every WEDNESDAY
The weekly feature page of the University Daily Kansan November 30,1977
Barbara Kasson wanted to buy one book: "Only a Farm Boy." But getting that one book, she discovered, met buying a batch of 120 books. Luckily, she found another source.
Going to an auction can be an exhilarating experience, especially if you're shrewd enough to get the item you want.
The bidding is fast; timing is all important. You have to be quick and alert. You have to know what the bid is and how it works.
Mistakes can be disastrous. A scratch of the nose at the wrong time and you will find yourself buying a rusty old watch.
Auctioneers and bidders have an elaborate, although nearly always unspoken, communication system. Eye contact, a raised eyebrow, a glance or a nod may be all that is needed for a bidder to the auctioneer. "I'm in."
Heaven help anyone at an auction with a nervous twitch.
Heaven help anyone at an audition with a heels waltz?
Heastate longer than a second or two in the biding and you go.
Heaven help anyone at an audition with a heels waltz?
Auctions and the art of collecting have become vastly popular in the last few years, especially auctions of antiques, vintage goods, and fine art.
When a Holton couple went to an antique auction recently they saw an antique beer warmer they had to have.
After the couple waited for other antique toys and banks to be sold, the tov beer tank finally was up for auction.
The couple jumped into the bidding. In a matter of seconds, the couple had won the bidding. The beer wagon was there for $80.
One man who had been bidding against the couple for the beer wagon apologized for forcing the bid so high. He said he was disappointed.
For this couple, who collect antiques and mechanical banks as a hobby, high bids are not unusual. At one auction the biggest bidders were 100,000.
Sometimes people get involved in the rapid bidding and excitement of an auction and bid higher than they had.
"People can really get carried away at auctions," explains Carter, vice president of the Kansas Auctioners Association.
Carter advised people interested in buying auctions to become familiar with the routine and watch how seasoned
After auctions become more familiar, Carter said, select who you want to bid on, set a limit on what you will bid and stick to it.
There is no set value of merchandise, Carter said. The value of an item is determined the day of the auction by the price at which it is sold.
"Auctions are the only way to establish the value at that time of any item," he said.
C. W. Hummelgeleard of Linwood attends auctions every weekend to seek out good buys and, just as importantly, to socialize. Many of Hummelgeleard's buys over the years have been Jim Beam whisky bottles to add to his sizeable collection.
One auction adjective is Bill Robinson, a Kansas City, Kan., bookkeeper. The adjective is *bookkeeper*, bots every day and goes in search of auction bargains.
Auction-giving is a hobby for Robinson, whose wife introduced him to the "sport" a few years ago.
One of his memorable buys was a brass lamp valued at $100, which he grabbed for $6.
"Those are the things you can't touch, but once in a while you get lucky."
You're lucky if there are no antique dealers or collectors at the auction to snap up the good stuff at prices out of your reach.
Being lucky seems to play an important role in success at auctions.
And you know you're lucky if you can attend your first auction and not come away with at least one pink elephant.
You're lucky if no one else recognizes an item's value and you do.
You're lucky if the other guy doesn't want that oak chest as badiy as you do and lets it sit by a good price.
Story by Lucy Smith Photos by Eli Reichman
Some sponsors of auctions reap large profits, but Jene Colbert's auction was going so poory he called it off.
For long-time auctioneers like Charles Kahn of Baldwin, a close inspection of the goods on sale is a prerequisite of good buy selection.