Global Auction Blog

Here is a repost from AuctioneerTech.com

We’ve had our eye on recently-launched website theAuctioneerchannel.com for the last several days. A joint venture between Michigan auctioneers Scott Vander Kolk, Jr., and David Helmer, the site aims to promote the live auction industry through videos and blogs.

We caught up with Scott Vander Kolk and shot him a few, quick question.

What is theAuctioneerchannel.com?

It’s a couple different things, really. It’s the culmination of hundreds of late-into-the-night phone calls between David and me. It’s also a place to watch how good other auctioneers are. But the core purpose of the theAuctionchannel.com is intended to be ground zero for all information related to the auction industry, a collection point for video, perspectives, information, articles, instructions, etc. Our contributor and friend Peter Gehres wrote a blog for our launch, titled “What is theAuctioneerchannel?” He said, “it is what we make of it.” I think he’s right on the money. If we can get our fellow auctioneers behind us by simply uploading some content, we can package our industry in a dynamic manner that will draw enormous interest and introduce ourselves to a larger audience.

When and why did you decide to build it?

as ideas evolved we realized this could have enormous potential

When: I can’t say exactly for sure when the idea was initially thought of, according to YouTube I’ve had an account since Feb. of 2007. It was around then when we started talking about. In October of 2007 we put a video up with the logo in the introduction. We have been working on it ever since.  Why: At first just because we thought it would cool to have all auction videos in one place, but as ideas evolved we realized this could have enormous potential.

Who is the expected audience and what is your plan to promote the site to that audience?

That’d be you, your dad, your grandma, that dude with the funny eye that comes to every auction and doesnt buy anything – in short, I guess everybody, with a special hope that everybody includes lawyers, bankers, estate execs, auctiongoers, and potential auctiongoers. I suppose that is a little broad. Out-of-the-box we’d like the auctioneers and their faithful customers to start with and branch out from there.

What are the plans for the original programming?

We have some programming in the pipeline right now. We are shooting for a mix of informational and educational programming as our base and also some just plain entertaining stuff! Beyond the committments we have for shows we will probably be putting out a casting call sometime shortly for show ideas and individuals.

Other players in this area include the Auction Network and the National Auction Broadcast Network. The piece that makes theAuctioneerchannel different is that there doesn’t seem to be corporate involvement. Because it’s created by auctioneers and uses content sourced from the community – coupled with the fact that uploading that content is free to the users – it has a better chance of being widely adopted by auctioneers. The challenge will be expanding the audience outside of auctioneers, and only time will tell how attractive the site will become to non-auctioneer consumers.

All in all, our initial impression of the concept and direction it’s taking is quite favorable. The model will be very attractive to auctioneers, the creaters and writing staff are loyal to the industry and the auction method of marketing, and the site is simple and easy to navigate. theAuctioneerchannel.com looks like it could be a great public relations tool for the live auction industry.

UPDATE 12:30pm David Helmer responded to the same set of interview questions. Here are his responses.

TheAuctioneerChannel is a video outlet where the auction industry can be represented in all its forms. A virtual free-for-all for what is out there. We want people to see what’s happening from the auctioneers perspective.

The website was the brainchild of Scott Vander kolk Jr. and me. He had a vision for what could be done and I was very interested in seeing where we could take it. This site is really what it says it is – “capturing the culture of the auction industry”. We have no agenda, just trying to tell the story.

The audience is auctioneers, potential sellers, buyers, and hopefully the new group of viral surfers. We have a few big ides to roll out, but the one that makes sense and will hopefully take off is video profiles of every auctioneer. We have the hope that potential buyers could use this as a sort of yellow pages. Also, we want to promote auctioneers and work with associations and anybody that will have us to promote the industry. Can you imagine if every time you were introduced to do a benefit auction or at a speaking engagement they played a short video of you, made by you, telling who you were and what you do? It would be great. We hope to be that medium.

As far as original programming we have a lot in the hopper. We want some to be educational and some to be entertaining – sort of video blogs, how to, what’s it going to bring and more.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Source: The Greeneville Sun

Ross Hogan Estate, His ‘Hobby Farm,’ Sells For $390,000

BY TOM YANCEY

STAFF WRITER

When you picture an economy still in recession, an estate sale that draws 800 registered buyers is not the first thing that comes to mind, but that was the case last Saturday in western Greene County.

John Carter, owner of Carter Real Estate & Auction, said the auction of the Ross Hogan estate on Carpenters Chapel Road near Mohawk Crossroads drew 800 registered buyers and a crowd of at least double that number.

Hogan, a Whitesburg resident who operated a successful roofing business in Greeneville for many years and was well known in the region, died about six weeks ago.

Carter said Hogan made plans for his “hobby farm” to be sold at auction before he died. “It was done the way he wanted,” said Carter, a longtime personal friend.

“I was surprised at the turnout, and surprised at the amount of bidding,” said Carter, who has 45 years of experience in the real estate business.

The auction started at 10 a.m. “We still had a crowd at 5:30,” Carter said.

35 TRACTORS SOLD

One big draw was the 35 tractors in Hogan’s collection, “all in excellent condition,” Carter said, and most of them antiques. One late model Ford tractor brought $30,000, he said, while antique John Deere tractors brought $6,000 and more.

“They all brought really good prices,” Carter said.

“Given today’s economy, it was a ray of sunshine,” Carter said. “We had very spirited bidding,” and unseasonably cool weather. “God blessed us with a beautiful day,” he said.

“We had buyers from eight states,” Carter said, many of them tractor collectors. Carter said tractor fanciers were aware that Hogan “didn’t have any junk.” Many farm implements were also offered.

Sixty-three acres were also sold, Carter said, much of it in “acreage sites,” large potential homesites with views of the mountains.

Though the property was offered in 31 tracts, only nine buyers paid a total of $390,000 for the land, Carter said, an average of more than $6,000 per acre.

“Typical acreage prices are $3,000 to $4,000″ for farm land, “down somewhat from a year ago,” Carter said, though prices are usually higher closer to Greeneville.

But in general, few lots are being sold right now, Carter noted.

Carter said he has noticed that more farms being offered at auction are selling intact, as farms, than in recent years, a trend he is pleased to see.

The Mosheim Volunteer Fire Department provided food during the sale, he said.

Popularity: 16% [?]

A very informative article on property auctions from Country Life magazine in the UK.

Auctions condense the angst of buying a property to little more than ten intense minutes—the thrill when the auctioneer auctions to your property, the charged moments of bidding and, if you manage to secure your lot, the heady delight of knowing that you can move there in 28 days.

And if you are unsuccessful? ‘If the lot remains unsold at the end of the auction, stick around and talk to the client and their agent,’ says Mr Peat. ‘Many deals are done immediately after an auction.’

Popularity: 20% [?]

From the John D Schultz Auctioneer Blog

As President of the Minnesota State Auctioneers Association, I receive a myriad of questions on an assortment of topics. Some of the questions are fairly generic, and would apply to most auctioneers. For example, this week I received the following email:
” I have always heard that we were legal to sell firearms if they are part of an estate or if the auction that we are working is a 1 party auction.
Our local sheriff called me and said that this is incorrect…any firearm that are sold at auction need to be sold under a FFL.
I called the St.Paul office of Tobacco, Firearms, etc. and visited with a gal named Mary. She again, told me that I was legal to sell as I mentioned above.
I also received a call from another auctioneer in our area - he had heard that the sheriff had visited with me…this auctioneer said that in Minnesota - you are legal to sell any firearm without running them thru an FFL. This auctioneer sells a lot of firearms..”
When I answer a question for a member, I like to provide the sources I used for my research. I believe this empowers the member to learn. It also encourages them to share the information with others, as it’s just not well I talked to this person and they said it was okay. Much of this style comes from working at the law office where I cite every thing I write.

My answer to the question: Selling Firearms at Auction: Before I answer your questions, I’ll point you to the sources I used for to obtain the answers.

The ATF provides the Federal Firearms Regulations Reference Guide online. A copy can be found here: http://www.atf.gov/pub/fire-explo_pub/2005/p53004/index.htm

Within the guide, there is a section entitled “Rulings, Procedures, and Industry Circulars” within that section is ruling 96-2 Activities of auctioneers requiring a dealer’s license. This ruling discusses at length what an auctioneer can and can’t do without a license. I’ve attached a pdf of the rulings. Ruling 96-2 is found on page 15 and 16 of the pdf, and page 133 and 134 of the document. The text of the document is informative, and somewhat lengthy. However, it finds the following:

Held: Persons who conduct estate-type auctions at which the auctioneer assists the estate in selling the estate’s firearms, and the firearms are possessed and transferred by the estate, do not require a Federal firearms license.

Held further: Persons who regularly conduct consignment-type auctions, for example, held every 1-2 months, where the auctioneer takes possession of the firearms pursuant to a consignment contract giving the auctioneer the exclusive right and authority to sell the firearms at a location, time and date to be selected by the auctioneer and providing for a commission to be paid upon sale are required to obtain a license as a dealer in firearms pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 923(a).

Hopefully this information helps. Your local sheriff appears to have provided you with incorrect information. There are instances when an auctioneer can sell firearms without a license or involving a licensee. I trust you’ll find this information helpful.

Popularity: 19% [?]

From the Kaufman Realty & Auctions Blog

On Saturday March 28 Kaufman Realty & Auctions held the Noble Trust Auction to disperse of 300 Acres, Farm Machinery and Household contents. Among the contents was a baseball signed by the Cy Young, considered by many the greatest pitcher ever in the MLB. The ball had been in the family for as long as any of the children could remember. Early estimates valued the ball at $2,000 to $3,500, in the end it sold for $5,750 to a local businessman. Check out the video at the end of this blog.

Additional Items sold included an older CAT D9 Crawler tractor that sold for $14,500.

The real estate tended towards what we have been seeing in the market place lately. The vacant acreage sold fairly well while the residential parcel was somewhat soft. Check our results page after the closing of the real estate in approximately 45 days for complete breakdown on parcel prices.

The auction season is starting to heat up be sure to check our upcoming calendar for the latest offerings or to select the date for your auction. Check back to this blog on a weekly basis as we try to keep you updated with the latest news regarding the real estate and auctions markets as well as happenings at Kaufman Realty & Auctions.

Popularity: 21% [?]

From the Kaufman Realty & Auctions Blog

It’s a great day for an auction…

Lorenz Farm Auction

Friday March 6, 2009

Sugarcreek, Ohio

Future farmer

Amish guy eavesdropping… Curt soaking in whatever wisdom old man is imparting.

True face of auctions

Wait, what was that buyer number again?

Popularity: 23% [?]

ABERDEEN-AUCTIONS
Sale March 14, 2009

CONTACT:
ALEX TURCHAK
(727) 656-2974

Aberdeen Auction Galleries of St. Petersburg, FL achieved excellent results in the March 14 online sale of European art.

(St. Petersburg, FL) – Aberdeen Auction Galleries had 118 registered bidders with LiveAuctioneers.com and another 45 registered inhouse for its online/absentee/phone sale of March 14. Auction owner Alex Turchack had assembled an inventory of 388 lots of European art, antiques and money to offer the bidders.

The top lot of the sale was a 19½ by 24in oil on canvas signed by Alexei Petrovich Bogolubov (Russian, 1824-1896). In the frame the work, entitled “Night Seascape,” measured 24½ by 28½in. After joining the Russian Navy Bogolubov attended the St Petersburg Academy of Art and became a noted landscape painter by mid century. He traveled widely in Europe settling in Paris in 1873. When he died in 1896 he left his entire fortune, around six million US dollars, to the Russian Museum and its painting school in St. Petersburg. The school was then named in his honor. This seascape, estimated at $5/8,000, sold for $12,330 including the 17.5 percent buyer’s premium, to a Massachusetts collector bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com.

Another oil on canvas, a winter scene with skaters by Morel Jan Evert Sr the Elder(Dutch 1766-1808), sold for $2,360. The 6 by 8in canvas was enclosed in an ornate 14 by 16in frame.

Two German lots invoked great interest. One was a late 17th - early 18th c. German silver and ivory tankard. The ivory body was deeply carved with a mythological scene. The scroliate silver base bears the town mark (two crossed swords) and the maker’s mark ZI (or IZ) in a rectangle. The 10½in high piece bore two more marks, a moon and a cat. It garnered over thirty bids before closing at $11,163 including premium. A pair of early German pistols attracted attention. A pair of Kuchex Ruter pistols, 1716-1758, with brass furniture and refitted percussion cap ignitions, brought a winner of $4,817 on the phone. Also of interest was a document signed by Russian Tsar Pavel I (1754-1801) only six days after ascending the throne. Dated November 18, 1796, the document puts Colonel Fedor Shavrs in charge of building the new Mikhailivsky Palace in St. Petersburg. The one page document, framed with a photo of the completed Palace, 19¼ by 12¾in, sold to an online bidder for $2,068.

Twenty lots of international paper monetary notes., mostly European, late 19th century and early 20th century, sold within estimate form $100 to $500 and four Russian gold coins also sold in estimate in the $550 to $1,000 range.

For more information about this sale and upcoming Aberdeen Auction Galleries sales visit the website at http://www.aberdeenauctiongalleries.com, email to antiques@aberdeenauctiongalleries.com, phone (727) 656-2974 or write to Aberdeen Auction Galleries, PO Box 38, Lutz, FL 33548.

Written by:
Fred Taylor
www.furnituredetective.com
800-387-6377

PHOTO CAPTIONS

“Night Seascape” by Alexei Petrovich Bogolubov (Russian, 1824-1896) $12,330.

Winter scene by Morel Jan Evert Sr the Elder. (Dutch, 1766-1808). $2,360.

German silver and ivory tankard, late 17th/early 18th century. $11,163.

A pair of Kuchex Ruter pistols, 1716-1758. $4,817.

Russian document signed by Tsar Pavel I, 1796. $2,068.

Popularity: 23% [?]

MATHESONS’ AA AUCTION
Melbourne, FL
Sale April 4,5, 2009

Over 150 lots of fine art to include many paintings acquired in the 1990s at Sotheby’s and Christie’s, and phase II of the deaccession of the Old School Square Museum plus 150 Victorian spoon warmers will cross the block April 4,5

(Melbourne, FL) Over 700 lots of fresh to the market art and antiques from six estates will be offered by Mathesons’ AA Auction in Melbourne, FL on April 4,5. The sale will be carried live online by LiveAuctioneers.com

One of the many highlights of the sale will be the important collection of silver plate spoon warmers from the Weinkle estate of Melbourne. The collection features over 150 Victorian late 19th century figural silver plate spoon warmers that were essential to the well run Victorian household where kitchens were often far from the dining room. The spoon warmers were filled with boiling water to bring serving spoons to the right temperature for serving hot food. Most of the items came from the silver vaults on Portobello Road in London. The figures depict several variations of the popular nautilus as well as fish, shoes, cannons, lions, tortoises, swans, shells and many more.

Also highlighted will be a fine art collection amassed in the early 1990s primarily at Sotheby’s and Christie’s as well as a large deaccession from the Old School Square Museum in Delray Beach, FL. The collection consists of over 150 lots of such works as the two 1817 portraits of Haitian royalty as children by Xavier Gazul, a student of Goya, the floral oil “Chardons Bleus” by Jean Leon Jansem (French born 1920), acquired at Sotheby’s in 1991 for $33,000, a maritime scene by Frank Vining Smith (American 1879-1967), a harbor scene by John Whorf (American 1903-1959) and silk screen by Raul Dufy (French 1897-1953). A list of eighty-eight artists represented in the sale, including Chagall, Gruppe, Picasso, Dali and Calder, is posted on the website at http://www.mathesonsaaaucion.com/.

In addition there will be an original bronze by Cyrus Dallin (American 1861-1944) entitled “The Protest,” a pair of 22in high 19th century bronzes with marble bases by H. Moreau, a 28in 19th century figural bronze clock on marble plinth “Le Meale Carpentier Font de Bronze,” an important 32in marble bust by Professor Petrelli, a suite of eight signed and numbered prints by Victor Vasarely (French/Hingarian 1908-1997) “Homage to the Hexagon,” a 19in high 16th century bronze Thai Buddha as well as ten estate oriental rugs including one palace size and a number of fine silver pieces to include Tiffany.

The sale will begin at 11:00AM Saturday April 4 and will continue at 12:00 NOON Sunday April 5. Preview will be Friday April 3 from 11:00AM to 6:00PM and two hours prior to auction time on each sale day. Matheson’s AA Auction is located at 600 E. New Haven Avenue in Melbourne, FL 32901. Seating can be reserved by phone, (321) 768-6668 or by email at aaauctions@earthlink.net. Bidders can follow the auction in real time and bid online through LiveAuctioneers.com. Bidders can also leave bids or arrange to bid by phone by contacting the Gallery. Ten additional phone lines will be run for the sale.

Selected portions of the catalog are available for viewing on the Matheson’s AA Auction website at http://www.mathesonsaaauction.com/ and at http://www.liveaucitoneers.com/. The auction will be called by 33 year veteran auctioneer and auction co-owner Lloyd J. Matheson, Jr. Phone and absentee bids are welcomed. For more information call auction owners Lloyd or Jan Matheson or Auction Manager Carey Lucas (321) 768-6668.

written by:

Fred Taylor

http://www.furnituredetective.com/

800-387-6377

PHOTO CAPTIONS

Large floral oil by Jean Jansem, 51 X 35in, acquired in 1991 at Sotheby’s.

Selection from the 150 Victorian spoon warmers of the Weinkle collection.

Original bronze by Cyrus Dallin, “The Protest.”

28in high 19th century bronze figural clock on marble plinth, “Le Maele
Carpentier Font de Bronze.”

Important marble bust, 32in high, by Professor Petrilli

Popularity: 22% [?]

From The Trulia Real Estate Blog

Almost 1500 home buyers gathered in Midtown Manhattan yesterday to scoop up 375 foreclosed homes in an auction by the Real Estate Disposition Corporation.   For home buyers looking for low prices, this was the place to be. One example reported by the New York Times: a seven-bedroom, five-bathroom home in Roselle, N.J., with an estimated value of $565,000 and a starting bid of $129,000. (Final sale price: $245,000.)

Purchasing the homes was pretty simple.  Buyers had to put a minimum 5% of the purchase price down on the spot with $5000 coming from a cashier’s check (the rest could be from a personal account).  Mortgage brokers were on hand to help finance the winning bids for people not paying in full.

In a survey by Trulia last May, 69% US adults reported that they though there were negative aspects of purchasing a foreclosed property. Safe to assume that none of these people were there.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Prescott James/Central Plain Herald-LeaderAuctioneer Gilbert Gauthier pushes for higher bids at St-Claude’s fundraising auction on March 7. The auction was held to raise money for the new St. Claude-Haywood Wellness Centre that will house many health services under one roof.

From The Central Plains Leader in Portage la Prairie Manitoba

ST. CLAUDE — St. Claude-area residents are all on board a campaign train to build a wellness centre in the community.

On March 7, the town was host to a fundraising auction that raised $90,000 to help pay for the new facility.

“We are hoping to start construction on the centre by this fall,” explained Dr. Gisele Viens who currently works at the St. Claude Health Centre and was heavily involved in the execution of the fundraiser.

According to Viens, the community of St. Claude has been fundraising for the centre since April 2008, and so far more than half of the funds needed for the $815,000 facility have been raised. The project itself has been in the planning stages since 2004 and the funding for the rest of total funding for $1.7 million project will come from the federal govenrment.

Viens explained this particular fundraising event was exceptional due to the fact the items up for bid were donated by a variety of sources. Viens said that demonstrates the level of support the St. Claude-Haywood Wellness Centre has from the community.

“The auction items came from everywhere. They came from the people and businesses in St. Claude. We also received items from the surrounding area, including some items that came all the way from Winnipeg from organizations that try to help smaller communities,” explained Viens.

Among the auction items were artwork, antiques, an entire suite of bathroom fixtures, a custom-made utility trailer, and collectable sports items including a Chicago Black Hawks jersey signed by Jonathon Toews.

Suzie Fay, health committee president of the St. Claude Development Corp. (CDC), said the event was a tremendous success.

“I’m really pleased with the turnout. We have 400 chairs at the recreation centre, and there appeared to be more people than chairs present. It is very obvious that the community is supporting the wellness centre project in a huge way,” she said.

Fay observed many of the items up for auction sold for a very good price, more than their dollar value, and she couldn’t believe how successful the whole event was.

“The new wellness centre will mean all our health-care services will be centralized in one location, so really it means patients won’t have to drive between the current clinic and the hospital when they need x-rays or other test done,” Fay said.

St. Claude firefighters also got involved in the event by volunteering to be drink servers and bid spotters. According to fire chief Dave Chappellaz, the emergency services in St. Claude provided 15 volunteers to assist in the event and Chappellaz was amazed with how the event turned out.

“This event is great, I can’t believe how many people came out and there are people here from all over,” stated Chappellaz, adding volunteering at the event was the fire department’s way of contributing to the centre without stretching its confined budget.

“We are often in the community looking for funds for the fire department because we are a volunteer organization. So by volunteering here, we are able to contribute to the wellness centre without donating money,” he explained.

The blueprints for the 692-square-metre wheelchair accessible centre were revealed April 8. The new facility will be connected to the current physician clinic, and will house offices for physicians and other health-care staff. It will also house a massage therapist, a fitness centre, a public health nurse, and space for any visiting health-care professionals such as mental health workers.

The CDC hopes construction on the wellness centre will start in September. However, that depends on the fundraising, Fay has said.

Popularity: 23% [?]