The Auction Sale

Oh my gosh! I have so many thrilling things to tell you...I have so many exciting blog posts to write...I have so many fabulous pictures to share...

...I'm almost bursting at the seams!

Well, OK. So, none of it's actually earth-shattering and I don't mean to get you excited and all, but I have been absent from blog-land for quite awhile and we've been incredibly busy doing some really fun things.

My sister Gina flew in from Seattle last week and we drove to our hometown in South Dakota. We were met there by Jill, Leif and their 2 1/2 kids....they DROVE all the way from Seattle! You can't believe how great it was to see them all again.

You're probably asking, "So...what's the occasion?" Believe it or not, it was an auction sale! But not just any old auction sale, it was my Grandpa Harvey and Grandma Alice's household auction sale. They sold their house and moved into an assisted-living apartment several months ago, so they needed to "down-size" a bit.

Grandma Alice and Grandpa Harvey

In thinking about this sale, I'm not sure how many people have had the chance to experience one of these events. For me, it was a normal part of summer growing up in a small Midwestern town. The rhythmic drone of the auctioneer's banter ringing throughout half the town takes my mind back a few years and warms a little spot in my heart.

This is how it works: The street is blocked off and the home-owners move all their belongings out of the house. Large items like tables, couches and appliances are placed on the lawn and the driveway. Small items like dishes, picture frames, and large tiger cub statues are placed in boxes upon large trailers which are parked in the middle of the street. The trick here with the boxed-items is to put some good stuff with some junky stuff since they sell them as a whole "boxed set." For instance, that hand mixer that you have your eye on may be in a box with 17 hangers, a plastic swan figurine, and a box of Brita water-filters. Next thing you know, you're out $2.00, you can now beat your cake mix successfully and your looking for a spot on your mantle for the plastic swan. Cool, huh?

The yard and street showcase...

Upon arriving, you have to sign in with the auctioneer's people and get a number. If you want to bid on something, you can either raise your hand or nod your head. Both are acceptable and considered a binding contract (kind of). After each bid the auctioneer's assistants who are displaying the items and scanning the crowd, give a loud shout-out, like "HEY!!!", or "YEP!!!", or "HAAA!!!", or "YIPPEE ZIPPEE!!!" for each bid received. OK, just kidding about that last one. That would be pretty funny, though.

The whole thing is a very fast process and for some reason my mind and ears just can't quite keep up with it. Plus, I usually have no idea what the heck the auctioneers are chanting and I'd hate to buy something and not really know how much I'm paying for it. It would be just my luck to end up with a $17 collection of used Tupperware lids.

Auctioneer Mike

Looks like somebody just bought a box of used Tupperware lids...

...and a large ceramic tiger cub statue. Seriously, this thing went for $24.

Auction sales are also a great time to catch up with people you haven't seen in ages...which for me, was pretty much everyone. I got to talk to friends from high school, friends of my parents, a brother of a friend from high school, some ladies from my old church, the pastor that married Bill and I, an old teacher, the county sheriff, and the local butcher.

As you may suspect, people-watching at auction sales is an incredibly interesting thing. Especially when you have a Nikkor 70-300 1:4.5-5.6 lens and a multitude of unsuspecting subjects. Seriously, that baby makes me feel like I'm an undercover agent in one of those cop shows. Here are some Auction Sale Spy-Shots of my family:

Grandma Alice, Cousin Amy, Brother-in-law Leif

Dad and Marva

This is my Aunt Debbie right after she realized that she lost a bet and would have to run naked down Main Street.

Cousin Mitch

Dad and Gina

Grandma Alice (middle) with her sister and a friend.

Cousin Jordan

So that's it... a small town auction sale. The weekend weather was beautiful, the sale was a success, and seeing my family and getting together with my sisters was fantastic.