A Note of Appreciation for Another Successful Year in the Auction Industry

It's been a long time since we posted...BUT we have been very busy this auction year!  2011 brought us a variety of auctions.  YES, we all LOVED the "Candy Auction" and who wouldn't?  But there were several other exciting auctions in the past year - both for Superior Auction and for our clients!

The Johnson Dairy Farm brought us many surprises as our clients opened up the barns the day before the actual auction!  Our 90-year-old collector of firearms produced some awesome firearms and related merchandise!  The Menominee County "Tax Auctions" of real estate produced some happy buyers. In the past, people thought that there was a redemption period for the owners and didn't bother attending - we've changed that thought process. Our Menominee County Treasurer, Diane Lesperance, is an auction-savvy person and has gained significant dollars for the County.

The Twin Oaks Utility Contractor's Auction in Suamico was amazing - not only in the number of buyers attending but also in the overall prices received for the equipment!  Our client was very helpful in supplying contact names for buyers of heavy equipment that we added to our database, which helped to produce the right buyers for the excavators, skidsteers, and other heavy equipment... Thanks, Julie!

Besides the restaurant equipment, hobby farms, heavy equipment, and real estate auctions in 2011, we also sold interesting merchandise at estate, antique and specialty auctions. 

Superior Auction has a wealth of experience in selling estates and antiques, and started our company selling in these areas - AND still love doing it!  YES, we are a little more careful about which estates we will contract for, but we will  always steer you to another reputable auction company if we can't service you.

In 2006, Superior Auction created a "subdivision" of their company called "Bid & Glimmer" Auctions.  The reasoning for the division was that there is a lot of costume and vintage jewelry in the majority of estates, and there is a very limited audience for that type of merchandise.  Since 2006, we have created a large lollowing of buyers of costume jewelry, through our "live' Bid & Glimmer Auctions, and through our presence "world-wide" with Internet Auctions.

The 2012 auction calendar is looking very promising!  Look forward to a prominent local estate auction, as well as auctions already contracted for commercial equipment, a well-known retail operation, a jewelry auction, a consignment auction of coins from several local estates, and some real estate auctions.

I'm currently "trying not to work" as I recover from some foot surgery.  Hopefully, all of you who have had to agonize with my pain along with me during auctions, will be relieved from watching that happen!  (Thanks for your support)!  Doc says I should be walking and driving again by mid-January...

APRIL 16TH AUCTION HAD IT ALL!

Yes, it did!!  Rain...wind...snow...every weather element except for sun and warmth!!

Last year we started our onsite, outdoor auctions in early April and the weather was beautiful!  You just never know what weather April will bring, and our clients, for various reasons are willing to take the risk. 

Though the weather was vicious, the offering of great merchandise proved that "Mother Nature" won't keep the buyers away.  OVER 350 BUYERS attended the auction for a client who is moving to Albuquerque and who had operated a large, mobile candy store with her partner in "warm-weather" states.

The main auction for Don & Sandy consisted of "top-notch" tools, quality contemporary furniture, commercial equipment, and some really neat home decor items.

Most Buyers waited until close to auction starting time to arrive because of the weather, so the lines were long waiting to register at 10:00.  (I delayed as long as the crowd would allow:) Thank goodness for our computerized system as it really helped to reduce the line quickly!

Tools & equipment sold first, and prices for the name-brand, quality and "in great condition" merchandise sold strongly to already "soggy" bidders.  Next we moved to the warm basement where all of the furniture was displayed, and experienced some heated bidding:)

And THEN......we moved to the backyard, which looked like "Tent City."  The largest of the enclosed tents held more commercial equipment, as well as some great home decor items.The crowd grew even larger as the 1:00 start time for the candy store inventory approached and we saw a lot of new faces.  Our office manager, Jennifer, was very creative in marketing the candy inventory to shop owners, school booster clubs, Waterfront Parade participants, and many other targeted groups for the inventory.

By the time the "Candy Auction" started, I had already changed clothes twice!  Thanks, Mom & Pa, for the extra ones!

I am so appreciative of our "Auction Family" - customers, on & off-duty staff, and new attendees,  that assisted in moving those 25 & 30# boxes forward on the candy runway while I was selling!  That was truly a "warming" experience......

Outstanding prices, a huge crowd, great merchandise, targeted marketing, and super clients made for a very successful auction - in spite of that crabby Old Mother Nature.... 

And then to top it off, I received the following email just a few days after the auction:

"My auction took place on one of the worst weather days of the year but due to Nellie and her extremely friendly, efficient & experienced staff, the turn-out was fantastic and the auction was a huge success!  Everything was perfect and I could not have been happier!  Attitude and experience is everything and this crew has it all!!"   Sandy Paul

(Thanks from all of us for the kind words Sandy.....)  Check out the "Highlights" Section on our website to view some of the realized prices for this auction.

UPCOMING UNIQUE AUCTIONS

What a fun start to the 2011 auction season!  We're very excited about our upcoming auctions, including one contracted for recently from Shawano, WI!  This lovely, elderly woman and her late husband collected Brewerania for almost 60 years!

I felt like I was in a Brewerania Museum when I first visited......beer trays on the ceiling.....shelves and shelves of German steins, mugs, beer bottles......... signs........tap handles.......lights......Every surface was covered with Brewerania - including the ceilings!!!

Watch for information on this collection as we start preparing for a couple of Internet online-only auctions AND a live auction!  The live auction, which will be held in the Shawano area, will feature an antique Seeburg jukebox, Pachinko trade stimulator, National Cash Register, Art Pottery, Carnival Glass, and a whole lot more!  Of course, we will also be selling German steins & mugs, beer trays, lighting fixtures, bottles & cans, and 100's of other Brewerania collectibles at the live auction! 

We also just contracted for another unique auction, scheduled for April 16th in Marinette, WI.  These folks are moving to New Mexico and are selling everything from tools to quality furniture to commercial equipment to cases and cases of recently purchased bulk & boxed candy!  They recently operated a mobile candy store in several states.

We've posted a brief description of the auction on our website auction schedule and will be adding an inventory list of the candy, and a list of equipment.  Hold off on buying for Easter until this auction  - we'll be selling a lot of novelty and nostalgia cases of candy!  And I sincerely mean "a lot!"

If you would like to get on our auction notification list, please send us your email address!  Check out the upcoming auctions and join us if you can for a day of  friendship and fun!!  (Oh yeah, don't forget to bring your wallet........:)

STRONG PRICES REALIZED AT WINTER ESTATE AUCTIONS

We had the honor of conducting two fantastic Oconto area estate auctions to start our 2011 auction season!  The first was for the late Colonel Walter and Margaret Heise and was held in the Abrams, WI area at the Pensaukee Community Center in Brookside on January 22nd.  Walter was a well-known area auctioneer for many years and as is typical in many auction companies, Margaret and their daughters were actively involved in the many auctions they conducted over the years.

The weather cooperated for driving, the hall was packed, the food was good, the merchandise offered was varied and everyone had a fun time!  The Heiseys had a lot of antiques, and prices were strong!  Even Walter's vintage auctioneer hats sold well!  Other auctioneer-related items included his old speaker system, hundreds of the over-sized auction bills that used to be posted on barns & telephone poles, and several early issues of the National Auctionner Association magazines.  Walter was very active in the professional auction associations - both in Wisconsin and at the National level.

On February 12th, we had the late Bud Haltaufderheld's estate auction in the same location.  I learned at the Heisey Estate Auction that everyone called Bud "Bud Ha-Ha" because his last name was so hard to pronounce (and I understand that he was a pretty fun guy...)!  This auction again had a ton of antiques, as well as a large amount of "NOS - new old stock" jewelry, as Bud operated the 41 Karat Jewelry Store in Oconto for decades.  Jewelry buyers came from Green Bay, Milwaukee, Chicago and the local area.  Gold was HOT, as well as sterling silver. 

Jewlery stores in the past carried an extended array of fine merchandise including crystal, sterling silver flatware & serving pieces, china and porcelain.  The 41 Karat Shop was a top quality store that only carried the finest, and we were excited to offer a Waterford crystal 5-arm Comeragh chandelier, several sterling silver pieces, tons of gold, diamond and precious gemstone jewelry, and several original oil paintings by desirable artists.  The crowd showed their enthusiasm for the opportunity to purchase these quality items with fast and furious bidding!  I think everyone who attended had fun, and most left with a treasure or two!

Check out some of the Auction Highlights on our website for some of the prices realized from both auctions!  Watch for more estate auctions, and specialty auctions of coins & vintage jewlery that are scheduled over the next couple of months......

And THANKS to everyone including the bidders, clients, and our hard-working staff for your part in our success!

BOB DESCHAINE ESTATE AUCTION

 OCTOBER 30th, 2010

I wish I had the time to write blogs about ALL of our auctions this year, and unfortunately I do not.  Bob's auction was exceptional in many ways though, so I would like to share some of the adventures connected to this auction.

I never had the opportunity to know Bob personally, but I always admired the immaculate condition of his lawn....seriously!  Bob's home is across the street from the YMCA and on a road that I travel frequently. 

His home and yard were always kept in pristine condition! 

We were commissioned by a local bank to sell the personal and business assets after Bob passed away, and appreciate very much the confidence that they placed in us, as this was a very large estate with some very unusual one-of-a-kind merchandise.  Bob was a plumber by trade, but I would classify him more as an engineer...inventor....and definitely a good-hearted person that very generously gave his time and service to help others -

usually anonymously.

One of the featured items that we sold was a snowblower tractor that Bob created, AND which won an award from Mechanics Illustrated Magazine!  The lucky winner of this top-of-the-line equipment is from the Crivitz area, and I'm sure they are hoping for lots of snow this winter!!

The diaphragm pumps that Bob built were in demand, as several area contractors were determined to take one or two of them home with them!  A good friend of Bob's, Ron Axtell, was very helpful with the equipment that Bob built - thanks Ron and Nate!  There were several of Bob's friends in attendance, as well as buyers from across the state of Wisconsin and the U.P.  At peak crowd time, the body count was over 300!

It was one of the most challenging of auctions this year, and required a TON of labor!  We sold in two rings for a part of the day, but also sold in two locations during the same day!  Talk about having to do some intense planning!  I am so appreciative of our loyal and hard-working staff! 

As is typical for a large auction, there were a few "curve-balls" thrown our way, and I am happy to report that we handled them all in a satisfactory way.....

16 years of experience and auction education

pays off on a large auction like this one! 

Buyers, Sellers, and Heirs to the Estate responded very favorably!!

Superior Auction's service to the client continues on, sometimes for days after the auction date.  Bob's auction required two scheduled days of "loading out" for much of the heavy equipment that was sold, and a few individual appointment dates for special circumstances.  I have GREAT video of one of these days, which shows the buyer's joy over Bob's installation of a steel beam with an electric chain hoist for moving that heavy equipment to and from the basement workshop! 
Check our website frequently for more exciting auctions! http://www.superiorauction.net/