Global Auction Blog

OWEN SOUND, ON. – The Auctioneers Association of Ontario held their annual Ontario Champion Auctioneer Competition at the Rockford Auction Centre, just south of Owen Sound on Saturday February 23 in conjunction with their 24th Annual Convention and AGM.

A total of 14 contestants competed in 2 divisions.  In the Experienced Division, the 2008 Ontario Grand Champion Auctioneer is Steven Snider, formerly of Owen Sound and now living in Barrie and employed by Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers.  First runner-up was Rick Rittenhouse of Jordan Station, ON in the Niagara Peninsula area.  Eight men and one woman competed in the experienced division.

In the Novice Division (2 years experience or less) the winner was Steven Harris of Wiarton and the runner-up was Allister McRae of Markham.  Both men are recent graduates of the Canadian Auction College in Barrie.  Three men, one woman and a 14-year-old boy competed in the novice division.

Auctioneers from across the province attended the event and just under 500 bidders registered to bid at the crowd-packed auction house.

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From The Quilted Hills Blog

Lee Valley Auction

The Rancher and I made a flying trip to the eastern side of the state yesterday. Actually we drove part way the night before and then stayed at our favorite little Mom and Pop hotel in Niobrara, NE. We had planned to get up around 5:00 AM to finish making the drive but sleeping in a cozy, well heated room proved to be too much for both of us. By the time we woke up, we should have already been at the sale. In a rush, we left to get on the road. I awoke with a terrible cold and felt so miserable, I just wanted to sleep in the nice warm room but the Rancher rousted me out and we got on the road. We stopped in Norfolk for a morning meal and then continued on to the Lee Valley Auction.

Lee Valley isn’t really a place you would find on a map, it’s a farm that lies in between Decatur and Tekahma, NE. In 1968 the farmer who lives there was having trouble making ends meet on his farm, so he got the bright idea to hold a consignment sale. He advertised so people could bring in all of their unwanted farm equipment, charging them a small fee to hire an auctioneer with. He then retained a small percentage of the sale price to use as his own income for holding the sale. Apparently this was a huge success. The sale is still held today but is now a twice per year event. The farmer is still living, though today his sons run the farm and they are all licensed auctioneers themselves. The business has grown to enormous proportions today.

We arrived at 11:30 AM yesterday and were lucky to find a place to park. The Rancher’s bidding number was 3389 so there were at least that many people there who were at least hoping to buy something at the sale. The Rancher left me in the car facing away from the auction. I was disappointed that I would be spending the day in the car, alone. It was far too cold for me to go walking around with him, as sick as I was feeling. I had made arrangements with a friend to come spend the day with her, only 32 miles away, but being that I was sick I was not able to go.

I had brought the wedding quilt with me, so resigned, I got that out and began to quilt it. I was on the last block that needed the edging/outlining finished and I was looking forward to adding the stenciled detail to the remaining blocks. As I finished edging that last block I realized that I had forgotten to pack the stencil in the bag. Oh my, I could have kicked myself!!

The Rancher finally returned to the car and moved it to a spot he had found along the fence which was facing the auction. At least now I had something to look at. I thought I would be cold all day since the weather was frigid on that side of the state also but surprisingly, I was warm the entire day. I didn’t even start the car to add some heat.

I tell you, I have never seen so many people dressed in Carharts in my entire life. This struck me as funny, though I don’t know why. It would have made a great commercial for Carhart. I thought if someone was viewing this event from the sky that all these people, swarming around and between all the equipment, might look like a bunch of little bugs or something. I sat in the car for six and a half hours, watching. There were, I think, nine quarter mile long rows of equipment at the sale. I of course couldn’t hear what most of it sold for but I know for sure that hundreds of thousands of dollars passed from one hand to another. I overheard two men talking and laughing about the fact that corn prices were responsible for such a huge sale. The auctioneers were running three auction wagons at one time all day long. The Rancher said he had a heck of a time getting from one to the other to get his bidding done on the things he wanted. In the end we bought a dump truck and a pup (trailer dump) for hauling gravel.

The Rancher had planned to drive the new equipment home and I was to follow him with my car. He got the dump truck started right away but there was no air pressure building for the air brakes. The line from the air dryer had gelled up and was frozen. We made a mad dash to Tekahma for supplies to thaw it with but after an hour it was still frozen. It’s just as well. By this time, nearly dark, my eyes were watering, my head was pounding and I ached all over. We left to head home. Tomorrow we will have to go back to see if we can get the beast running and get it home….215 miles one way. On Sunday we have to go to Lexington, NE to pick up another truck that we bought. The Rancher thinks I’m going to learn to drive a 13 speed dump truck, get my CDL, and drive one of these trucks. Ummmm…I think he’s lost his mind.

If I get stuck making these drives this weekend, I’ll try to remember my camera this time.

I’m going back to bed. I hope all of you are well.

Have a great day, Everyone!

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Another show continues in Louisville Kentucky at the National Farm Machinery Show. Wednesday was a little slow because of the weather , but attendance has certainly picked up today. Thanks to Chuck Zimmerman of www.AgWired.com for snapping this pic of myself busy with a client.

How do other exhibitors feel about the quality of attendees at some of these farm shows? When admission is free it certainly brings out alot of people who have never been on a farm, or haven’t made a farm purchasing decision in several decades. While it is a great learning experience to bring high school students in by the busload to be exposed to what agriculture is about, perhaps they need to be doing this at the state fair rather than a show targeting farmer business people.

100’s of companies have each spent thousands or tens of thousands of dollars on promoting their products to bonafide farmers.

With so many non farmers clogging up the aisles, many companies cannot even be seen by the true farmers who attend these shows. The NFMS promotes that over 300,000 people attend over 4 days, I would be surprised if there are any more than 50,000 real, active farmers who walk these aisles over 4 days.

Most people are only here to pick up a free pen and a yard stick. It is a social outing rather than a business conference.

I think that we will soon begin to see the demise of these type of shows, as companies are not getting the bang for their promotional dollars. This is already being seen at many shows where the main line equipment manufacturers are choosing not to exhibit. For example, why does John Deere need to spend $100,000? +/- this week when they have a showroom every 60 miles across the continent and know every potential client in their trading area?

Can you imagine exhibiting at a show when they want 700$ just for Internet access for 4 days?

More of the smaller companies who need to create some brand awareness of their product should be looking at online advertising and targeting their specific demographic. I don’t mean spending thousands of dollars on a website and expecting the world to beat a path to their door. Setup a simple brochure site and seek out marketing opportunities online with progressive high traffic ag related websites. It doesn’t have to be the biggest ag media websites, there are alot of unique websites that are high traffic and may not even currently have paid advertising .

A few hundred dollars a month spread over several campaigns that include banner advertising, product reviews, link placement and PPC campaigns will help drive your business forward into the future.

Look for an advertising venue where you will standout and also has your best interests in mind as an advertiser.

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What is a Fund-A-Need program or special appeal? These programs are quite simply pledge or donation methods that are utilized most often by non profits and charities to focus on a special cause. The Fund-A-Need program is most effective when delivered in charity auctions that are designed to support the beneficiary nonprofit.  The Fund-A-Need program or special appeal is also known by many other names such as Fund-A-Cause, Fund-A-Cure, Helping Hands and Raise Your Paddles to name a few. Fund-A-Need programs and special appeals are recognized by charities and nonprofits alike as extremely effective tools for generating significant revenue literally within minutes.

Creating a Fund-A-Need program may be an easy task for some nonprofit development executives and a challenge for others. The idea is to focus the Fund-A-Need program on one special cause. For example, the funding of a children’s autism unit in a hospital may represent the overall special cause. Each individual pledge increment within that Fund-A-Need program represents an even more focused idea and concern. Examples of these might be to provide counseling services, outdoor educational opportunities, or appropriate learning materials for autistic children and may be specified for each individual pledge increment in the Fund-A-Need program.

Tom DiNardo is one of the country’s most renowned benefit auctioneers. He advises, “Development officers are like artists confronted with a blank canvas when it comes to creating a Fund-A-Need program. Their task is to paint the canvas with compelling images for their fundraisers’ attendees.” According to Mr. DiNardo Fund-A-Need program pledge increments can start at whatever level the nonprofit chooses. Increments may start as high as $100,000 dollars or as low as $1,000 dollars and go even lower from there. This is the individual choice left up to the nonprofit development officer and her/his auction committee. “The key component ensuring the overall success of the Fund-A-Need program is to locate a donor who is willing to pledge the opening dollar amount and increment chosen by the charity auction committee. This process is referred to as ‘planting a seed’,” says DiNardo. Mr. DiNardo also notes that the most effective Fund-A-Need programs play upon people’s emotions and their hearts.

The timing and delivery of the Fund-A-Need program is crucial. Never start or end a fundraising event or charity auction with a Fund-A-Need program. “Starting a fundraising event and charity auction with a Fund-A-Need program is like having a fireworks show during the day,” says DiNardo. He also explains that ending a fundraiser with a Fund-A-Need program is also a huge mistake, as a portion of the event attendees may have already left the event by that time.  “The energy created in the room is vital for the success and delivery of the Fund-A-Need program. This energy is mostly created by the benefit auctioneer,” says DiNardo. Research has shown that most successful Fund-A-Need programs are delivered typically in the middle of charity auctions.

Benefit Auctioneer Tom DiNardo’ tips for delivering an outstanding Fund-A-Need program: 1. Promote the Fund-A-Need program in your auction catalog. 2. Make sure that your pledge increments and specific cause descriptions are clearly noted in the auction catalog. 3. Have your benefit auctioneer announce the beginning of the Fund-A-Need program. 4. Deliver the special cause with a two to three minute (longer than that and people lose interest quickly) video or power point presentation. 5. Follow up the presentation with a heartfelt statement (90 seconds maximum) from either the charity’s executive director or a volunteer with firsthand knowledge of the special cause. 6. Have your benefit auctioneers deliver the Fund-A-Need program and announce the pledge increments. 7. Start the Fund-A-Need program with your highest pledge increment and finish with the smallest pledge increment.

Most Fund-A-Need program pledges are 100% tax deductible if the organization is a designated 501 (c) 3 charity under the Internal Revenue Service Tax Code. For more information have your fundraiser’s attendees consult their local tax professionals. Nonprofit organizations choosing to create a Fund-A-Need program should select only qualified benefit auctioneers and their auction firms. Be prepared to search the benefit auctioneers name and company name through search engines on the Internet or ask to verify the auctioneers references.

Dave Doorn

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 OWEN SOUND, ON. – There will be some fast-talking in the Scenic City during the weekend of February 21-24 when members of the Auctioneers Association of Ontario will gather in Owen Sound for the 24th Annual Convention. Most of the events will take place at the Best Western Inn on the Bay, but the feature event of the weekend, the Ontario Auctioneers Championship Competition will be conducted at the Rockford Auction Centre.

Jim Snider, President of the Auctioneers Association of Ontario, and his wife Missi, are hosts not only of the auctioneers competition at their area auction facility, but the convention as a hole, which has typically been restricted to larger centres. “The auction tradition”, says Snider “has a long and credible history in the Grey-Bruce region, which included my father Elwood and my uncle, Lawrence Knaggs. I’m proud that I’ve continued that tradition and that my son, Steven, has also taken up the profession. There are good reasons for Owen Sound to be the host site for this 24th Annual Convention, with a significant number of auctioneers actively practicing their profession in the area.” Snider said that he had always wanted to host the convention, but the absence of a suitable hotel and conference centre was an obstacle until the expansion of the Inn on the Bay.

The theme of the convention, “Laugh & Learn – A Spectrum of Successes” was coined to cover two aspects of the gathering which features a variety of educational and professional development seminars, an auction trade fair and exhibition, a provincial auctioneer championship competition, and a variety of social and networking opportunities. Nearly 100 auctioneers and their spouses are expected to attend the weekend program. Three guest speakers will present seminars on various aspects of the auction industry. Two of the speakers, Stuart Reid, Curator/Director of the Tom Thomson Memorial Art Gallery in Owen Sound, and Judith Scolnick, Director of the Toronto Office of Heffel Gallery Inc., will present lectures on the Canadian fine art scene, with a special perspective on the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. The third speaker, Brian Dykstra, Ontario Area Manager of Ritchie Bros. Auctions, will speak about the phenomenal history and growth of the largest industrial auction company in the world.

The pinnacle of the weekend for many will be the Ontario Auctioneers Championship Competition that will take place on Saturday February 23rd at the Rockford Auction Centre, commencing at 11:00 am. As host of the competition, Snider wants to make certain that conditions are just right for the 20 or more auctioneers who will sign up to compete in the experienced or novice divisions. Snider says, “The competitors take this event very seriously and it is important that they compete in front of a real auction audience and at a real auction event. We will be having an estate and household consignment auction that day and the competitors will be able to demonstrate their skills by selling actual consignment items to actual buyers. It will be a level playing field for the auctioneer competitors, and the audience will get to hear a variety of auction chants and selling styles. The public, including all our regular auction goers, are welcome to attend this auction and competition.”

The auctioneers convention will conclude with a banquet on Saturday evening at which awards and honours are to be presented, and at which Snider will hand over the President’s Gavel to incoming-President Krista Richards, of A Touch of Class Auctions in Barrie.

The Auctioneers Association of Ontario was founded in 1984. It is the voice of all Auction professionals in the Province of Ontario and pursues excellence in the Auction industry through a combination of legislative programs, uniform standards of professional practice, professional development and a Code of Ethics, designed to ensure the highest quality of service to the public.

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Feb 6 2008

Global Auction Guide Media Group is proud to announce the acquisition of Todays Auction Page.Com ( TAP ) of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. TAP has been the leading auction advertising website for traditional auctioneers in the Alberta and British Columbia marketplace for many years.

Global Auction Guide Media Group has been a partner with TAP for many years through Global’s industry exclusive syndication program. Global’s acquisition of TAP will allow the Today’s Auction Page brand to continue forward and be upgraded to include many features found on the main integrated Global branded websites.

Former owner Mark Cunningham is now fully committed to other business interests in the Edmonton area, and chose Global to carry the website forward in the coming years.

Quoting Mark; “With the past association and success that TAP has had with Global, I have no doubt that they Dwayne is the best choice for keeping the TAP brand an important and significant player for Auction Advertising in Western Canada. Dwayne’s current record of customer support and advertising innovation with Global speaks for itself and TAP’s subscribers will immediately see the benefit in the personal commitment that Dwayne has put into Global since its inception. I’d like to thank all of the website supporters that have built TAP into the site it is today, and wish all Auctioneers a successful future.”

Auctioneers should expect no pricing changes, and will be seeing website upgrades to better maximise their Internet advertising budget. Auctioneers should see no changes in the way they administrate their sales and can continue using the websites in the same manner they have in the past.

Your new sales manager covering the Alberta marketplace will be Nicole Smallwood and she can be reached at 888-725-4504. Nicole attended the Alberta Auctioneers Association convention in Calgary in late January, and will be happy to answer your questions.

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