Cookin' Up Some Experience ;)

Well..... I'm gettin' a little behind on my blog posts. A couple of weeks ago, I helped call bids @ a BANK-ORDERED Restaurant Auction.

When I decided to pursue this industry, I had little idea of how much & how often AUCTIONEERS & AUCTION Companies are used. Let me kind of walk you through how this auction worked.

The AUCTION was on-site. You walk in the door & register & get your BIDDER #. The auction started at 10AM, so (if you got there early enough) you were able to walk around and take a closer look @ items. EVERYTHING in the establishment went....no RESERVES. Just to give you an idea.... WE sold COMMERCIAL stoves, a vent hood, freezers, tables, booths, chairs, pots, pans, dishes, a meat slicer, an ice machine, mops, brooms, desks, telephones, dry-erase boards, signs....LITERALLY everything that was in the establishment.

Fountain Machine...Those cups, dispensers, & lids went too. 

Meat Slicer

Lots of smaller items that sold. The racks & FIRE EXTINGUISHER sold too!

If you've never been to an ON-SITE Estate AUCTION, then you may be a little unfamiliar with this. I, PERSONALLY, have NEVER called bids where I had to walk with the merchandise. ALL the lots are organized by LOT #s. We went in order & down the line. I started if off. I was a little NERVOUS & you could tell in  my voice. I think it was more of me being excited & getting a little winded. I hadn't called bids @ an AUCTION since BEFORE Christmas.

It was different. That was the 1st time that the AUCTIONEER that hired me had ever ACTUALLY heard me in ACTION! He was HAPPY with me & so was his PRETTY, SWEET wife (she was clerking). He gave me a few pointers.... I bet ya'll will never guess :) SLOW DOWN & BREATHE! Not the first time I've heard that. Maybe one day I'll REMEMBER!

I helped him with ANOTHER this past weekend. This one made me feel pretty GOOD! It is a GENERAL MERCHANDISE Auction. So....there is all kinds of STUFF like: cars, trailers, equipment, coins, jewelry, Rolex watches, tools, antiques, furniture, guns, knives, swords, computer equipment..... REALLY...all kinds of stuff. What I LOVE most about getting to help @ this type of AUCTION is the EXPERIENCE that I'm getting on ALL kinds of different merchandise. You know...figuring out the "value." The bidders REALLY tell us the VALUE, but...just what ball park I need to be in to start some of these items.

Here are just a few of the items, to give you an idea of the VaRiEtY.

1924 $20 St. Gaudins 1oz. GOLD Coin. 

COLT 1911 .45 Rattlesnake 1 of 1000 - NEVER Fired. 

There are 2 other AUCTIONEERS that come in to help, also. I met them @ the last AUCTION where I JUST helped SPOT bidders. Everyone was REALLY nice & welcoming & all, BUT after they heard me sell a few items @ this last AUCTION...it made me feel like they held me to a little HIGHER regard. Not sure if that makes sense. BELIEVE ME! I get QUITE A FEW diFFerENT looks when I tell people I am an AUCTIONEER. NOT mean looks or anything. More like.... PUZZLED looks...maybe even CONCERNED looks sometimes. And well....SOMETIMES I even have those looks of DISBELIEF, but not really SURPRISED disbelief....more like "yeah right" DISBELIEF. BUT...I get the SURPRISED disbelief too.

Anyways....I guess when I look at it from the point of view of an OUTSIDER looking IN....I GET IT!
There just aren't that many FEMALE AUCTIONEERS. I mean when I think of an AUCTIONEER, my thoughts & MEMORIES go to (usually) STOUT MEN, wearing their boots & COWBOY Hats talking about COWS & HORSES & TRACTORS. What?! Wait?! Did I break the NORM :)?

I'll be HONEST. I LOVE IT! EVERY bit of it! I KNOW that I will have to combat LOTS of STEREOTYPES & DISBELIEF of all sorts. It is still AMAZING to me how this "thought" that popped in my head @ 2AM in the morning, back in March - has turned into WAY, WaY, did I say WAY more than I EVER expected! I have MET & become FRIENDS with some AMAZING AUCTIONEERS...some that have been doin' this for awhile & some brand new & had OPPORTUNITIES that I NEVER, EVER thought I'd have.

ALL I know is that I just PRAY that the GOOD LORD gives me the GUTS, KNOWLEDGE, & FAITH to follow this path & stay TRUE to all that I BELIEVE & BUCK UP BABY! Like Mr. Moon says: "I have no FEAR, I'm an AUCTIONEER." Thanks for READING!! God Bless!!