk to me inside." And off he went! Back to schlep  all the other schlock. Old gent with the pretty good offer turned to the drifting crowd and said to no one in particular, "Ah, that's just foreplay!"

I love auctions!

My daughter and I were actually there by accident - having shown up a week early for  another event to be held in the hall. But, women with wallets, and lots of stuff to wheel and deal over, what more can I say? Four (!) hours later, we were the extremely  happy owners of an art deco maple veneer breakfast hutch; two bedside tables, handmade with square head nails;  two charming antique chairs with star stamped seats; one lovely bevelled glass mirror; a hand made fruit box with lid; an original soapstone carving featuring two owls in flight;a Henry Dreyfuss chrome biscuit clock  in excellent condition and still ticking; a green glass Eagle Decanter complete with six shot glasses; a Mad Men era martini shaker with stirling silver top; two metal peacocks; and orginal RM Wells oil painting -a beautiful seascape in an ornate plaster frame.

Total price for all this? $122.32
Afternoon at the auction with my daughter? Priceless.