The National Auctioneer's Association Conference & Show was held in Greensboro, North Carolina in July. It's hard to miss a National Conference, especially when it's held in a state that I have never visited. The educational opportunities for professional auctioneers, as well as the networking that it allows, is worth much more than the convention fees and travel costs.
Eli Detweiler, a former Wisconsin auctioneer, holds a leadership role with North Carolina and was very instrumental in this year's convention. Some of our customers will remember Eli as the very energetic Amish auctioneer that worked with us occassionally when he was still residing in Wisconsin. It was VERY EXCITING to be there when he won the INTERNATIONAL AUCTIONEER CHAMPIONSHIP CONTEST this year! Last year he was runner-up, but it doesn't always work out to mean that you will win the next year...there are SEVERAL professional auctioneers that are also very deserving of this title. Yeah Eli - I'm proud of you!
I traveled to North Carolina a few days early to visit friends in Hendersonville and enjoyed a couple of days with Pete & Judy. They own a very large produce operation and I went to the convention with a case - plus of the best tomatoes ever! Airport personnel, rent-a-car people and several auctioneer vendors and friends were able to enjoy the tomatoes also - thanks Pete & Judy! Kathy Kingston used the tomatoes and an ice bucket/cooking pot to demonstrate a wonderful Italian recipe.....
My roommates were Wisconsin auctioneers Shirley Baumann & Carol Miller - three women in one hotel room!!! We had a very interesting week, and all still loved each other when it was ending....(Shirley & Carol are surprised that I didn't mention bathtubs or snoring...right)???
The technology seminar by Peter Gehres was OUTSTANDING! Check out the auctioneerchannel.com to see one of the projects that Peter has been involved in. He made all of the new technology that auctioneers must keep up with very understandable - thanks Peter!
Just a very few of the other educational opportunities include seminars I attended on "Legal Issues for Real Estate Auctioneers", "On-line Only Auctions", "Art & Collectibles", "Social Networking for Business", "Selling Firearms at Auction," and the "New Era of Real Estate Auctions."
Several FUN things about attending NAA Conventions included seeing old friends and making new ones...attending the "Great Ideas Forum"...listening to auctioneer's stories about "Auctions Gone Wild"....and meeting up again with CAI graduates....
Attending NAA Conventions helps me to remain focused on what I intended to do when I first became a part of the auction industry, - providing a professional, honest and fair service to the communities that I serve. I am very appreciative of the opportunities that the NAA provides!!!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
"Surround Yourself With Good People"
One of the best things that was brought to my attention by a favorite college professor years ago, was to "surround yourself with good people." It's a simple concept but Jerry Anderson made an impact on me with that statement. (We won't go into his "fly with the eagles" communication:)
I am so grateful for our Superior Auction staff! Many of our current employees are "core" staff that have been with us for all or most of our 15 years in business! The majority of them have full-time careers in other fields, and work with us because it's "fun" and they love the auction environment!
My husband Gene is one of the best people that I could have "surrounded myself" with....although he works full-time as a helicopter mechanic, he is always there for business advice, a sounding board, putting up signs, providing "ring" and customer service at our auctions, and so much more!
My first office manager 15 years ago was my nephew, Eric, who was still in high school at the time. He was (and is) an awesome business manager and currently manages one of my brother Jeff's travel business operations in Orlando. Kris Anderson was my first "official" office manager and managed to work productively in a very small office that she shared with me in our home , and with her newborn daughter Cassidy Johnel. Jennifer Nowack, our current office manager, is lucky enough to have a large office all to herself in a separate office building. Jen's been with us full-time for over six years and puts out a huge amount of work, managing "behind-the-scene" duties both for our live and on-line only auctions.
Kathy Sackman (Kat) has been with us for several years in many roles, most recently taking over the management of the prep duties for our auctions. Jerry & Karen Stujenske are a big part of the prep crew and have been very helpful in many ways to our success!
Clerks, cashiers and ring people are essential to the business also. Linda, Kristina, Terri L, Terri K, and Penny have been contributing for many years, and are much appreciated! We also are very grateful for all of our high school students (many of which it is their first job opportunity), and for all of the occasional personnel that work for us.
Without a doubt, contract auctioneers are a very important part of "surrounding yourself with good people." They are the people that are most noticeable to the buyers, so it's important that they present themselves positively, are honest, entertaining, and have good customer service skills. Joe Cicero, has been a part of our business for "forever" and we snag him whenever we can get him! He's been pretty busy lately though, presenting seminars on Internet security all over the nation!
Carol Miller (Bailey's Honor Auction in Oconomowoc) has been a favored contract auctioneer with us for a long time, and we are honored to have her expertise as an auctioneer whenever she's available. Carol is an excellent example of "surrounding yourself with good people!" We're excited that she will be joining us for the August 7th auction in Wallace, and participating in the Waterfront Parade with "Opal, the famous duck boat."
I am so grateful for our Superior Auction staff! Many of our current employees are "core" staff that have been with us for all or most of our 15 years in business! The majority of them have full-time careers in other fields, and work with us because it's "fun" and they love the auction environment!
My husband Gene is one of the best people that I could have "surrounded myself" with....although he works full-time as a helicopter mechanic, he is always there for business advice, a sounding board, putting up signs, providing "ring" and customer service at our auctions, and so much more!
My first office manager 15 years ago was my nephew, Eric, who was still in high school at the time. He was (and is) an awesome business manager and currently manages one of my brother Jeff's travel business operations in Orlando. Kris Anderson was my first "official" office manager and managed to work productively in a very small office that she shared with me in our home , and with her newborn daughter Cassidy Johnel. Jennifer Nowack, our current office manager, is lucky enough to have a large office all to herself in a separate office building. Jen's been with us full-time for over six years and puts out a huge amount of work, managing "behind-the-scene" duties both for our live and on-line only auctions.
Kathy Sackman (Kat) has been with us for several years in many roles, most recently taking over the management of the prep duties for our auctions. Jerry & Karen Stujenske are a big part of the prep crew and have been very helpful in many ways to our success!
Clerks, cashiers and ring people are essential to the business also. Linda, Kristina, Terri L, Terri K, and Penny have been contributing for many years, and are much appreciated! We also are very grateful for all of our high school students (many of which it is their first job opportunity), and for all of the occasional personnel that work for us.
Without a doubt, contract auctioneers are a very important part of "surrounding yourself with good people." They are the people that are most noticeable to the buyers, so it's important that they present themselves positively, are honest, entertaining, and have good customer service skills. Joe Cicero, has been a part of our business for "forever" and we snag him whenever we can get him! He's been pretty busy lately though, presenting seminars on Internet security all over the nation!
Carol Miller (Bailey's Honor Auction in Oconomowoc) has been a favored contract auctioneer with us for a long time, and we are honored to have her expertise as an auctioneer whenever she's available. Carol is an excellent example of "surrounding yourself with good people!" We're excited that she will be joining us for the August 7th auction in Wallace, and participating in the Waterfront Parade with "Opal, the famous duck boat."
Friday, May 28, 2010
Client Testimonial from May 1st Auction in Amberg
Dear Nellie,
On behalf of my family, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful auction we had on May 1st. From the moment you met with me you understood the situation, and projected an efficient and professional demeanor. Your entire team mirrored those traits in every step that was taken.
I can't thank you enough for the assistance you offered when determining what should be placed in the auction (and you didn't turn away much!). You made certain that all of the vehicles started and where in operational condition, therefore bringing top dollar. I'm not sure if you have control over the weather, but we couldn't have asked for a better day.
The most amazing part to us was that EVERYTHING was sold. The only evidence that anything had occur ed on the property was a little bent grass. Thank you so much for the very positive experience. I recommend your services to anyone who might need them.
Sincerely,
Ron Abele
On behalf of my family, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the wonderful auction we had on May 1st. From the moment you met with me you understood the situation, and projected an efficient and professional demeanor. Your entire team mirrored those traits in every step that was taken.
I can't thank you enough for the assistance you offered when determining what should be placed in the auction (and you didn't turn away much!). You made certain that all of the vehicles started and where in operational condition, therefore bringing top dollar. I'm not sure if you have control over the weather, but we couldn't have asked for a better day.
The most amazing part to us was that EVERYTHING was sold. The only evidence that anything had occur ed on the property was a little bent grass. Thank you so much for the very positive experience. I recommend your services to anyone who might need them.
Sincerely,
Ron Abele
Monday, May 17, 2010
Heavy Equipment, Tools & Sporting Auction
It was a busy day on Saturday, May 1st in Amberg, Wisconsin. Amberg is a small town with many beautiful lakes and rivers, and is approximately 45 minutes from the Marinette-Menominee area. Close to 500 people attended the auction for the late C. Peter Abele, who was 95 years old when he died.
The setting was beautiful, with pine trees, a beautiful lake and very pleasant weather. If I had thought of it at the time, I would have had a large "CONGRATULATIONS - YOU MADE IT!" sign waiting for everyone- the property is at the end of a very winding and very long dead end road!
Even though we are fully computerized, which makes for quick registration and quick check-out, the lines were long and seemed never-ending with buyers waiting to register. We've noticed that the auction crowd size is up considerably this year, and we like that!! We appreciate all of the people who come out to buy the great merchandise offered at our auctions, and also those who come just to socialize. It's nice to see families in attendance, and you can be assured that our company is very "family-friendly," never using any off-color humor, etc.
It takes a lot of cooperation and hard work to have a successful auction and I am grateful for our prep and office staff who prepared the merchandise and did the marketing. I am also very appreciative to our mechanic, Nick, who is the best heavy equipment mechanic and operator in the area!
One of the key elements in having a successful auction is having the cooperation and trust of the client. Personal Representative Ron Abele was a top-notch client, providing me with the tools I needed to perform! The Personal Representative of an estate has a very serious job to perform, and has a legal and fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the estate - Ron did an exemplary job!
Check out the "Highlights" page on our website http://www.superiorauction.net/for some of the prices realized at this, and other previous auctions. If you would like to receive an email notice of our future auctions, you can sign up at the bottom of any page on our website.
The setting was beautiful, with pine trees, a beautiful lake and very pleasant weather. If I had thought of it at the time, I would have had a large "CONGRATULATIONS - YOU MADE IT!" sign waiting for everyone- the property is at the end of a very winding and very long dead end road!
Even though we are fully computerized, which makes for quick registration and quick check-out, the lines were long and seemed never-ending with buyers waiting to register. We've noticed that the auction crowd size is up considerably this year, and we like that!! We appreciate all of the people who come out to buy the great merchandise offered at our auctions, and also those who come just to socialize. It's nice to see families in attendance, and you can be assured that our company is very "family-friendly," never using any off-color humor, etc.
It takes a lot of cooperation and hard work to have a successful auction and I am grateful for our prep and office staff who prepared the merchandise and did the marketing. I am also very appreciative to our mechanic, Nick, who is the best heavy equipment mechanic and operator in the area!
One of the key elements in having a successful auction is having the cooperation and trust of the client. Personal Representative Ron Abele was a top-notch client, providing me with the tools I needed to perform! The Personal Representative of an estate has a very serious job to perform, and has a legal and fiduciary duty to act in the best interest of the estate - Ron did an exemplary job!
Check out the "Highlights" page on our website http://www.superiorauction.net/for some of the prices realized at this, and other previous auctions. If you would like to receive an email notice of our future auctions, you can sign up at the bottom of any page on our website.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
BOOMERS and BEYOND EXPO
Superior Auction and Appraisal will be participating in the "Boomers & Beyond" Expo on Saturday, February 13th, 2010 at the Radisson in Green Bay, Wisconsin. This event is designed to bring together key service providers for the aging population to help them attain an optimum quality of life. Our auction company's services are a good fit with the Boomers Expo, as we offer several types of auctions which would be helpful to not only Boomers, but to their aging parents. Specialty auctions of collections - coins, vintage toys and trains, jewelry, fishing lures, Art Pottery, records, etc - are all examples of auctions that that we have conducted for boomer-aged clients that are getting ready to retire and have started their "down-sizing." Many of these categories are conducive to Internet-only auctions, or combined Internet and live auctions.
Boomer- age people often have their parent's estates to deal with at the same time that they are planning their own retirement. Superior Auction offers complete estate services, including auctions for "living estates," where the client has made a decision to move to a nursing home, assisted living environment, or an apartment. Nellie's Certified Estate Specialist (CES) designation has proven to be very helpful when working with estate auction clients.
Medical Care Providers, Community Resources, Financial Planning, Elder Law Advisors, and Chiropractors are just a few of the other vendors that will be available to help you take the guess work out of retirement and the aging process. The event is open to the public from 10am until 5:00.
Stop by our booth and visit with Nellie and Penny about what Superior Auction & Appraisal can do to help YOU!
Boomer- age people often have their parent's estates to deal with at the same time that they are planning their own retirement. Superior Auction offers complete estate services, including auctions for "living estates," where the client has made a decision to move to a nursing home, assisted living environment, or an apartment. Nellie's Certified Estate Specialist (CES) designation has proven to be very helpful when working with estate auction clients.
Medical Care Providers, Community Resources, Financial Planning, Elder Law Advisors, and Chiropractors are just a few of the other vendors that will be available to help you take the guess work out of retirement and the aging process. The event is open to the public from 10am until 5:00.
Stop by our booth and visit with Nellie and Penny about what Superior Auction & Appraisal can do to help YOU!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Online Model Train Auction
WOW! Thanks to all of the bidders from the online-only model train auction! It was very exciting to watch the end of the auction last evening.......sales were higher than expected and I'm sure part of the reason was because of the near mint condition of the merchandise being offered. We are very thankful for opportunities provided by companies like Proxibid and AuctionZip which enable us to expose our client's merchandise to a much broader audience. Although we will always continue to conduct live auctions, either on-site or in banquet facilities, we feel we would not be working in our client's best interest if we did not take advantage of utilizing the Internet. If you have merchandise you would like to sell at the best possible prices, please give us a call and the opportunity to develop a plan for your type of merchandise.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
2009 SUPERIOR AUCTION CHRISTMAS PARTY
2009 SUPERIOR AUCTION CHRISTMAS PARTY
WOW!! I’m not sure why, but this was my favorite Superior Auction Christmas party ever! (Maybe it was because Mom did the 200 plus ham roll-ups this year)!! I’m sure that the help from Karen and Jennifer in getting the house and Christmas tree ready was also a big factor…
I’ve thought for many years that it would be less expensive and less work intensive if we just all went out for a nice dinner, but there is something about gathering in a relaxing environment, reminiscing about the past year of auctions. Gene, THANK YOU for the everlasting fire in the fireplace…..
And then, I’m not sure if a local dining establishment would appreciate the “leftover” white elephant gifts that are inevitable at the end of the night! (And by the way Sparky, don’t be surprised if you find the horse head on your property sometime in 2010)! Lee Hornick – you were the tallest person in the vicinity….was it YOU who put it on top of the postal cabinet????? (It’s always a good idea to watch the quiet ones….)
Our annual Christmas party is just a small thing that Gene and I like to do for all of the people who have made our company successful. Although there were some obvious changes in the past year, everyone was very upbeat, positive, and supportive in our success! THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT!
KRISTINA- NO, you are not off the hook for going to your “real job’s” Christmas party and just dropping off what you did…..(although I DID notice a dessert hidden in our bedroom..). We thought it was only fair to give you a white elephant number also – wait and see what you got!!!!
Some of us actually made it until 11:00!! I think that may have had something to do with the four pots of coffee that were consumed early on (are we all getting old, or what??)
HERE’S SOME HIGHLIGHTS……….Lori Beland will never, ever, grow into that Badger T-shirt…..we will ALWAYS have to have Alphonse with us to keep us on track…..Jerry-did you get to keep that neat lantern??….Karen, what DID you do with that grey graniteware bedpan….Terri L – did you get to keep the handcrafted TP holder??….WHO GOT TO TAKE THE BILLY BOB FISH HOME????….Penny-you look like you liked what you got, but I can’t tell (or remember) what it was,,…Betty Ann, where are you going to hang that awesome mirror – your house is already full of wonderful auction purchases….Loren, what WAS it about that lightbulb that made you want to KEEP IT???…John Helfert – you were so “tame” this year…(think Taming of the Shrew….we will NEVER forget the “stuffed shrew” that poor Sue got that year…)….Nellie-are you REALLY going to give that Jimmy Buffet cup and saucer to Bill Knight??? (Aaron Ihander “the cop” assured me that it was a palm tree and not a marijuana plant….)…Marge, I’m so sorry that Terri L stole your wonderful Christmas ornaments….the “box of empty” that Linda Hornick received initially is going to come back and haunt someone someday…
The dishes are done….and MOST of the “forgotten” white elephant presents are found….
Time to start thinking about the 2010 auctions, looking for next year’s “perfect” white elephant gifts……..
WOW!! I’m not sure why, but this was my favorite Superior Auction Christmas party ever! (Maybe it was because Mom did the 200 plus ham roll-ups this year)!! I’m sure that the help from Karen and Jennifer in getting the house and Christmas tree ready was also a big factor…
I’ve thought for many years that it would be less expensive and less work intensive if we just all went out for a nice dinner, but there is something about gathering in a relaxing environment, reminiscing about the past year of auctions. Gene, THANK YOU for the everlasting fire in the fireplace…..
And then, I’m not sure if a local dining establishment would appreciate the “leftover” white elephant gifts that are inevitable at the end of the night! (And by the way Sparky, don’t be surprised if you find the horse head on your property sometime in 2010)! Lee Hornick – you were the tallest person in the vicinity….was it YOU who put it on top of the postal cabinet????? (It’s always a good idea to watch the quiet ones….)
Our annual Christmas party is just a small thing that Gene and I like to do for all of the people who have made our company successful. Although there were some obvious changes in the past year, everyone was very upbeat, positive, and supportive in our success! THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT!
KRISTINA- NO, you are not off the hook for going to your “real job’s” Christmas party and just dropping off what you did…..(although I DID notice a dessert hidden in our bedroom..). We thought it was only fair to give you a white elephant number also – wait and see what you got!!!!
Some of us actually made it until 11:00!! I think that may have had something to do with the four pots of coffee that were consumed early on (are we all getting old, or what??)
HERE’S SOME HIGHLIGHTS……….Lori Beland will never, ever, grow into that Badger T-shirt…..we will ALWAYS have to have Alphonse with us to keep us on track…..Jerry-did you get to keep that neat lantern??….Karen, what DID you do with that grey graniteware bedpan….Terri L – did you get to keep the handcrafted TP holder??….WHO GOT TO TAKE THE BILLY BOB FISH HOME????….Penny-you look like you liked what you got, but I can’t tell (or remember) what it was,,…Betty Ann, where are you going to hang that awesome mirror – your house is already full of wonderful auction purchases….Loren, what WAS it about that lightbulb that made you want to KEEP IT???…John Helfert – you were so “tame” this year…(think Taming of the Shrew….we will NEVER forget the “stuffed shrew” that poor Sue got that year…)….Nellie-are you REALLY going to give that Jimmy Buffet cup and saucer to Bill Knight??? (Aaron Ihander “the cop” assured me that it was a palm tree and not a marijuana plant….)…Marge, I’m so sorry that Terri L stole your wonderful Christmas ornaments….the “box of empty” that Linda Hornick received initially is going to come back and haunt someone someday…
The dishes are done….and MOST of the “forgotten” white elephant presents are found….
Time to start thinking about the 2010 auctions, looking for next year’s “perfect” white elephant gifts……..
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