Auction School Day 2: Bid Calling

So...My Mom and Kylee just left :(. I´m pretty sad about that. Well...Chance and Pops came in to pick´m up. We had dinner at this nice little steakhouse in Bellmead (had a mural of Gus and Call from Lonesome Dove on the wall) with my new friend Chance (She´s a lady :)). I know my family really liked her...she´s good people!! You don´t even want to know about the commotion we had gettin´ there. Let´s just say we won´t forget it!

Well today we started bid callin´. I COULD HARDLY WAIT!! So Mr. Moon told the few of us that already had a chant (style of auctioneering) that he wasn´t going to make us change it up!! He actually said "I could hold ya´ll at gunpoint and you still wouldn´t change it, so it won´t do me any good to try." We all had to get up there and go up by increments of $1...all the way to $50. I´ve got a little video that I posted from me doing my thing. A few of those stinkin´ class mates of mine were trying to tell me to cut that $1 bid in half (hence the pause and look of nonacceptance I was giving :)). Just like every other auction I have EVER done....I got more positive re-enforcement. I asked Mr. Moon how he thought I did and he said "If I still had an auction house - I´d turn you loose and let you sell." You better believe that made me feel pretty stinkin´ good.

I really am amongst a group of stand-up individuals. Well amongst some of the things we learned today were making sure our contracts covered us in case of things like people abandoning items or buying something with warranties, how to advertise ourselves at certain auctions, red flags to be aware of and safeguard ourselves, etc. We also learned that Mrs. Moon will throw a "hobo fit" if Mr. Moon doesn´t take her bid and let her buy heavy pieces. He doesn´t like to carry anything heavy :).

He also said that you can´t get anywhere in this business sittin´ behind a computer. His exact words were "You can´t be a rock star if you don´t get out there." :) What if...you do both :)? He also told us about his very first auction for a 4-H club. He said there was a lady out there with a camera from the TV station and well..."He was as nervous as a whore in church.". LOL! I guess I must´ve been about that nervous in Plum :).

Oh my goodness! My mind is on overload and it´s only the end of Day 2! Well folks...like Mr. Moon would say you better watch out! Heather´s "comin´ out of the shoot wearin´ a tenny shoe and a boot!" And...like I´d say...BUCK UP BABY!! Get those arms astretchin´! I´ll be at an auction near you soon enough!!

I didn´t take many pics, but I do have a few to share....

Meet Blondie :). He´s the youngest in the class and that gives us no reason to pick on him, but we do :) He was a little nervous gettin´ up there to do his chant at first and Mr. Moon wanted to check his pulse to see how nervous he was...not that, that would make him MORE nervous or anything :)

Do you guys remember be blogging about my friend\cousin-in-law going into labor early a few blogs ago? Well...I´m happy to report that little Baby Andy has arrived weighin´ in at 5lbs. 3oz!! Mommy is in good shape too! God Bless the Noska, Diamond, and Ortiz families!!





Auction School Day 1: Just the Beginning

Well guys...I´m finished with Day 1 of Auction School. I have to say it has been a FULL day. I have met about 20 really cool people (including students, teachers, staff, etc.) The class ranges from people age 22 to 60ish. The students are interested in anything from Antiques, to car auctions, opening up an auction house, helping run an auction house, jewelry and gold buyers...people from all kinds of walks of life and all different ages.

We were able to meet with a Judge\Auctioneer\Lawyer\Doctor Fella. He got his license about a year ago, from the same school and taught us a little bit about the auction industry - dating back to before Christ. I really think I learned more from him about political science than I did with 4 years of college (my minor is Political Science). He went through the evolution of the auction industry and touched on contracts and laws and so on and so forth.

Today we learned A LOT about laws, complaints that people can file against an auction company, how to protect ourselves in that sense, penalties and fines... It was A LOT of info.

You know how it gets. About 2:30ish or so...we were all getting a little drowsy. You can imagine what kinda characters you might find in a room full of auctioneers. Well...I was at a Bachelorette Party a few months back and we decided to keep track of quotes that we said OR someone else said that we thought were random and funny. I AM NOT SHARING THE BACHELORETTE PARTY QUOTES WITH YOU. They might shut my site down, but I did jot a few down from the end of class :).

Mr. Moon...That´s our teacher. I REALLY like him. He knows what he´s talkin´ about, keeps up with all the changes, and has helped LOTS of auctioneers get started. He´s about as plain spoken as you´re gonna find. He´s gonna tell you what he thinks and really...is my kind of people.

Well...he said that his wife always said "You´re the only man I know that can buy high, sell cheap, and stay in business." He´s also the kinda fella that says "winder," "Darlin´," "over ´are," "down ´ner," "wonderin´," and talks about fellas walkin´ in in their cut off overalls :). Somebody told him he made a good point and he said "Sure its a good point. You think I´d give you a bad one?" LOL! I´m tellin´ you. It was so AWESOME!!

I will also tell you a few other things I found interesting and maybe a little bewildering. When we get to our hotel...we´ve got a little paper strap around our toilet seat that said "Sanitized for your protection." Well...that´s nice. I´m VERY glad. I don´t recall ever seeing that BUT okay I´ll roll with it. Over half the class is staying here...so HOPEFULLY I´m not in too much of a dive. Also...the bathroom at the school has a sign posted..."Please flush the toilet." APPARENTLY Waco has some potty problems. I mean...you would think you wouldn´t have to say\ask those things.

We were also able to go to an auction here close to Waco - that one of the Associate Auctioneer´s in the class (Jeff) helps out at. I wound up buying two toy boxes (one for outside and one for inside) for $10 each...both in really good shape and....some Pull Ups...unopened packages of pull ups for less than half of what it would´ve cost me at the store. Not bad... This Jeff guy said somethin´ pretty funny also. He´s got a strong accent. Actually...a lot of people do in class. It´s like a smorgasbord of Texas accents :). Ányways...I don´t remember what he was talkin´ about, but he said..."I´ll bet you dollars to donuts...:)." Don´t be surprised if you hear me say that.

I´m really havin´ a good time and honestly...I´M WHOOPED!! But...once again...my mind is on OVERLOAD and I thought I´d share. Well folks....be sure to BUCK UP and don´t forget to FLUSH THE TOILET!!!

(Sorry no pics. I´ll work on it for tomorrow.)

Dirty Old Sale Barns

I think this blog has let all of you (that want to) learn a little more about me. It´s helped to bring ME back to myself also, which needs to happen to all of us sometimes.

The first weekend of October I was able to stay a little longer and stop by Giddings Livestock for a little while. For those of you that don´t know...that´s the cattle auction that my Uncle is part-owner of. Let me give you all a little background.

Here´s a pic of Giddings Livestock - Sale every Monday.

My Uncle Mele used to haul cattle to several different sale barns in the area and we (me, my sister, and brother) would ride with him every so often.

I´m not exactly sure when, but I would say around the late ´90s, my Uncle started auctioning for Lee County Stockyards in Giddings. There was a girl there that worked in the back...BJ Els. That girl may be pint-sized, but she is tough as nails....Seriously...you kinda have to be to work back there. I mean...that girl stays dirty. She´s a barrel racer, her Daddy´s a welder, well....she just works harder than most men, has done things most men haven´t done and I just took a likin´ to her. So....I started working in the back...when I was in like 6th or 7th grade. I was a HUGE tomboy back then...HUGE! I was literally her shadow back there. I learned a lot....especially how to work...not sit still. So for several summers and any Monday that I didn´t have school...I went and worked at the sale barn.

My first job was working one of the shoot gates (there were 3) that got the cattle into the ring. Then...I eventually worked up to the tub (after BJ left). This is a big chute. It is a round pen-type thing that has different petition gates that moves different pens of cattle into the shoot. This is where you moved cattle into the chutes...right before they went into the ring. I´m not exactly sure when, but I started bringing the cattle up from the alley to put into the pens, that go into the tub, that then go into the shoot. I also helped get bulls and cows and goats and all kinds of livestock into the ring (some were put into the ring separately). I also helped get the baby calves paired up with their mommas before they went into the ring. The momma cows are penned separate from the babies, so they don´t get hurt (moving between the other big cows) and then they are later paired up when they go into the ring. I would literally come home covered in cow crap from head to toe...and then be ready to go back to work the next week.



Here´s a shot of the holding pens at Giddings Livestock from the catwalk.



More Pics and Cows...



Yet another....

Somewhere....probably around my Sophomore year of high school I started worrying about boys a little bit and what people thought of a girl working in the back...punching cattle. Most people think that´s men´s work and honestly...how attractive can a dirty stinky girl be? So I started helping in the office. Mainly entering information into the computer like tag number, buyer, seller, etc. I did that for awhile. Then I got a job working for Citizens National Bank and quit working at the barn for awhile.
Then the two local sale barns Lee County Stockyards and Giddings Livestock merged. They moved the sale to the new facilities at Giddings Livestock. The place I worked at the time La Finca (cool little home interior store with a Mexican type theme - owned my a SUPER COOL lady that inspired me to be a DREAMER) was not open on Mondays, so I started working in the kitchen and waiting tables. Then our family worked the restaurant for awhile (5S Cafe) - until my Daddy had to have a liver transplant and I went off to college.

I found some old pictures (and really wish I could of found some of me at my dirtiest) that I thought I´d share. It was a big, influential part of my life. I NEED to get better at taking pictures of all of this stuff for my blog! Granted...it´s kinda hard thinking about pictures when you have a 2-year old trying to stick her hand in the ring to "pet" the cows, but I need to get on top of this :).

Chance, Mom, Me, and Mandy at the Cafe.

Me and Mayra

Pops, Uncle Fritzie, Craig, and Leonard (my Father-in-Law)

Me and my Mother-In-Law, Lois working at the Cafe.

Mayra (long-time friend) and Mandy (little sister)...A couple of the cooks.

I guess that was a kinda long way to get to my main point, but I have been involved in sale barns FOREVER...and all different areas. I´ve met some really AWESOME, HARD-WORKING, REAL people along the way. Cattle Buyers, Sellers, Work hands of all sorts (young high school kids, older fellas that have been cowboy´n all their lives, alley hands that could care less about those damn cows and are just tryin´ to make some $$, etc.), got-it-together women workin´ in the office and callin´ pens, older fellas just stoppin´ in for coffee and watchin´ their cattle sell... Really....all kinds.

Some of thoe "Got-It-Together" Women and Marty (past part-owner).

More "Got It Together Women" :).

So I got to stop by and see some of my old friends. You don´t realize it, but these people are like family. Here are some examples: Mr. Bill Jones (from Lott, Texas) and Craig Archer (from the San Marcos area) are 2 cattle buyers that I recall knowin´ me when I was punching cattle in the back. Glenn (Cuero area) has managed the alley hands for as long as I can remember...Mr. Albrecht (Giddings-area native) - that has been drinkin´ coffee and watchin´ cows sell since I can remember, of course Uncle Mele and Mr. Rick Sodek. I mean...there were so many. In that same breath...there are so many that have passed on - that I wish I could´ve seen. They were characters that you just can´t forget and God Bless their souls.
I don´t know what it is about those Dirty Old Salebarns.... It just felt right for me to walk in there and be there. It´s kinda funny b/c...even though I grew up around them, it is always a little intimidating to walk into a room (predominantly full of men). Not only that, but it had been YEARS since some of these people have seen me. I walked in with Pops and we went and sat in the bleachers with little Kylee. It didn´t do much good trying to sneak in,considering that Uncle Mele called us out on the mike as soon as we sat down and everyone turned to look at us :). Before you knew it I was sittin´ down with the cattle buyers right in front of the ring and they were even playing with Kylee (who was tryin´ her derndest to get right up to the sale ring). It was kinda like we picked up right where we left off.

Look at all those people!

Anyways...I think the sale barn is where I learned to LOVE PEOPLE...all kinds of people and appreciate them.

As far as auctioning at one goes...it will take me a little while to get familiar with the market and maybe get enough speed to keep those cattle buyers happy.

It is memories like this that make me realize how truly blessed I have been in my life. There aren´t too many people that have the opportunities that I´ve had. I guess I´ve come a long way from punchin´ cows and cow crap. So...a marriage, a sweet little baby girl, an Associate and Bachelors Degree, an(almost) 5-year TV Ad Sales Career, and several years later, I have decided to get my Auctioneer License. Is it a bad thing that I kinda wouldn´t mind bein´ covered in cow crap again?

Praisin´, Figurin´, and Just Plain Doin´!

Hey Everyone! My mind is on overload (What´s new...right?) Well...I´m waiting on some pics for JG Prom before I blog about that, but I have LOTS of other stuff to talk about, so I´ll start with...

Praisin´

I want to give a little more PRAISE to the LEDBETTER VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. I know I mentioned how much they HAD IT TOGETHER, but folks....it is probably the smoothest run fundraising auction I have ever been to and a part of. There was no runnin´ around getting the bidders names or anything like that...we had them on a list - so when they called out their bidder number, we looked it up on our cheat sheet, gave them a big thank you like they DESERVED, and rolled on with the next item. You don´t really realize how much time it saves and how much better an auction flows until you do another. They had carbon tickets (3 layers). I got one to read and pass on to the lady recording it (Mrs. Read), one stayed on the item, and the other went to the buyer after they settled up (like a receipt). Whatever committee was working the auction - YOU ROCKED IT! BTW- Ya´ll really impressed Uncle Melvin too... He´s still talking about it.

Thank you - Mrs. Deborah Lancaster for the pictures!!

Here I am...doin´ my thing!

Uncle Mele...doin´ his thing!

Tommy - doin´ his modeling thing :) J/K...

I also want to do a little praisin´ (self plug fixing to occur) for Cable Advertising. I mentioned in a previous blog that an Auction House (general merchandise consignment auction) here in town decided to advertise on TV. We didn´t see a lot of new faces, but keep in mind that Sea Fair (a big annual festival in the area) and a 4-H Fundraiser, Auction, and Dance - were all going on the same evening. We did see several though, and those few people helped raise the bids a little bit (to make an item bring a little closer to what its actually worth) and still had everyone walking away with some pretty sweet deals. For example: It seems a little silly for a gooseneck hookup to go for $22 (what we bought one for a few weeks ago) when they are worth over $300. We picked up another one at this past auction for right under $100 - which was still a pretty sweet deal. Of course we would´ve liked to get it a little cheaper, but from a business standpoint - you have to keep the consigner happy also. The advertising started just a few days before the auction - so they´re just gettin´ started. Just imagine what a little more time will do.

Figurin´

I´ve been doin´ some figurin´ and I guess I´m gonna ride this auction train until it quits chug-a-luggin. I know that what I´m fixin´ to type applies to all sorts that are starting a new venture or discover a talent or something like that...so I hope you can identify. I have helped out at 6 fundraising auctions (actually auctioneering) and worked at 3 more or so...just kind of observin´ and spotting and what not. I have gone through these phases. (See below)

1 - YAY!! People think I´m good!
2 - Am I really doing this? What if those people were just being nice?
3- Hmmm...I guess I´m all right at this auctioneering stuff.
4- Can I really make this work? Should I REALLY pursue it?
5- I´ve still got a lot to learn...
6- Ok. Seriously... no one is holding these people at gunpoint. There is no reason for people to tell you you´re pretty good at what you´re doin´ if you´re not.
7- How can I get my license faster?
8- What can I do once I get it?
9- What kind of auctioning do I really want to do?

So...with all that figurin´ I´ve been doing....I´m left with more figurin´. One thing I´ve determined is.... I figure I´m pretty good at this auctioneering stuff and I ought to listen to the people that have heard me and BUCK UP BABY and go for it!! You can´t be scared! If you don´t try you don´t know and then you´ll be tryin´ to figure what could have been. I´m hoping Auction School and Uncle Mele can help me with this other figurin´.

I´ve also been figurin´ that ELMER (the buck I´ve been hunting) has gotten smart and likes to show up at the feeder late, late nights and early mornings (when its still dark). So...what am I going to do about that? Hunt that SON-OF-A-GUN wherever I figure he might cross. Actually...we all are. He needs to be culled and somebody needs to get him. I´m also figurin´ that this bow hunting is some pretty INTENSE stuff and I DIG IT!!

DOIN´

So this is what I´m DOIN´.... I´m going to auction school at the end of this week, completing the 8-day (10 hour day) course, and then scheduling a time to take my licensing exam with the state! WATCH OUT!!

 I also just helped Uncle Mele at an auction for the BURTON VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT. I really appreciate those nice people allowing me to talk real fast and help them raise some $$$. While we were auctioneering they got called out on a fire and they all had to light out of there. WE ALL NEED TO THANK A FIREFIGHTER! If there is one thing these wildfires should´ve taught us...its that - YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN IT COULD BE YOUR HOUSE ON FIRE! Fires don´t discriminate and these volunteers do what they can to keep us all safe and put those fires out as soon as possible. All of this $$$ we´ve been raisin´ is going to help keep US safe. Remember that when you´re THROWIN´ your hand up to bid on something at the next VFD fundraiser your at.

Scary stuff...

The auction went very well and EVEN MORE people are telling me to KEEP IT UP, so that´s what I´m doin´!

I was also very glad to be able to visit with Mr. Hodde a little while. He used to be at GIDDINGS LIVESTOCK every Monday - when I worked there and I just really enjoyed his company. He might´ve slowed down a little bit, since last time I´ve seen him, but he´s still just as good a company as ever! I hope he got to hear me sell a few items. He told me to tell Uncle Mele to get off that mike, so he could hear me - but I think he still got to.

BUCK UP BABY!! Throw those hands up and BUY something at the next auction you go to! Don´t be scared :)! Take care!

Hunting Elmer

Ok. So. This is my first year to hunt with my bow. I´ve had it for 3 years and remember cussin´ my husband after he talked me into buying it b/c we had to drop some cash on it.

Now...by no means...am I this life-long hunter. My WONDERFUL, AMAZING, Husband (Kyle) that puts up with me and all my randomness, got me into it when we started dating (a little over 9 years ago). I shot my first buck with him on his parents´ place. It was a 9pt 3 1/2 year old buck scoring 120 Net - Low Fence.

My very first deer :). Kyle looks so proud :)).

Everybody says that you get the jitters when that buck walks out. Well...the first time, I didn´t have time to get them. It all happened so fast. I wish I had that video Kyle videoed that day. I may have to try and find it. It was HILARIOUS!!

So...last year. My brother-in-law (Chris) told me I could shoot myself  a buck. It wasn´t any big monster buck, but a nice tall 8 pointer that was probably around 4 and a half, BUT I had to shoot it with a muzzle loader. Never shot one of those, but I was gonna give it a go and borrowed one from a friend - Cordes. So I was sitting probably 20 feet up in a tree stand and he walks out.



There he is... He looked better last year - when we had more rain.

  Now mind you...I told my WONDERFUL husband that we should shoot the gun first. Also keep in mind that our good friend Kyle Cordes (that has been around guns all his life) told us he shot it and it was on. Sigh...

Ok. So I´m sitting there. I move my leg a little and the deer hears "something", but he doesn´t make me. He looks like he´s fixing to walk away and I was saying to myself  "Please come back, please come back"...and he doubles back. Starts eating corn and gives me a PERFECT broadside shot. I´m steady. My hearts beating, but I´m not shaking. I pull the trigger, see the cloud of powder, and NO DEER.

I´m thinking to myself. I saw NOTHING but deer in my cross hairs...nothing. I wasn´t shaking. I could have thrown a rock at it and hit it. There´s no way I could have missed it. The shell casing is right where the deer was, but no blood. Anyways...we look for this deer for what seemed like FOREVER.

Then...before we took the gun back to our friend Cordes, I asked my husband to shoot the gun. So guess what. It was a little over a FOOT low. So....I shot right underneath the deer. He came out unscathed and I will NEVER forget how I should have gone with my gut and made sure it was sighted in!! Grrr....

Ok...So My husband and his brothers are pretty strict about hunting whitetail and managing a property, so we can harvest nice trophy bucks or cull out bucks that won´t be trophies. They could go on for days about the importance of genetics and letting a deer get to its full potential.

My husband Kyle with his big buck deer :).

The brother-in-law Chris with his big buck deer. (He´s single ladies :))

Kyle´s oldest brother Kory and his buck - with Little Miss Kylee.

Well...Elmer (The buck I missed and yes...I´ve named him) is back. They have game cameras set up all over the place. He visits the protein feeder regularly. So about 2 months ago I decided I´m going to hunt with my bow. So I started practicing.

The arrows are a little high, but that´s b/c Kyle wouldn´t adjust the sites until I shot like that at least 3 or 4 times consistently.

Then we got it dialed in.

More practicing...

Opening morning was Saturday. The stand where the deer was coming to regularly was sitting in the wrong direction for the wind, so I couldn´t sit there for the first hunt. I was 20 yards or less from the deer and they would´ve been able to make me for sure. So I sat in the same blind where I missed him with the muzzle loader. The wind was better there. I saw some does and a nubbin´ buck and decided to get down close to 10AM. When I´m about 1/2 way down the ladder I look down the alley towards the feeders and I see ELMER. (There was a limb in my way from the stand.)

So...I try to climb back up in stealth mode, but I´m sure they already heard "something" rustling around in the bushes (He was with a doe). Anyways...he never came out, but Chris (brother-in-law) went and cut the limb after that :).

I hunted every hunt, except the evening hunt when I went to Ledbetter for an auction. I saw one big doe almost every hunt (Dolly - I named her too.) One morning hunt I saw two bucks right before it got light. I think one was a small 7 pointer (not a shooter). That´s the only one I had a shot at. There was another buck and I think it was ELMER, but they both ran away when the feeder went off and never came back.

Elmer and the other 7-pointer I think I saw that morning.

So maybe I´ll get´m. Maybe I won´t. We´ll see and I´ll keep you all posted.

One thing I know for sure is that hunting with a bow is a much different experience than hunting with a rifle. Talk about ADRENALINE! When you hear a deer walking out and you think it could be that shooter your heart gets to beating. It´s an EXPERIENCE! In fact...I think I prefer it now. Everything has to be PERFECT. It´s true hunting. If anything is off, the wind, the distance of the deer, any noise or movement, the position of the deer, when you can pull back so other deer don´t see you...It´s a lot to think about.

You get A LOT of alone time with yourself and nature while you´re sittin´ up there and I kept going through scenarios in my head. My biggest worry is the deer seeing me when I draw my bow back, but I had to keep tellin´ myself. BUCK UP BABY!! You can do it. Quit cryin´ about it and get it done. Wish me luck folks!! I´m not sure when I´ll get back down there, but I´m doin´ my best.

It´s All Better in Ledbetter :)

Hey there!! Just FYI - Be ready to read some blogs b/c I have had one jam-packed weekend this past weekend - that is just WAY too much for one blog. I mean....it started off with the infamous JUNK GYPSY JUNK-O-RAMA PROM (I´m only teasing you with a few pics in this blog), Friday was a day full of shopping and catching up with a couple old classmates (amongst other things), then Saturday was OPENING DAY OF BOW SEASON and the AUCTION for the Ledbetter Volunteer Fire Department, Sunday was a baby shower (the baby is on the way already (5-weeks early) All seems fine, but say a prayer.) and a little chattin´ time with the bestie (but not long enough). I also got to stop by Giddings Livestock Commission to listen to Uncle Mele sell a few cows and catch up with some of those cattle buyers and sellers and auction barn workers that I used to see every week!


I TOLD YOU....VERY BUSY WEEKEND!

This is me and the pregnant lady :) Virginia! Pray for her and baby. Her hubby was on a business trip in New York and is on the way back!



My friend Lindsey and I roadtripped from Rockport in the pouring rain...just for JG Prom.

Little Miss Kylee all dudded up. She loved the car from the carnival ride!

Lindsey, Myself, and Christa @ Zapp Hall!

Me and Stacia in the Junk Gyspy Tent.

Man O Man... The more I auction things off, the more I like it. I tell you what! They had it together in Ledbetter...buyer numbers, 2 microphones, carbon tickets, list of names w/the buyer numbers, great spotters/models, and pretty close to 70 bidders, AND some DELICIOUS FRIED CHICKEN, AWESOME NOODLES, AND GREENBEANS! I couldn´t ask for more.



YUMMY!

Everyone was SO nice. I received lots of well wishes and advice and encouraging words to keep on going so...I´M GONNA KEEP ON KEEPIN´ ON!
One thing I really noticed (which I´ve known for awhile and even blogged about) is that my Uncle Mele just has that somethin´. I can´t tell you what it is and I HOPE I HAVE IT ONE DAY, but when he gets behind that mike...he just draws everyone´s attention. I mean he jokes with people, picks on´m a little bit, enjoys himself...I mean he´s just good. I AM SO THANKFUL FOR HIM! I really feel like I´m learnin´ from one of the best!

Uncle Mele spotting bidders.

I want to thank Larry and Lana Nickel and Mr. Rodney Read for contacting me early and making sure I was there! I WAS VERY HAPPY TO DO IT!!

I also want to give a shout out to some of the buyers that were there! You guys did a FANTASTIC job and I hear the auction was very successful!

DAN AND BALEN KEEN
HARLEY GOERLITZ
PACE FERTILIZER COMPANY
GIDDINGS LIVESTOCK
CARMINE FEED AND FERTILIZER
CARMINE STATE BANK
ROUND TOP STATE BANK
ULLRICH ELECTRIC MOTORS
LISA HIBBLER
MELISSA WICKEL
MAX BARNOWSKI BULLDOZING AND FENCE BUILDING
MR. AND MRS. MEINIKE
LUKE AND AUDREY STERNADEL
TOMMY RILEY
MR. BUSCHA :)
MR. ARNOLD PETERS
MR. MARTH
JAY ZAPALAC LEATHER SHOP
MR. LEHMANN
RANDY ZAPALAC
MR. AND MRS. BAMSCH
AND NUMEROUS OTHER BUYERS THAT I CAN´T RECALL (Please forgive me.)

Maybe I´ll get that buck deer :).

Another blog to come...pretty soon acutually! Thanks for reading and BUCK UP BABY!! We´ve only got one life to live, so we better GET WITH IT! Keep throwin´ those hands up and wavin´ at me :)!

Shootin´ Commercials, Catchin´ Bids and a Little JG Prom Thrown in there too!

Hey! Hey Everyone!!!

So...I helped out at my 2nd consignment/general merchandise auction. I tell you what.... I´m just soakin´ it all in. It truly AMAZES me how I can pick a little somethin´ new up from EVERY SINGLE AUCTION. What is interesting about the auctions (consignment/general merchandise) - that I have NOT been auctioneering at is that I´m learning A LOT more about the way people bid and the different situations that occur during the bidding process.

Super COOL buy at the last auction. There´s more in the set! They´ll make GREAT gifts!

For example: When the auctioneer startied auctioning one item I would say....probably 5 hands went up...pretty much at the same time. We all giggled a little bit. EVERYBODY WANTS IT! The auctioneer and I actually saw the same lady first and we just moved on from that.

I can say that, as I´m standing there watching the crowd, I can see frustration run across their faces sometimes. The fact is....we can´t take everybody´s bid at the same time. All we can do is go with who´s hand we see first, than next, then if someone is still in after that.

Another thing I noticed...not only at the consignment auctions, but also at the last fundraising auction is that some auctioneers like to zero in on 2 people.... I am not gonna lie. I´m not real crazy about that way of thinking.

First of all...I think it adds more excitement when you have 3 bidders or more, bidding on an item. You may have more bidders starting out, but (by my experience) you won´t have 4 bidders for long. I have re-posted a video from my blog titled: A Little Constructive Criticism... It´s a GREAT example of how that 3rd bidder added more excitement to the auction and coincidentally made the item bring more $$$.

2nd of all....Why should I as an auctioneer choose who gets to bid and who doesn´t? Now sometimes you may not see them when they want to bid and they fall out of the bidding war, but when a gentleman is sitting in the middle of the crowd, waving his hand around, and wants to bid on something....LET´M BID!! Don´t just pass him over. It just seems fair to me...to take everyone you see...in order :).

So if I SEE multiple bidders...I´m gonna take´m! Now that´s not to say that I´ll catch every single one. I´m human and only have two eyes, but I´ll do my very best!

I´ll be sittin´ up there before you know it :)

Other things that I learned deal more with the operations and logistics of a consignment auction, that I won´t bore you with in this blog...but be prepared for more info on that in later blogs.

If you read my profile you know that I work in TV Ad Sales and can insert commercials on networks like ESPN, Fox News, History Channel, HGTV, etc - and I work along the Texas Coast. I. HAVE. BEEN. SO. BUSY.  For as busy as I am...you´d think I´d have more $$ in my pockets, BUT we all know hard work pays off and I´ll still be here when it does. I´ve shared some pics below of some of the different clients I´ve worked with.  We shot a commercial at the consignment auction and there are probably 6 or more that have to get edited. For clarification...I DO NOT shoot the commercials, but I am at most every shoot and usually write the scripts. My friend John Garza with Eyecon Video Productions usually does most of the shooting. I think its going to be interesting to see how this form of advertising works for this type of business. 




Shoot at a Mattress Store. We use an iPad with a teleprompter app to help clients with speaking parts.

Here we are shooting a commercial for a Non-Profit - advertising a Golf Tourney. I´m listening to his audio as he´s speaking.

This is a shoot for a manufactured home dealer. I guess I´m just overseein´ :).

Commercial shoot for a local hospital. The hospital´s Marketing Director and I did our best to round up all the Docs and get them in their places.

Commercial shoot for an AC company - where the lady WON a BRAND NEW unit! Green Screen used for a testimonial-type ad.

Now on to SOME REALLY FUN STUFF....

I´ll be heading out of Rockport with a friend later this week for the Junk Gypsy Prom at the Antiques Show (in my hometown :)). I kinda sorta have my get-up figured out, but I´ll share those pics when I ACTUALLY have it figured out :). I will share some pics from past proms though!! WOO HOO!! I can´t wait!

The 1st JG Prom I dressed up at. Actually...I think it was the first time for all of us to dress up.

Enjoyin´ ourselves....sippin´on some Sangria!

My Sis and I did some last minute gettin´ together this year and got there at 11pm or something. Our friend Crystal does the BEST up-dos!!

We were all tryin´ to keep our eyes open :).

All I know is the posse travelin´ with me in tow better be ready to BUCK UP BABY!! Last time....Everyone THOUGHT I was lost in the MASSIVE SEA OF TENTS and were running around looking for me. JUST FOR THE RECORD.... I WAS NOT LOST. I actually found them before they found me. My sister and I also got into a REALLY HEATED argument and a couple of my (kinda new) friends (at the time) got to see the MEAN side of me. They´re still around :) and Little Sis and I are headed back this year with a few more friends in tow! We´ll do our VERY BEST to play nice. 


My MOST gussied up to date. Little britches didn´t go along that year, but she´ll be there for a little while this year!!



HEE HEE! GREAT Times!!

So Here´s to SHOOTIN´and CATCHIN´ and BUCKIN´UP BABY!! I can´t wait to share this year´s story!!