Part II-What Auctions are Supposed to Be Like

Our saga continues with Part 2 at the Perfect Early Spring Auction that Husbola and I attended a few weeks ago.

The auction crowd is growing--and growing and getting way too large for a normal auction. The crowd is predominantly men--which is unusual. There are many groups of people who know one another--and lots of talk about the deceased and her collecting habits--so the anticipation is building.

Our list of interesting items is growing--a victorian box of puzzles--box of skeleton keys--old microscope--large pier mirror--good things you don't see everyday. We do not look at or buy glassware of which there was plenty--but we always are curious about the old pottery. One pole barn had furniture--much with "condition issues" which are Husbola's code words for "you better not buy that because it needs to be cleaned-repaired-loaded up and we don't want to do any of that." His Junk Meter is set higher than mine at auctions. Usually he is right.

Auction begins. One auctioneer on the wagons of household dreck and another on the wagons we are interested in. It's coming up--It's coming up--the stuffed bear with the hump back. Probably circa 1910ish--good condition. $100-$200-$300-$400-$500-$600--WHAT??????? At a farm auction in central Illinois? Yowzer. Sold!!!! Not to the Kuceras.

Globe is up next. Papier Mache globe. Lists Persia for goodness sake. Wooden stand. $100-$200-$300-$400. Sold!!! Not to the Kuceras.

Here comes the tuba. Fabulous German brass tuba--a decorator piece for sure--in the original case--great patina--would need repair to play--but not to use as an accent piece. Husbola had run off to the other auctioneer as they were staring the books--and there were a few boxes we were interested in. So--just me--bidder card ready-- $100-$200-$300-$300-$400-$450. SOLD! Not to the Kuceras.

What was going on here? Maybe these were collectors and not dealers. A collector will go nuts and pay whatever to get an item--whereas a dealer has a top limit because there has to be the future profit built into the bidding price. But the prices realized at this auction were out of sight.

At last the auctioneer is moving on the to the area where the large adult tricycle is resting. It had obviously been under cover for many years--but was rusted. In its present condition--it was very decorative. We set our limit --and were ready.

Before I got my bid card out of my pocket--the bids were at $2000. Needless to say--that was way way waaaaaaaayyyyyyy beyond where we were going to take it. Now it is down to two bidders--$2500-$3000-$3500--$4000-$4500-$4800. SOLD. The collected audience clapped. Now folks--you never want to be the bidder for whom an audience claps at an auction. What the clapping really means is "Let's give a hand to the the whack job who just overpaid for a load of dreck!"

The new owner of the tricycle quickly headed off to the cashier trailer and paid for his purchase. Then he picked up the trike and struggled with it to carry it to his ginormous white mega van that was parked in the field. He denied any offer to help him carry it. One heckler yelled out "hey Pal, I have two just like that in my barn at home." The buyer replied "not like this one you don't." and he continued to waddle toward his van.

I followed him at a safe distance--and the underbidder followed him to his van and I was cagey enough to position myself to overhear their conversation. The buyer drove all the way from California--just to get this piece--he had seen it on the auctioneer's website. He was prepared to pay $8000 for it--and considered it a very rare piece. He travels the country looking for "wheeled contraptions."

The day was not a total loss for us. I did miss out on a great book on victorian era midwifery that went for $300. But we did get the puzzles, wicker suitcases, great dress form, pier mirror and few other bits and bobs. Great day!