Newest Information on PA`s Electronic Auction Broker Legislative

Transcription

Celebrating Our 60th Year in 2008
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Spring 2008
Official Publication of the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association
IN THIS ISSUE...
Feature Articles
Electronic Auction Broker
Legislative Initiative – FC
The Great War – FC
PAA News
Receive Your PAA
Magazine Electronically – 7
President’s Message – 8
2008 Executive Officers – 8
PAA Directors,
Committees – 10, 11
PAA PAC Contributors – 15
Members and Benefits – 16
Chapter Events – 18
Farm Show Scholarship
Donation – 23
Sherm Allen Feature – 25
2008 PAA
Conference
2008 PAA Winners – 27, 29
Champion of Champions – 31
Ad/Marketing Contest
Winners and
Recommendations – 33, 34
Conference Speakers – 34
PAA Sponsors – 35
Newest Information on PA’s Electronic
Auction
Broker Legislative Initiative
by Jay A. Layman, President and CEO
Capital Associates, Inc.
The Electronic Auction Broker Legislative Initiative is progressing well. The stakeholder process convened by Representative
Mike Sturla has been actively engaged the
past several months. The significant news
is that the outcome of this process will be a
new proposal to register these brokers and
to require bonding, escrow, education, and
related conditions to their electronic auction
activities.
In addition, Senator Rob Wonderling
and Rep. Sturla have agreed that the Senate
will act upon this matter first, probably as an
amendment to Senate Bill 908 sponsored by
Senator Wonderling. As this report is being
written, Senator Wonderling
and Senator Tommy Tomlinson, Chair of the Senate Professional Licensure and Consumer Protection Committee,
which has Senate Bill 908 in
its committee, are working the Jay A. Layman
details of this new proposal
on.
It is premature to give a detailed report
on what may happen and what the next draft
of the proposal may contain; however, this
latest development is a major step forward
for both traditional auctioneers and electronic auction brokers.
– continued, page 5
The Great War
by Peter Swift Seibert, President, Heritage Center Museum, Lancaster
Collecting military memorabilia remains one of the true constants of the antiques trade. Whether it is veterans seeking
mementos of their own service or armchair
soldiers (like me) who are fascinated with
the pageantry, valor and impact of war, the
sale of military items is perhaps the biggest
hedge against inflation in all antiques. It is
an area where we see few items that go down
in value and most continue to rise in price
on an annual basis. This field further feeds a
huge publishing industry where thousands of
reference books are produced for collectors,
dealers and the casually interested. In fact,
speaking with a niche publisher, I was told
that military books have been generally untouched by the recent recession in the book
trade.
Militaria is Still Hot
Part of the popularity of military an-
tiques is that there are tremendous ranges of
material to select from if you are a collector. From flea market finds of patches and
insignia to suits of armor and Roman swords
purchased at high stakes European auction
houses, there is something at every price
point for novice and experienced collectors.
Yet not all military collectibles are priced or
valued the same way by collectors. Some
wars are more popular than other others!
It seems strange to talk about popularity
of a war, but in the great world of military
antiques, not all are equal in their appreciation by collectors. Items relating to the Civil
War and World War II are among the most
widely collected. Why? Probably because of
the shear numbers of American participants,
these wars ultimately touched every family.
Thus there is a large quantity of items to acquire and an even hungrier pool of collectors.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE...
Auction Industry News
Merchandise Information – 36
Bid Rigging Discussion – 37
Importance of Eye Exams – 38
Proffitt Profiled – 39
NAA News
President Williams’ Message – 40
Nashville Keynote Speaker – 40
Official Publication of the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association
Daniel A. Trace
President
P.O. Box 299
Elysburg, PA 17824
800.577.6801
570-672-9618 fax
email: [email protected]
www.paauctioneers.org
Robert A. Ensminger
Treasurer
Jeanie M. Crowl
Administrator, Editor
PENNSYLVANIA AUCTIONEERS ASSOCIATION
MAGAZINE ADVERTISING RATES/CONTRACT – 2008
Buy-Sell Agreements – 41, 42
Commandments of Good Business – 42
Our Advertisers
800-THE-SIGN – 26
Alderfer Auction Co. – 22
All Points Sound Co. – 33
AntiqueWeek – 19
Antiques & Auction News – 28
Auction Flex – 30
Auction Zip.com – 17
Andi Charkow – 11
Farm & Dairy – 43
J. Gemberling Labels – 33
John R. Huey & Sons – 14
Lancaster Farming – 4
Mendenhall School – 23
E. R. Munro & Co. – 3
Nashville Conference & Show – 42
National Auction Supply House – 15
Pearson Insurance Associates – 21
John Welcer – 20
Wienken & Associates – 41
Business Name
Contact Person
Address
City
State
Telephone
Fax
Email
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August 1
Winter 2008
November 1
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The Keystone Auctioneer is published for members of the
Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association, the association
of professional auctioneers in the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania. Members concerned with the development,
promotion and advancement of the auction profession can
publicize news events, unique auctions, or editorials by
providing details of the information to be published. We
reserve the right to edit materials submitted to meet space
requirements. The PAA disclaims any responsibility for
statements made or opinions expressed in articles appearing
herein unless otherwise stated. Products or services advertised
in The Keystone Auctioneer are not directly or tacitly
endorsed by the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association. The
statements and materials represented in the advertising are
the responsibility of the advertiser. Information printed in
The Keystone Auctioneer comes from press releases, Internet
searches, and member input.
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FEATURE
Newest Information on PA’s Electronic Auction Broker
Legislative Initiative continued from page 1
Although registration is different
from licensure, the PAA has agreed that
it is a good compromise to achieve the
objective of identifying and appropriately regulating individuals receiving property from other parties and selling it for
compensation utilizing online auction
processes. The PAA Legislative Committee and the PAA Board of Directors
reached this conclusion after diligently
reviewing Rep. Sturla’s latest draft and
submitting comments to him recently.
This process also involved review and
advice of George Michak, Esquire, who
was retained by the PAA Board to consult on this latest Sturla Draft. Attorney
Michak’s participation and suggestions
were very helpful. The PAA’s comments
have also been forwarded to Senators
Wonderling and Tomlinson for their
consideration.
Capital Associates is working with
all three of these elected officials, their
staff and representatives from the Bureau of Professional and Occupational
Affairs in the Department of State. The
next step is review and preparation of
an amendment by Senators Wonderling and Tomlinson, probably to Senate
Bill 908 or they might introduce a new
bill. Either way, the PAA is requesting
prompt action on this proposal so that
it can be passed by the General Assembly and sent to Governor Rendell for his
signature before the legislature adjourns
for its summer recess on or about the
end of June.
The PAA will provide regular updates and action alerts to members with
specific actions that they can take in
The Great War continued from page 1
Other conflicts such as the Spanish-American or Mexican Wars are
somewhat esoteric as to their origins,
did not have large numbers of men
fighting in them and thus are not collected highly. The American wars of
the late 20th century (Korea, Vietnam,
the Gulf wars) have not benefitted from
enough historical distance and perspective to know exactly the fate of military
memorabilia from those periods. Also,
surplus gear from those eras still comes
on the market so that scarcity—an important determinate of value—has not
yet been determined.
The Peter Seibert Seal of Approval
on WWI!
The one time period, however,
that has remained undervalued and
thus open to being collected is the First
World War. The complexities of the
events leading up to the Great War…
the War to End all Wars….are difficult
to understand for us today. Interestingly, we can look at the headlines of
1914 (Russia defending historic allies,
concerns over access to Middle Eastern
oil fields by competing powers, assassinations of leaders destabilizing countries, Pan Serbianism) and see nearly
identical parallels today. It was also
a war that saw the death-knell of the
Victorian pageantry in conflicts where
brightly uniformed soldiers fought
bravely by hand and with sword and
musket to maintain an empire or serve
a distant monarch. Instead, it was a
war filled with random death by gas,
aerial bomb and machine gun. The brilliant uniforms that began the war disappeared within a short time and were replaced by khaki, olive drab and helmets
that looked like coal scuttles. It was the
birth of the modern war, and many a
small town suffered the loss of dozens,
perhaps even hundreds, of its sons in
nameless trenches stretching along the
western front of Europe. In fact one of
the great tragedies of the war were the
“Pals” brigades that encouraged families and friends to join and serve together. Sadly, with the first gas attacks
or burst of machine gun fire, an entire
town or family could lose everyone.
We are within six years of the one
hundredth anniversary of the beginning
of the war, and I predict that interest
in World War I memorabilia will grow
and increase. Just as there was a wave
of fascination with the centennial of the
American Civil War back in 1960-65,
support of this effort. The member support received to date has been invaluable and appreciated. A special thanks
is extended to Bob Clinton (Chair of the
PAA Legislative Committee), Bob Ensminger and Phil Wesel for their many
hours of work leading the way to this
latest PAA response sent to Rep. Sturla,
Senator Wonderling and Senator Tomlinson. In addition, we continue to have
a productive dialogue with Rep. Mark
Keller (Pennsylvania licensed auctioneer
and PAA and Central Chapter member)
who is a leader in the General Assembly
on auction issues and who supports our
efforts to regulate electronic auction
brokers.
so there will be an equal interest in the
100th anniversary of the beginning of
World War I in 2014.
In evaluating military memorabilia
from the First World War, there are
certain areas that have grown in value
more quickly than others. These areas
of high popularity are of course among
the most intrinsically valuable and thus
more open to fakes and forgeries—
which do abound in this area and for
that matter among all periods of military
antiques. The following are a few of the
highlighted areas that are currently hot
in collecting the First World War.
War Souvenirs from the Enemy.
As the Allied armies (England,
United States, France, and others) swept across Europe pushing
the Central Powers
(Germany, AustriaHungary and others) back, veterans
began
collecting
souvenirs from the
vanquished.
The
photograph shown
here is of a proud
American doughboy of the period.
He wears a regulation pistol and
FEATURE
The Great War continued from page 1
holster on his web belt. However,
look closely at this photograph and
you will see a second belt beneath
his regulation one. It is an Imperial German Army soldier’s belt and
buckle. Perhaps our young soldier
captured it from a German soldier
or maybe he found it in an abandoned bunker. Whatever the story,
it is just the sort of souvenir that
collectors love today. The belt and
buckle would not be terribly rare
today (perhaps under a hundred
dollars) but add in the story and
the price triples. Thus, provenance
(history of descent and associated
stories) is prized among military
collectors now more than it was
twenty years ago.
Combat Gear vs. Dress Uniforms.
This is one of those debates that divide collectors quickly. Some want
the clothing of battle—the uniforms worn on the field, the helmet
scratched by shellfire, the bayonet,
and the rifle. The items worn in
battle connect the collector of today
with the soldier on the field in the
past conflict. In fact, many World
War I uniforms were used up until recently by re-enactors trying to
get a true feel for the era and the
conflict. Collectors of combat accoutrements are usually American
or British collectors who often will
set up dioramas or manikins with
such uniforms in combat poses.
The dress uniform collector wants
the elaborate. He seeks the formal
uniforms right down to the medal
bars and elaborate leather helmets.
The collectors of Central Powers
(Germany and others) memorabilia
particularly focus on this area. It
should be noted, in particular as
it relates to American medals, that
federal regulations do prohibit the
sale of American Federal military
medals and awards. So collectors
of dress uniforms and medals need
to be aware of the law.
The Art of War. This subject sounds
like a contradiction in terms, but
collectors in this area seek out the
hand-painted camouflage helmets,
the nose art from biplanes, or the
artillery shell cases that were hammered into shapes by soldiers stuck
in the trenches for months on end.
While the First World War was arguably the first modern military
conflict, it still had ties to the 19th
century. Trench art and painted
helmets are part of that tradition
and are actively collected today. It
is important to note that this area,
because of its popularity, and the
subsequent scarcity of original
items, is filled with fakes and forgeries. I have seen trench art made
of shell casings which are being
newly-produced en masse and imported from France for resale in the
states.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
… Especially in the Trenches
My own collecting interest in the
First World War is photography. Unlike earlier wars where the photographer was restricted to working before
or after the battle, the First World War
saw an amazing number of amateur and
professional photographers who captured actual moments of conflict. The
result is that collectors have a tremendous treasure trove of photographs that
show nearly every aspect of a soldier’s
life in this period.
In particular are the images of the
trenches that are so telling of the horrible conditions of the period. The
example shown here depicts a group
of French
soldiers in
the background,
peering
over
the
walls of the
trenches
looking toward what are the distant
German lines. In the foreground is a
poliu or French soldier, sitting with his
head on his arm...clearly showing his
own personal exhaustion after what
probably had been months of fighting in
the trenches. This image, like no other
in my collection, bears permanent testimony to the horrors of trench warfare.
An image such as this would retail for
around $45-$55 to a serious collector.
The Human Element is Key
Other images of the Great War include these next two images of German
soldiers. One shows a young infantry
officer with perhaps his new wife standing next to him in a Berlin photogra-
pher’s studio. One can see the shine
on what was probably his new sword
scabbard in obviously a very proud moment for him. The left image shows an
equally proud soldier, albeit for a different reason. He is wearing a bayonet
and leaning on a podium or pedestal.
In the second buttonhole of his tunic
is the Iron Cross (second class) given
for valor on the battlefield. His face
shows a degree of exhaustion that only
can come from time in combat. The
comparison between these two images
is amazing!
A fourth image of German soldier
is also shown here. This is a carefully
staged photograph taken in a studio,
perhaps on the
eve of the soldier’s
departure for the
front. The soldier is
decked out to fight
with his Mauser
rifle and knee-high
boots. Of particular
interest is the canvas
cover on his spiked
helmet. A reality of
modern warfare was
that sunlight glimmering on a polished
helmet plate made an excellent target!
Images such as this are wonderful tools
for uniform collectors to see in order to
understand how a soldier’s “kit” was
The Great War
continued from page 6
put together. Post cards like these are
retailing for around $20-25 each.
This image is that of General John
J. “Blackjack” Pershing, Commander of
the Allied Expeditionary Force, present-
ing the Distinguished Service Medal to
one of his men, probably in late 1918. It
is a popular image, and one that was reproduced numerous times for the folks
back home. Still, it remains an iconic
photograph of the Great War. To read
more about Pershing and his role in the
Great War, I would suggest reading
Joseph E. Persico’s 11th Month, 11th
Day, 11th Hour. This post card would
bring around $20 today.
A Glimpse into the Author’s
Personal Favorite
The final image is priceless to me—
it is an image of my grandfather—Captain Harley L. Swift of the 16th Engineers. The Great War, for me, was an
incredibly personal experience and part
of the daily life in my home as I grew
up. My grandfather, a handsome young
captain, was detailed to escort a group
of US Army Nurses to a base hospital
near Paris in 1918. One young nurse he
found particularly striking. They took
a fancy to each other and began writing after the war. Letters turned into
visits and in 1920, they were married.
Captain Swift, Army Engineer Corps.,
married Lt. Mary Harris Barr, United
States Army Nursing Corp., and thus
from the battlefields of France came
a romance and marriage that endured
until they both died (he in 1978 and she
in 1969).
So, for many families, my own included, the Great War was the seminal
event of the century. Some have argued
that World War II was in fact an extension of the issues raised in World War
I. If so, then
the
events
of 1914-18
have an even
greater relevance for all
of us today.
T h e
Great War
remains one
of the most
fertile areas
for collectors
to pursue. I would encourage anyone
interested in collecting to read up on
the history of the war. There are many
new books that have been written about
it, and an equal number of reference
guides to uniforms, medals and insignia
of the period. Fakes are being made, so
study well and buy only from reputable
dealers or auctioneers.
PAA IN THE NEWS
Receive the PAA magazine
electronically
In order to relieve the somewhat
beleaguered PAA budget deficit, a suggestion came from Tom Gazvoda of the
Southwest Chapter (although the PAA
Board of Directors has considered this
idea in the past) to offer the PAA magazine as an online option to those PAA
members who don’t need or wish to receive a paper copy.
As most of us feel the pinch of increasing costs in all arenas, including
printing and postage, reading the magazine electronically would be a small
way to financially help the PAA without
reaching into your pocket.
The board has already eliminated
the Summer issue of the magazine
over the past two years to cut costs,
so you would be receiving the Fall and
Winter 2008 issues online. Of course,
you would need to download and print
much of the Winter (conference) magazine to have access to all the registration
information contained in that particular
issue.
We would appreciate your feedback
and response to this idea!
Please email the PAA executive office ([email protected]) if you
wish to be placed on the online magazine notification list. A simple statement indicating you would prefer this
option will be sufficient.
Thank you for helping to make the
PAA more responsive to our members’
needs by creating more tangible member benefits with the money saved by
eliminating printing and postage costs.
Rule of thumb. In the 1400’s,
a law was set forth in England
that a man was allowed to
beat his spouse with a stick no
thicker than his thumb. Hence,
we have ‘the rule of thumb.’
Makes me glad I wasn’t a medieval wife.
•
Money, money, money. Every
day more money is printed for
Monopoly than for
the US Treasury.
•
90% of you will try this. It is
impossible to lick your elbow.
•
Metal mentality. Intelligent
people are believed to have more
zinc and copper in their hair,
but who really cares?
PAA IN THE NEWS
Executive Officers’ Bios 2008
Daniel A. Trace,
PAA President
Daniel A. Trace was born in Saegertown, PA, in 1944. He graduated
from Saegertown High School, and
then went to work at the local factory, American Viscos, as a welder. He
worked there until the plant closed.
He raised and showed both sheep
and border collies. He also had a boat
dealership and an Arctic Cat dealership
for a few years. He is active in the local
4H and county fair as co-chairman of
the sheep lead line.
Dan is chairman of the Friends
of NRA Committee, past exalted ruler
and life member of the Elks, member of
Grace Methodist church, and past pres-
ident of North West Fireman’s Association. He was an EMT, EMT instructor,
CPIA, and served 25 years in the local
fire department.
Dan graduated from Reppert
School of Auctioneering in 1994 and
served his apprenticeship with C.
Sherman Allen Auctioneer. He then
founded his own auction company and
has been a contract auctioneer and does
several benefit auctions each year. He is
past president of the Northwest Chapter of PAA, past chairman of PAA PAC,
and a member of PAA and NAA.
Dan is married to his wife Connie
and has 3 sons, a stepdaughter and stepson and ten grandchildren. His hobbies
include hunting, fishing, NASCAR, and
spending time with his family.
PAA President’s Message
Trace reviews past year and outlines plans for 2008
I would like to thank the membership of the PAA for allowing me to represent the PAA as your president. The
PAA is a great organization for promoting the auction industry.
This is going to be one of the most
important years in recent history. The
online issue has been the main focus for
us this year. Thanks to the legislative
committee, chaired by Bob Clinton and
our lobbyist Jay Layman of Capital Associates. The committee has gone above
and beyond to prepare the very important HB1899 to submit to Representative Sturla. This bill will clarify the language for online brokers. It has been a
time consuming endeavor, and the PAA
is very fortunate to have these insightful individuals working on our behalf. I
want to personally thank them.
As you know our conference and
trade show held in January was our
60th anniversary. I believe everyone
found the seminars to be very helpful.
We hope you enjoyed “Why Behavioral Selling Works” presented by John
Schindler. The massage therapist was
well received, and we thank Sherman
Allen for initiating this enjoyable attraction.
The bid calling champion this year
was John Hess, and the champion of
champions was Nevin Rentzel. A fun
time was had by everyone at the fun
auction, also.
I want to thank the Southeast
Chapter and Kevin Smith for their efforts in raising over $9,000 to donate
to the Farm Show Scholarship Fund on
our 60th anniversary.
I also want to thank the Northeast
and Southwest Chapters for the Fun
Auction and the Champion of Champions contest.
We have started working on next
year’s conference and trade show already during the first PAA meeting
held in March. Bill Anderson, Sr., our
president-elect, is the conference chair.
If you have anything special you would
like to see featured in January 2009,
I’m sure he would be delighted to hear
from you. We will be having our first
FREE DAY on Wednesday, January 14,
sponsored by the PA Department of
State, Bureau of Professional and Oc-
cupational Affairs, with the input and
organization of the PAA.
We also are going to have a brand
new web site. Sue Ivankovich has put
many hours into its design and content.
Auction Zip will be hosting it and as
you all are aware, they have become a
very helpful partner of the PAA
The PAA Political Action Committee
(PAC) will be headed up by Chairman
Bill Howze. They did a fantastic job
last year by contacting all PA-licensed
auctioneers for financial support. They
will be doing this again in hope of attaining 200 members. Thanks, Bill,
for your support during this year with
HB1899 as it is vital to our profession.
My main goal for this year is to
finalize HB1899 and to increase our
membership. Feel free to contact me
with any problems or suggestions.
Dan Trace
PAA President 2008
PAA IN THE NEWS
Gerald A. Rader,
PAA Vice President
Bill Anderson, Sr.,
PAA President-Elect
Bill Anderson has been extremely
active within the local, regional, state,
and national auction industry. Over the
past ten years he has served as president, vice president and director of the
Southwest Chapter. Under his leadership, Bill Anderson Auctioneers has
grown into a good and respectable auction company. He conducts between
80 and 100 auctions per year along
with his son Bill Jr., including personal
property, estates, business liquidations,
and real estate. He has attended many
seminars and is always open to new
ideas.
Bill is active in professional areas
outside of the auction business. He
has served as president and captain of a
volunteer fire department and still currently serves as administrator. He is a
past Boy Scout leader and a member
and president of church council. He
attended Penn State Real Estate and
Business Administrative courses. He
worked as district manager for a large
rubber company for 25 years. Along
with his auctions, he finds time to conduct many benefit auctions for churches
and battered women, among others.
He is a senior auctioneer who has
contributed to many through hard work
and generosity. Bill belongs to many local organizations which value his opinion. He is a well-respected member of
the community.
Gerald A. Rader of Skippack,
Montgomery County, PA, was elected
as PAA Vice President at the 60th PAA
Conference and Trade Show in January
2008.
His experience within the association includes four years as the Southeast
Chapter secretary-treasurer, two years
as the SE vice president, two years as
president of the Southeast Chapter, and
finally two years as the Southeast representative to the PAA Board of Directors.
Gerry was instrumental in the first
PAA fun auction that was computer interactive, implementing the services of
ProxiBid, served on the PAA continuing
education committee at its inception
in the mid-1990’s, helped to conceive
and organize this year’s Champion of
Champions Bid Calling Contest, and
assisted with the planning and execution of the Auctioneer and Rookie
Championship for the PAA’s 60th anniversary in 2008. He was also largely
responsible for the PAA 60th Anniversary logo which will be used throughout the year on printed materials.
Gerry’s auction experience began in
the 1980’s when he attended Alderfer’s
sales at the Skippack firehouse, was an
amateur car trader with his brother,
and sold and bought cars at the Gilbertsville Auto Auction as a teenager.
He attended and graduated from
RACC and became a Pennsylvanialicensed auctioneer in the ‘90’s. He
first worked with his wife’s cousin, Ken
Geyer, at auctions of slot machines
and carousel horses, as well as real estate auctions throughout the region.
He subsequently sold equipment for
Vilsmeier Auction Co., and also trav-
eled New Jersey, Delaware, New York,
and Pennsylvania, selling computers
at auction for Northway Computers
and Co-Part (a salvage sale operation
before it went nationwide with computer-based auctions). Gerry comments this was long before you could
buy a computer just about anywhere!
He has been selling full time for
the past 13 years as an auto auctioneer, working 3 to 4 sales a week.
In his ‘free’ time, Gerry’s hobbies
include trail riding bicycle, home improvements and renovations, being a
parent to soon-to-be 12-year-old daughter Gillian, and keeping a pulse on local
politics. The latter was sparked by his
background in the public works sector
through the ‘80’s into the early ‘90’s,
when he started auctioneering part-time.
When asked why he wanted to devote the next several years to the PAA
and the auction industry in Pennsylvania, he stated, “I feel compelled to keep
working with this organization since we
have significant obstacles to overcome.
The organization needs individuals to
step up and contribute anyway they
can for the good of the industry. I will
continue to listen to concerns and address them. And with the support of
this group, we should search for ideas
to implement positive change.”
Robert A. Ensminger,
PAA Treasurer
It’s in the blood. Bob is a fifth-generation auctioneer in one of America’s
oldest continuously operating auction
companies.
Ensminger Auctioneers
PAA IN THE NEWS
Executive Officers’ Bios 2008
was started on February 1, 1836, in
Harrisburg, PA. Bob worked his first
auction as a runner in 1962 when he
was just high enough to see over the top
of the auction block. Today, Bob operates the auction company along with
his brother. Pop (John T. Ensminger),
at age 90, still attends many auctions,
just to make sure his sons are doing it
right!
Bob graduated from West Virginia
University with a BSBA (Accounting)
degree and earned a Certificate of Proficiency in Auctioneering from Harrisburg Area Community College. After
college he spent five years as a field
auditor for the PA Department of Revenue and then embarked on a career in
real estate. After five years in sales, a
friend asked him to help out in the appraisal field and he has been doing that
ever since. More education yielded a
real estate broker’s license and upon
federal mandates, he became a certified residential real estate appraiser and
just before the deadline added a brokerappraiser certification from the state.
Education is always a continuing pro-
continued from page 9
cess in the appraisal field and just this
year Bob has completed the coursework
for the GPPA designation from the National Auctioneers Association Education Institute.
Another item on Bob’s plate is software development. Although he does
not actually write programs, he is both
an alpha and beta tester for the nation’s
largest appraisal software provider. As
one of 50 nationwide testers, he provides insights into the development of
software packages and through everyday use, helps to squash bugs and fix
unexpected glitches before public release of monthly software updates. Bob
has also obtained ‘guru’ status with a
major provider of sketching software
for appraisal, real estate, insurance,
and other industries. These activities
take him to many regional and national
training seminars and conventions.
And did we mention family? Both
Bob and his wife Gale are the fourth of
seven children. They have four children
and six grandchildren. A daughter, with
four kids, bought the house next door.
“Mia” and “Pop” are looking for a new
place to live – not. The oldest one is 10
and will be ready to start working in the
auction business in a few years.
In his current position as PAA Treasurer – now in his third year – Bob has
fully computerized the treasurer’s office. For the first time, financial condition is known at any given time and
reports on any or all PAA activities can
be generated at any time. Bob has also
been a frequent contributor of articles
for The Keystone Auctioneer and has
been presenter and round table panelist
at several conferences. During the past
year he could often be found deeply involved in the legislative process at the
state Capitol on behalf of the PAA and
the PAC.
And what does he do in his spare
time? “I love to loaf and take long
walks. One of my favorite places to do
this is Edisto Island, SC, a place that
time forgot for the past 45 years. The
closest thing there is to a national chain
is the Gulf gas station and the Piggly
Wiggly (grocery chain in the South) …
it’s just like walking into 1960. Modern conveniences but a really laid back
place.”
2008 PAA State Directors
Central Chapter
John Ensminger
415 Bernheisel Bridge Rd.
Carlisle, PA 17013
(717) 691-5598
(717) 319-1611 cell
(717) 718-8800 fax
[email protected]
Northwest Chapter
Michael J. Calvert, Jr.
Richmond Auction Service
751 N. Main St.
Meadville, PA 16335
(814) 683-4809
(814) 282-9488 cell
(814) 333-1927 fax
[email protected]
Lehigh Valley Society
Lon M. Clemmer, CAI,
CES, GPPA
Sanford Alderfer Auction Co.
501 Fairgrounds Rd.
Hatfield, PA 19440
(215) 393-3008
(215) 368-9055 fax
(267) 446-8351 cell
[email protected]
Southeast Chapter
Katherine “Sparky” James, CAI
Dingman & James Auction Co.
59 Spruce St.
Ephrata, PA 17522
(717) 733-1289
(609) 443-0652 fax
(609) 820-8852 cell
[email protected]
Northeast Chapter
James C. Young
Jim Young Auctioneer
PO Box 158, 23 Church St.
McEwensville, PA 17749
(570) 538-1620
(570) 538-4644 fax
(570) 778-5628 cell
[email protected]
Southwest Chapter
James A. Clayton
Clayton Auctions
130 Kennel Rd.
Waynesburg, PA 15370
(724) 627-8364
(724) 852-1661 fax
(724) 747-9369 cell
[email protected]
PAA IN THE NEWS
2008 PAA
Executive
Committee
PRESIDENT
Daniel A. Trace
Trace Auction Service
13348 Calvin St.
Meadville, PA 16335
(814) 336-4160
(814) 671-1005 cell
(814) 336-3940 fax
[email protected]
PRESIDENT-ELECT Bill Anderson, Sr.
Bill Anderson & Associates
Auctioneers
PO Box 107
Harrison City, PA 15636
(724) 327-3344
(800) 923-6727
(412) 389-1622 cell
(724) 327-3344 fax
[email protected]
VICE PRESIDENT
TREASURER
PAST PRESIDENT
Gerald A. Rader
PO Box 877
Skippack, PA 19474
(610) 584-8058
(610) 584-3118 business
(610) 613-2766 cell
(610) 584-7272 fax
[email protected]
Robert A. Ensminger, GPPA
3557 Elmerton Ave.
Harrisburg, PA 17109-1132
(717) 652-4111
(717) 877-7350 cell
(717) 835-0638 fax
[email protected]
Sandy Brittingham, CAI, GPPA
Rittenhouse Auction Co.
90 Belmont Circle
Uniontown, PA 15401
(724) 438-0581
(412) 582-3427 cell
(724) 677-2884 fax
[email protected]
ADMINISTRATOR, Jeanie M. Crowl
MAGAZINE EDITOR Pennsylvania Auctioneers Assoc.
PO Box 299, 128 Turkey Hill Rd.
Elysburg, PA 17824
800-577-6801
(570) 672-9618 fax
(570) 274-6081 cell
[email protected]
2008 PAA Committees
Audit: Kim Hemingway, LV Chair;
Chapter Secretaries: Edie Lesh, Central;
Carlene Weaver, NE; Karen Patterson,
NW; Audrey Anderson, SE; Linda Lunt,
SW
Conference: Bill Anderson Sr.,
Chairperson; 2008 PAA Board of
Directors, and Jeanie Crowl
Advertising Committee: NE, Jim
Young, Chair
Member Benefits: John Ensminger,
Chair
Membership: Gerald Rader, Chair
Historian, Photography: Ashley Owens,
Kevin Smith, (2-year term for 2008-09)
Nominating: Sandy Brittingham, Chair,
Larry Lefever, Sr., Sherman Allen, Olen
Knecht, Vernon Martin
Hall of Fame: Past Hall of Fame
members, Jim Lewis, Coordinator
and Secretary
PAC: Bill Howze, Chair: Tom Saylor,
Central; Phil Grosh, Treasurer; Joe Herr,
NW; Rich Townsend, NE; Jerry Lessard,
LV; Tom Gazvoda, SW; Phil Wesel, SE;
Ad hoc Dan Trace, Jay Layman. Nonvoting members - Bob Vanatta, Jim
Young, Kevin Smith
Auctioneer & Rookie
Championships: NW, Mike Calvert,
Chair
Publications/Magazine: Gerald Rader,
VP; chapter directors and chapter
secretaries
Fun Auction: SW, Jim Clayton,
Chair
Technology: Mike Calvert, Chair; Sue
Ivankovich, Kim Hemingway, Matt
Hostetter, Jerry Lessard, Brent Souder
Auctioneer of Year: SE, Sparky
James, Chair
Rotation & Sergeant of Arms: LV,
Lon Clemmer, Chair
Vendors/Sponsors/Welcome Booth
Committee: C, John Ensminger,
Chair
Constitution & Bylaws: NW, Randy
Zufall, Chair; NW, Sherman Allen
Education: Mike Ivankovich, Chair;
Charlene Caple, Sparky James
Grievance: Nevin Rentzel, Chair
Legislative Committee: Bob Clinton,
Chair; Ken Hansell, Keystone PAC
Chair; Phil Wesel; Nevin Rentzel; Joe
Herr; Sandy Brittingham; Bill Anderson,
Sr; Bob Ensminger; Sparky James; Dan
Trace; Bill Howze, PAA PAC Chair
Budget & Finance: Dan Trace,
intermediate chair; Sandy Brittingham,
Jim Lewis, Sandy Alderfer, Bob
Ensminger, Wayne Patterson, Larry
Lefever
Auctioneer subcontractor available.
Andi (Adrienne)
Charkow, an auctioneer in the Hatboro, Montgomery County area, is
available to assist you with your auctions. She has over 30 years experience in the antique and auction business, with an excellent knowledge of smalls, textiles and vintage clothing plus a good eye and great
customer relations skills.
Her subcontract rates are reasonable, and she is willing to travel.
If your auction has need of a good, honest, fast, and entertaining auctioneer for the day or for a weekly auction ... call her! Short notice...
no problem! She will provide references upon request.
Email [email protected] or call 215-773-9176.
For auction info:
http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/auctionlist.cgi?vuid=36331
PAA IN THE NEWS
2008 PAA Chapter Officers
CENTRAL CHAPTER
President
Vice Pres.
Sec. Treas.
Director
Harry H. Bachman, 2051
Horseshoe Pike, Annville 17003.
(717) 867-1809; (717) 821-1638
cell; (717) 867-1279 fax;
[email protected]
Charlene A. Caple, 213 Broadway,
#1, Hanover 17331. (717)
632-8494; (717) 521-3018 cell;
[email protected]
Edie Lesh, 3540 Newport
Rd., Newport 17074. (717)
567-3182; fax (717) 567.7888
[email protected]
John S. Ensminger, 415 Bernheisel
Bridge Rd., Carlisle 17013; (717)
691-5598; (717) 319-1611
cell; (717) 718-8800 fax;
[email protected]
PAC Treasurer Phil Grosh, 15 Hykes Mill
Rd., York Haven 17370; (717)
268-0020; fax 266-2614;
[email protected]
PAC Rep.
Tom Saylor, 520 Hengst Ct.,
Hellam 17406; (717) 846-7153;
(717) 880-9989 cell;
[email protected]
LEHIGH VALLEY SOCIETY
President
Vice Pres.
Sec. Treas.
Director
PAC Chair
PAC Rep.
Kevin Smith, 1901 S. 12th
St., Allentown 18103. (610)
797-1770; (215) 421-7431 cell;
(610) 797-1770 fax.
[email protected]
Arn B. Malmberg, PO Box 404,
Bally 19503. (610) 845-2594
Kim Hemingway, 816 Layfield
Rd., Perkiomenville 18074.
(215) 541-4025;
[email protected]
Lon M. Clemmer, Sanford
Alderfer Auction Co., 501
Fairgrounds Rd., Hatfield 19440;
(215) 393-3008;
(215) 368-9055 fax;
(267) 446-8351 cell;
[email protected]
Bill Howze, 1404 Friedensburg
Rd., Reading 19606. (610)
370-2879; (610) 763-5959 cell;
[email protected]
Jerry Lessard, 102A Deerpath Ln.,
Lansdale 19446. (215) 822-2286;
(215) 778-7791 cell; (215)
283-6343 fax;
[email protected]
NORTHEAST CHAPTER
President
Mike Weaver, 17696 Russell
Rd., Allenwood 17810. (570)
538-2227; (570) 713-5199
cell; (570) 538-2227 fax;
[email protected]
Vice Pres.
Sec. Treas.
Director
PAC Rep.
Dennis Hassinger, 1276
Kissimmee Rd., Middleburg
17842. (717) 837-3159
Carlene Weaver, see above;
[email protected]
Jim Young, PO Box 158,
McEwensville 17749. (570)
538-1620; (570) 778-5628
cell; (570) 538-4644 fax;
jimyoungauction@windstream.
net
Richard Townsend, Jr., 726 Stokes
Mill Rd., East Stroudsburg 18301.
(570) 421-6320; (610) 517-2077
cell; (610) 756-6807 fax; alternate
fax (888) 712-7803;
[email protected]
PAC Rep.
SOUTHWEST CHAPTER
President
Vice Pres.
Sec. Treas.
NORTHWEST CHAPTER
President
Vice Pres.
Sec. Treas.
Director
PAC Rep.
Wayne Patterson, 452 Auction
Ln., New Castle 16101. (724)
654-7933; (724) 730-6125 cell;
same fax;
[email protected]
Beth Hillmar, 410 Vogan
Dr., Mercer 16137. (724)
662-4039; (724) 967-4039
cell; (724) 662-4039 fax;
bhillmarauctioneer@
zoominternet.net
Karen Patterson, see above;
[email protected]
Mike Calvert, 6481 Harmonsburg
Rd., Linesville 16424. (814)
683-4809; (814) 282-9488 cell;
fax (814) 683-4809; another fax
(866) 838-0776;
[email protected]
Joseph Herr, 736 Cook Rd., New
Galilee 16141. (724) 336-1111;
333-7051 cell;
[email protected]
SOUTHEAST CHAPTER
President
Vice Pres.
Sec. Treas.
Director
Eric Lefever, 404 Stanton Rd.,
Quarryville 17566. (717)
786-6161; (717) 989-5110 cell;
(717) 786-9005 fax;
[email protected]
Patrick Morgan, 208 Locust
St., New Holland 17557. (717)
354-6939; (717) 278-9202 cell;
(717) 354-0190 fax;
[email protected]
Audrey Weaver Andersen,
1647 N. Reading Rd., Stevens
17578-9305. (717) 336-4825;
(717) 979-1280 cell; (717)
336-7125 fax; [email protected]
Katherine ‘Sparky’ James, 59
Spruce St., Ephrata 17522. (717)
733-1289; (609) 820-8852
cell; (609) 443-0652 fax;
[email protected]
Phil Wesel, 112 Ridgewood Circle,
Downingtown 19335. (610)
873-0605; (610) 202-7872 cell;
(610) 430-2579 fax;
[email protected]
Director
PAC Rep.
Bill Anderson, Jr., PO 107,
Harrison City 15636 (724)
327-3344; (724) 331-6773
cell; fax (724) 744-4100;
[email protected]
Tom Gazvoda, 1969 St. Rd.
980, Canonsburg 15317. (724)
745-4537; (317) 459-8811 cell;
[email protected]
Linda Lunt, 1156 Willowbrook
Rd., Belle Vernon 15012. (724)
872-7431; (724) 331-2561 cell;
(724) 872-1018 fax;
[email protected]
Jim Clayton, 130 Kennel Rd.,
Waynesburg 15370. (724)
627-8364; (724) 747-9369 cell;
(724) 852-1661 fax;
[email protected]
Tom Gazvoda, 1969 St. Rd.
980, Canonsburg 15317. (724)
745-4537; (317) 459-8811 cell;
[email protected]
State Board of Auctioneer Examiners
Penny Walker, Board Administrator
State Board of Auctioneer Examiners
PO Box 2649
(717) 783-3397, (717) 705.5540 (fax)
[email protected]
David Markowitz, Attorney-at-Law
Board Counsel
Governor’s Office of General Counsel
2601 N. Third St., PO Box 2649
(717) 783-7200, (717) 787.0251 (fax)
[email protected]
Mark Goodwin, Attorney-at-Law
Assistant Counsel (Prosecuting)
Contact info same as above
[email protected]
Jay Layman
President and CEO
PO Box 1085, 200 N. Third St.
(717) 234-5350, (717) 234.2286 (fax)
[email protected]
PAA IN THE NEWS
Zelmore inducted into Pennsylvania
Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame
The following presentation was delivered
by Wylie Rittenhouse, CAI, of the Southwest
Chapter on behalf of Jake Zelmore at the 2008
PAA Conference:
“Born in the years between the Great
Depression and World War II, this man
followed in the footsteps of his father. By his
side, he began auctioneering in 1952 at the
tender age of 16. His father was an influential
businessman and owned and operated one
of the landmark auction barns in the area.
Over 40 years since its doors were closed
permanently, folks still reminisce about the
days of the old auction barn, remembering the
fine assortment of items and produce and, in
some cases, their first date!
At 18 this young man conducted his first
auction with his proud father looking on.
Many of his early sales were done for free,
donating his time to worthy causes. Selling
anything from soup to nute, to shoes out of the
bed of a pickup truck on the main street, he
became very well known, not only to auction
patrons but also for pulling out his Gibson
guitar and doing a little ‘picking and grinning,’
as he refers to it. It wasn’t long before his pap
handed him the checkbook to do the buying
for the auction bar.
Forty-five years ago he married his wife
who has remained by his side all these years.
As newlyweds, they attended many auction
association meetings, making bonds of
friendship that have lasted the test of time.
PAA 2008
Auxiliary
Officers of the auxiliary for 2008 are
Edie Lesh, president; Joann Slosberg,
vice president; and Linda Lewis,
secretary-treasurer.
Chapter representatives are Paulette
Toomey (Central), Joann Slosberg
(Lehigh Valley), Gail Burke (Northeast),
Karen Patterson (Northwest), Nancy
Zelmore (Southwest).
Auctioneers, spouses, auction
personnel, if you would like to become
a member, please sign up and join
us! Dues are $5 per year. Why not
include them every year in your PAA
membership when he/she renews?
Please complete the application
and send to Linda Lewis at the address
opposite.
In 1965, with two small children in the
growing family, they attended their first NAA
Convention in Philadelphia. Many of the elder
statesmen of the PAA sitting among you here
tonight were at that very convention, as well.
With his guitar in hand, many hours were
spent entertaining and having a good time.
Hundreds of auctions have come and gone
over the years, with his faithful family assisting
in any way they could. No computers here –
the business was and still remains conducted
completely on paper by hand, the way his
father taught him. Unfortunately, his father
ad mentor passed away in 1966. There is
no doubt he is smiling down from heaven as
we speak.
In 1958 this man and three of his brothers
started a towing business that has evolved into
a huge family enterprise. Now owned and
operated by him and the oldest of his three
sons, the business even employs his eldest
grandson.
Throughout the years, he has served as
Southwest Chapter President numerous
times. During one of those terms of office,
he organized and held a summer convention
attended by several auctioneers from across
the state. This man has distinguished himself,
not only in the auction community, but also
through many other avenues. Aside from
being a PAA and NAA member, he also belongs
to Rotary International and is a Paul Harris
Fellow. He is a 32nd Degree Mason and
member of the Syria Shrine. He belongs to
the Mount Pleasant Church of God and has
sung in nearly every church for many miles
around his home.
His wife of 45 years in Nancy, and he
has four children – Kim, Randy, Jason, and
Rob – two daughters-in-law – Janice and
Tammy – eight grandchildren – Philip, Jacob,
Andrea, Kylee, Zoey, Sarah, Jordan, and Brady
– as well as a granddaughter-in-law Holly
who is expecting his first great-grandchild.
The family has been supportive of all of
his endeavors throughout the years and is
extremely proud to be here tonight to see this
most important event.
Without further adieu, I present to you this
year’s inductee into the PAA Hall of Fame,
a man who’s made good use of the slogan
“Sell More with Zelmore,” Mr. Eugene ‘Jake’
Zelmore.”
PAA Auxiliary Renewal 2008
Please complete and return to:
Linda Lewis, Secretary, PAA Auxiliary
557 Wyoming Avenue, Wyoming, PA 18644
Make checks payable to the PAA Auxiliary. Thank you!!
Annual Dues
are $5
per person
Name ________________________________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________________________
City ______________________________________ State ______ Zip ____________
Phone _____________________________ Fax ______________________________
Cell ________________________________ Email _____________________________
Chapter ______ Auction Co. ____________________________________________
148 Stoughton Road
Slippery Rock, PA 16057
tel (724) 863-4961 fax (724) 794-6044
PAA IN THE NEWS
Maximizing the Voice of the Auction Industry
Through PAC Donations
The PAA wishes to thank the following PAA members and friends who contributed to the PAA Political
Action Committee in 2008:
Central Chapter
Mervin Adams
Rodger Arndt
Robert Bair
Robert Benchoff
Stan Bucher
Charlene Caple
McCormick Coble
David Conley
David Deibler
Michael Deibert
John S. Ensminger
John T. Ensminger IV
Robert A. Ensminger
Phillip Graybill
Zachary Gross
Alan Hall
William Hobbie
Matthew Hurley
Rod Keister
John F. Kohler, Jr.
Ralph J. Lesh, Jr.
S. Brian Magaro
Kenneth G. Miller, Jr.
Charles C. Mong
Roger Myers
Carl Ocker
Douglas Panasiti
Larry Peters
C. David Redding
Judy Rentzel
Nevin Rentzel
Edward Rowe
Myron Rudy
Thomas Saylor
Denny Stouffer
Raymond P. Stump
Marlette Thomas
Fred Toomey
Trent Wagner
Charles Wehrly
Scott Wehrly
Dennis Welker
Jay Ziegler
Lehigh Valley
Sanford Alderfer
August Binder
John E Black
Omar Bounds
Douglas Clemens
Robert Clinton
Stanley W Dilliard Jr
Wil Hahn
William T. Hall
Kimberly Hemingway
Douglas Houser
William Howze
Richard Townsend
Robert Vanatta
Michael Weaver
William Wolfe
James C Young
Michael Hunyady
Arn Malmberg
Kathy Maurer Wilson
Ted Maurer
Ken Reed
James Ritter
Joyce Ruth
Kevin Smith
Jack Stull
Lester Zern
Eric Zettlemoyer
Woody Zettlemoyer
Northwest Chapter
Northeast Chapter
Gerald Burke
Gele D. Derr
George Henry
Donald E. Hock
Mark Jones
Gordon Kinzinger
Daniel M. Knecht
Olen Knecht
James Lewis
Linda Lewis
James C. Lovins, Jr.
Gerald Pennay, Sr.
Kenneth Rivenburg, Jr.
Richard Roan
Robert Shaylor
C. Sherman Allen
Charles Baker
William Bellis, Jr.
Joseph C. Blasco
Michael Fink
Robert Fink
Dean Gearhart
Joseph Herr
Matt Hostetter
Jerome Motko
W. Bruce Nicolls
J. Wayne Patterson
Roger Roae
Tim Rocco
R. Fred Shohayda
Daniel Trace
Randy Zufall
Southeast Chapter
Audrey Andersen
Ed Barkowitz
Stephen J. Barr
Calvin Beamesderfer
William Bering
Karl Boltz
Daniel F. Comly, Jr.
James S. Davis, Jr.
Michael Firestone
Michael Fortna
Roy E. Good, Jr.
Jon Hummer
Katherine James
Harold Keller
Tim Keller
Randall Kline
Michael Martin
Alvin Miller
Michael Morris
Rodger Paisley
Arthur Pannebecker
James B. Pendleton
R. Carl Pickel
Eric Probst
Al Reist
John Jacob Rutt
Thomas Sechrist
Harold Shaffner
Curtis Shenk
Michael Stermer
John Stolzfus
Paul M. Storm
Jan Waltz
Robert Zogorski
Southwest Chapter
Bill Anderson, Jr.
Bill Anderson, Sr.
Sandra Brittingham
James A Clayton
Pat Errigo
Mark Ferry
Mark Glassburn
Samuel Glassburn
Christopher H. Rowe
Donald Strickler
2008 PAC Board of
Directors
Chair – Bill Howze
Treasurer – Phil Grosh
Central – Tom Saylor
LVSA – Jerry Lessard
NE – Richard Townsend
NW – Joseph Herr
SE – Phil Wesel
SW – Tom Gazvoda
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PAA IN THE NEWS
PAA
New Members
The Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association is proud
to welcome these members to the association. PAA
would like to take this opportunity to thank them for
joining their fellow auctioneers statewide in helping to
build a stronger auction industry. PAA’s members look
forward to a long affiliation with these new members.
Central Chapter
Bush, James
Diller, Philip D.
Dreibelbis, Skip
Foster, Dean
Imes, Lyndon
Keebaugh, James
Martin, Neil
Maust, Merlin
Rowe, Edward
Tolby, Barry
Fairfield
Akron
State College
State College
Port Royal
Warfordsburg
Shippensburg
Forthill
New Cumberland
Etters
Lehigh Valley
Dann, Robert
Ehmer, Richard
Kratz, Jeffrey
Kratz, Joshua
Levan, Barbara
Rooth, Randy
Wakeley, Thomas
Whitebread, Michael
Wilson, Curtis
Clinton, NJ
Delran, NJ
Harleysville
Souderton
Wyomissing
Lansford
Oakford
Delran, NJ
Pottstown
Northeast Chapter
Lambrecht, Jared
Madden, Timothy
Pepper, Edward
Younkin, Michelle
Walton, NY
Lake Ariel
Canton
Linden
Northwest Chapter
Baer, Wade
Kelley, Clifford
Mowry, Charles
Paranzino, Thomas
Reeder, Daniel
Stout, Gregory
Rogers, OH
Pittsburgh
Sandy Lake
North Lima, OH
Beaver Falls
Williamsport, IN
Southeast Chapter
Beiler, Austin
Gaines, Kaila
Keller, Andrew
Keller, Michael
Leaman, Jay
Leary, Jay
Moles, Charles
Taylor, Christ
Lancaster
East Berlin
Lancaster
Lancaster
Willow Street
New Holland
Norristown
Quarryville
Southwest Chapter
Antonnaceo, William
Burdette, Randy
Howard, Aaron
McCracken, Mark
Morris, Michael
Morris, Harry
Novak, Karen
Omalacy, William A.
Omalacy, William R.
Teets, Kevin
Yoder, Freeman
Verona
Alderson, WV
Mount Pleasant
Vanderbilt
Perryopolis
Vanderbilt
New Paris
Connellsville
Smithfield
Mt. Morris
Rossiter
Get the Most from
Your PAA Membership
When you enthusiastically support PAA, great
things happen! You grow professionally, your
business grows, and the whole auction industry benefits!
Here are several simple ways to help the PAA
and yourself!
• Proudly display your PAA membership certificate and
logo in a prominent place in your office.
• Always use the PAA logo on your printed materials.
• Attend your chapter meetings whenever possible.
• Frequently, call someone who is not a PAA member
and invite him or her to a chapter meeting.
• Read The Keystone Auctioneer as soon as it arrives in
the mail.
• Share your expertise by writing an article for the
magazine.
• Encourage your employees and family members to
attend PAA conferences or chapter meetings.
• Get to know your state and federal representatives
and senators.
• When asked to send a letter supporting a particular
legislative position, do so promptly.
• Keep your annual PAA Membership Directory and
Resource Guide handy for contact purposes.
• List all your auctions on the PAA’s website —
www.paauctioneers.org - where you can advertise
your sales for free to an unlimited audience.
• Take advantage of the PAA’s educational programs
and seminars at the annual conference.
• Use the ideas you learn at the PAA conference and let
others know how they helped you and your business.
• Volunteer to serve on at least one committee.
• Offer new ideas for the PAA’s future to officers,
board members or administrator.
• Make a regular contribution to the PAA political action committee – they’re working to maintain regulation and licensing you can live with!
• Participate in chapter special events, such as holiday
parties, which provide great ways to keep in touch
with your fellow PAA members.
• As much as possible, do business with advertisers,
suppliers and sponsors who regularly and generously
support the PAA.
Be sure to visit
PAA website
PAA IN THE NEWS
Southeast Golf Outing to be Held June 23
The 4 Annual Southeast Chapter PAA Golf Tournament will be held Monday,
June 23, at 1:00 pm at Foxchase Golf Club in Denver, PA.
Sponsorship packages are available as usual with the entry fee per golfer is $75.
The registration fee includes practice range, golf, tee gifts, dinner, beer, soda, and
water … an unbeatable deal at a fabulous course!
Dinner will served in the outdoor pavilion at Foxchase at
6:00 pm, and a live fun auction will take place during the meal.
A “dinner only” guest is $20 for the non-golfer who wants to
come out and eat. Foxchase always serves a good dinner, so
make plans to attend now!
Jon Hummer is chair of the event again this year. All PAA
members are invited and welcome to attend.
Contact Jon for additional details and registration information at (717)
629-6682 (cell) or [email protected].
th
Your invitation to join the PAA western
chapters at a gala meeting on the
Gateway Clipper
The Southwest and Northwest Chapters have invited all PAA members to a
dinner cruise on the Gateway Clipper in Pittsburgh on Sunday, June 22. The cost
will be $33 per person, and a senior discount may be available.
The group will board at 5:30 pm and depart at 6:30. A delectable buffet will
be served, enhanced by live music and the sunlit skyline. The cruise will return at
8:30.
If 40 couples register, we will have a deck of our own.
Reservations must be made in advance with a deadline of May 24. Call or email
Karen Patterson at 724-654-7933 or [email protected].
THE GATEWAY CLIPPER FLEET STORY
The year 2008 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Gateway Clipper Fleet. A
symbol of Pittsburgh’s river renaissance, it has grown from a one boat, 100-passenger
operation to the five boat, 2,500-passenger fleet of today.
Sailing from the Southern Bank of the Monongahela River at Historic Station
Square, the Gateway Clipper Fleet sails all year and offers a wide variety of dining,
sightseeing and entertainment cruises.
More information can be found at http://www.gatewayclipper.com.
Ongoing PAA Member Benefit
To encourage PAA members to read and use the PAA news magazine, we have been offering FREE classified ads!
That’s right...any member can submit a business-card-size ad for
publication in one (1) issue annually of The Keystone Auctioneer at absolutely no cost.
Send, fax or email the information to be printed to the PAA office.
The deadline for the next issue of 2008 is August 1.
Northwest PAA holds annual
benefit auction and educational
training seminar
The winning bid
goes to Shriners
children
The Northwest Chapter of the
PAA held its annual benefit auction
to support the Shriners Children’s
Hospital in Erie in February at The
Rosemont located in Sharon, PA.
Since 1999, the Northwest
Chapter has raised more than
$65,000 for the hospital which treats
any child with orthopedic conditions
and provides this service free of
charge for children from birth to the
age of 18. The treatment area covers
a 350-mile radius of Erie. In 2007
the Shriners performed 700 surgeries
at the hospital, and their outpatient
service had 10,000 visits. The Erie
hospital is one of 22 North American
facilities operated primarily on
donations.
Consignment merchandise for
the benefit auction is accepted on a
commission basis or can be sold with
100% of the proceeds going to the
hospital. Proceeds of $2,800 will be
presented to the hospital this year.
The Friday auction was a 225-lot
coin auction, and the Saturday sale
boasted a large selection of antiques,
glassware, collectibles, new Amishmade furniture, quilts, wall hangings,
and general merchandise.
The chapter held its annual
educational seminar at The Radisson
Hotel in Sharon on Sunday,
February 10. Brian Rigby, founder
and chairman of the Professional
Ringmen’s Institute (PRI) in
Rogersville, MO, hosted the seminar.
The motto of the PRI is “Teaching
Skills to Make Every Auction a
Better One.”
-story partially submitted by Allied News
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PAA IN THE NEWS
PAA Members in the News
PAA and Northeast Chapter member Theresa Burke
Dudock was named the New York Champion Bid Caller in the
Women’s Division at their recent convention.
Additionally, PAA member Jared Lambrecht was elected
to a 3-year term on the New York State Auctioneers Association
Board of Directors.
CAI Designations Awarded
Three PAA members have recently attained the CAI (Certified
Auctioneers Institute) designation from the National Auctioneers
Association. They are:
• Joseph Herr, AARE, CAI, New Galilee
• William D. Howze, AARE, CAI, CES, GPPA, Reading
• Rodger Paisley, CAI, GPPA, Downingtown
According to the NAA website, the CAI is an “executive
development program focused on developing the skills and
providing the tools necessary to run a top-notch auction firm.”
Congratulations to these PA auctioneers for achieving this
prestigious designation.
Another Successful St. Jude Event by
Wehrly’s Auction
Wehrly’s Auction in Glen Rock, York County, conducted
their annual St. Jude Auction on Tuesday, April 1, along with
their regular weekly auction.
Scott and Charles Wehrly, joined by several other Central
Chapter members, raised $6,175 for St. Jude Hospital by selling
homemade cakes, pies and candy and donations of dinner
certificates, craft items and cash.
Auctioneer available
if you need
Full or Part Time Help
During the week or Sat./Sun.
John Welcer
Home phone: 610-275-8885
[email protected]
Norristown, PA, area
Proclaiming April 2008 as National Auctioneer Month and
April 19 as National Auctioneer Day in Crawford County,
PA, are, back row l., Dan Trace, PAA President and Northwest Chapter member, and Gary King, also a Northwest
Chapter member. Pictured in the front row, l. to r., Jack
Preston, Morris Waid, and C. Sherman Allen, PAA member and Crawford Co. Commissioner
GPPA Course Offered in PA
The GPPA (Graduate Personal Property Appraiser) course was
offered in Pennsylvania prior to the PAA’s 60th Annual Conference
and Trade Show in January. There were 14 attendees, including nine
PAA members:
• Charlene Caple, Hanover
• Edwin Dietrich, Pine Grove
• Robert Ensminger, Harrisburg
• Matt Hostetter, CES, Beaver Falls
• Michael Ivankovich, Doylestown
• Wayne Patterson, New Castle
• Daniel Reeder, Beaver Falls
• Kevin Smith, Allentown
The GPPA class examines the responsibilities of the appraiser and
discusses the factors affecting the value of appraised items. During
the program, presenters and students discuss industry trends, the
function of the appraiser, identification, valuation and methodology of
appraisals, as well as the responsibility the appraiser has to the client.
The GPPA course also provides basic information about appraisal
work including teaching you how to search for comps, what to
look for as far as condition, identifying marks, and other conditions.
Auction specialty areas include personal property,
antiques, machinery, equipment, farm, and construction
equipment.
The instructors provide examples as well as
materials to help students establish an appraisal business;
additionally, students learn about the GPPA appraisal template
and practice preparing an appraisal report using the template.
Upon completion of the course, auctioneers will be able to
customize a standardized appraisal format, market their appraisal
services, enhance their research skills, and improve their appraisals.
Following successfully passing the exam at the conclusion of
the program, students must complete an appraisal which is submitted
and graded, joined by two other permission slips for appraisals.
There is a time limit of 90 days to complete the appraisal and obtain
the permission slips. These requirements must be met in order to
receive the GPPA designation.
Proud member and partner of the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association
PAA IN THE NEWS
PAA Donates 2008 Bid Competition Proceeds
to Farm Show Scholarship Foundation
In conjunction with the 60th
anniversary of the PAA conference
and to show the association’s
appreciation to the Pennsylvania
State Farm Show for its continued
support over the years, the PAA
Board of Directors voted to dedicate
all profit derived from the ’08 bid
calling championship to the Farm
Show Scholarship Fund.
The Southeast Chapter of the
PAA spearheaded and conducted
the event with assistance from many
members and chapters but especially
from Kevin Smith of the Lehigh
Valley Society of Auctioneers.
In past years the designated
chapter
responsible
for
the
competition purchased all the
merchandise used in the contest and
reimbursed itself from the proceeds,
usually ending up breaking even.
Kevin’s idea last year was
to purchase a few items, secure
donations and sell several quality
items on consignment, a concept
which netted a profit of several
thousand dollars.
The goal for 2008 was a profit of
$5,000 which was nearly doubled as
evidenced by the check presentation
of $9,502 to the Farm Show
Scholarship Foundation.
Twenty-five students received
$3,500 scholarships totaling $87,500
in 2008 from the Scholarship
Foundation. Since its inception in
1993, the Foundation has awarded
$632,000 in scholarships to 273
junior Farm Show exhibitors. In
addition, Delaware Valley College
and Penn State University’s College
of Agricultural Sciences offer
matching grants to full-time students,
doubling their scholarship to $7,000.
Harrisburg Area Community College
(HACC) also offers a matching grant
PAA members Robert Ensminger, front row left, and Ralph Lesh, Jr., front row right, present
a check for $9,502 which represents profits derived from the 2008 auctioneer championship
to Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff, front center. Other participants include Farm Show
Scholarship Foundation Directors (back row, l. to r.) Charles Itle, Joan Grim, Paula Vitz, Duff
George, Bill Henning, and Bill Fox.
of $500 to students participating in
the agribusiness program.
To be eligible for a scholarship,
students must be enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution
and have been a Pennsylvania Farm
Show exhibitor of junior market
sheep, steers, swine, or goats. Junior
breeding and dairy exhibitors also
are eligible. Awards are based on
academics, financial need, 4-H or
FFA involvement, and community
service as determined from the
application and letters of support.
The Pennsylvania Auctioneers
Association is proud to be a leading
contributor to the scholarship awards
which enable youth to play an active
role in Pennsylvania’s number one
industry.
www.mendenhallschool.com
[email protected]
GENERAL FACTS:
• Date: Saturday, May 10, 2008
• Times: Appointments will be scheduled from 9 to 12 and 1 to 5. Lunch will be provided for appraisers.
• Location: PBS 39, 123 Sesame Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015. Event will be held in the Studio
• Maximum number of appointments: 150
• Research area, with laptops, will be provided in separate room
• Volunteers will be available for assistance
• Invitations will be sent to all our 13,000 members; we will open up invitation to general public
if not sold out.
BENEFITS:
Lehigh Valley Auctioneers Chapter:
• Name and logo will appear on event signage at entrance and appraisal area
• Opportunity to display banner at event
• Recognition on all print material
• Acknowledgment with company name, logo and hyperlink on Antique Appraisal Fair page
of wlvt.org
• On-air interview and acknowledgement
• Acknowledgement on the invitation
Appraisers:
• Company name and logo will appear on event signage at appraisal area
• Acknowledgment with company name and logo on Antique Appraisal Fair page of wlvt.org
• On-air acknowledgement
• Hyper link to appraisers website
• Acknowledgement in all E-communications
• Acknowledgement on the invitation
CONTACT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Sandy McKinney, Auction & Special Events Manager
Mail: PBS 39, 123 Sesame Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015
Phone: 610.984.8254
Fax: 610.694.1954
Email: [email protected]
or Cathy Keys at Tom Hall Auction
Phone: 610.799.0808 Email: [email protected]
PAA IN THE NEWS
PAA and Northwest member is a 2008 PAA Hall of Fame inductee
Renaissance man turns his passions into rewarding careers
by Ann Wishart
reprinted with permission from Farm and Dairy, Salem, OH
After more than a quarter of a century as an auctioneer,
Sherman Allen knows the value of being flexible.
Besides his regular performances as an auctioneer in
Crawford and surrounding counties, Allen, 53, runs his own
business, trains apprentices, is a partner in a 600-acre farm
near his home in Conneaut Lake, and recently joined the political realm as a Crawford County commissioner.
Busy guy. January was quite a month for Allen who was
inducted January 11 into the PAA Hall of Fame, four days
after being sworn in as commissioner. While the two honors may seem unrelated, Allen’s disparate activities over the
years have culminated in this double-barreled recognition of
his popularity.
It’s clear Allen isn’t just a fast-talking salesman – he listens and cares about what people want. That kind of sensitivity, along with a budding business drive, affected Allen at
a fairly young age.
His grandfather, J. Everett Allen, sold farm equipment
and took him along to farm sales. The boy ate it up.
“It was just interesting
to watch the auctioneers at
work,” Allen said.
First auction. He particularly remembers an auction at the Porter farm where
he took the opportunity to
sell a litter of mixed-breed
puppies. He was 8.
He worked his way
through the 4-H program,
showing and selling swine.
When he was 12, he went to
live with his grandfather and great-aunt and by the time he
was 16, he was transporting stock for area farmers.
Allen never lost his interest in auctioneering, so his
grandfather arranged with Earl Nicolls, who owned Auction
Hat Services, to take the young man on as an apprentice.
Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association
holds members to high standards
by Thomas L. Barnes
NW Chapter Alternate Director
(Editor’s note: This story, written by Tom Barnes, PAA and NW Chapter member, was circulated and printed by several
dozen newspapers in Western Pennsylvania in February 2008 and showcases the auction method of marketing.)
The Pennsylvania Auctioneers
Association (PAA) was formed by
a group of successful businessmen
who knew that in order
t o p ro v i d e a b e t t e r
business environment
for themselves and to
strengthen their share of
the auction market, they
needed to work together.
They invested in their
future by forming the PAA.
The association is organized into
six chapters with the Northwest Chapter
serving 14 counties in the northwestern
region of the state.
Their purpose is to speak with one
voice to the action industry across the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to the
public, to governmental agencies, and
to others and in the process obtain tools
to help them make sound and profitable
decisions in their businesses.
For 60 years the PAA has been one
of the best investments an auctioneer
can make.
The selection of an auctioneer is
the most important factor in ensuring
that your auction will be a success. The
auctioneer you choose must be honest,
motivated, knowledgeable, and flexible.
He or she must recognize his or her
responsibility to both seller and buyer
and adhere to a strict code of ethics.
The PAA provides its members with
a wide range of educational seminars
to keep them informed concerning the
latest innovations in the field and raise
enthusiasm about the results that can be
achieved through the auction method of
marketing.
Some of the benefits of having
an auction compared to other means
of selling your merchandise are:
◆ An auction is a quick and effective
means of converting your property,
possessions or inventory into cash.
◆ An auction offers you the flexibility
of deciding what and when to sell.
Anything in real or personal property can
be sold at auction.
◆ Auctions create a sense of urgency
which results in a maximum return of the
property (quick disposal reduces long– continued, page 27
2008 PAA CONFERENCE
PAA Members Come Up Winners at 60th Annual Conference
Five PAA members were honored
in different fields for their expertise,
commitment and skills during the 60th
Annual PAA Conference and Trade
Show earlier this year.
Robert H. Clinton, CAI, CAGA,
of Robert H. Clinton & Company,
Inc., Ottsville, PA, was named 2008
Pennsylvania Auctioneer of the Year for
an unprecedented second time by the
581-member Pennsylvania Auctioneers
Association for his contributions of
excellent leadership, tireless devotion
to Pennsylvania’s legislative effort
concerning the electronic internet
situation in the Commonwealth,
PAA IN THE NEWS
Renaissance man turns his passions into
rewarding careers continued from page 25
Career building. Allen’s and Nicolls’ nephew, Bruce Nicolls, went into
business together, and their green and
orange signs became well known around
the area. In 1989, he broke away and
started C. Sherman Allen Auctioneer
and Associates.
That was when he established his
signature orange signs and appurtenances.
At auctions, he stands out because
of his neon orange cap and jacket, as
well as bright orange suspenders and
tie.
Visibility, in either the auction or
political world, is vital.
“Bruce liked the green – I kept the
orange. It’s kind of a trademark,” Allen
commented.
Having been raised on the 600-acre
family farm, he was well versed in agriculture parlance, and he made the most
of that connection. He also expanded
to auctioning for businesses, real estate,
households, and antiques, with a number of benefit auctions and fair sales.
PAA involvement.
In addition
to the well-deserved recognition by
his peers into the PAA Hall of Fame,
Sherman has served as PAA President
in 1997, state director for the Northwest Chapter, many chapter offices and
committees, and contributing to the
PAA and the auction industry at every
opportunity.
Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association holds
members to high standards continued from page 25
term carrying cost, including taxes and
maintenance).
◆ Re s e r v e a u c t i o n s a l l o w a
confidential minimum set by you, the
seller.
◆ Absolute auctions guarantee a new
owner by the end of the auction, which
tends to bring the highest fair market
value by producing serious buyers, greater
broker participation and more spirited
competitive bidding.
◆ Terms are set by the seller with no
mortgage contingencies.
◆ The auctioneer will work with you
to get the best possible results at your
auction.
T h e PAA i s a n o rg a n i z a t i o n
of dedicated men and women
working together to maintain the highest
standard of excellence available in today’s
world. Our mission reflects our attempt
to establish a standard of excellence in
the auction industry.
If you’re planning an auction or
know someone who is, make sure you ask
the potential auctioneer if he or she is a
member of the Pennsylvania Auctioneers
Association. You will find this person to
be a leader in the auction industry.
commitment to the
auction
method
of
marketing, and high
ethical standards.
Bestowing the award
on behalf of the PAA
was Brent Souder of the
Lehigh Valley Society of
Auctioneers. His presentation follows:
“Tonight we recognize a seasoned
professional auctioneer with almost
3 decades of full time experience in
the auction profession. Beginning as
an employee, then progressing into
ownership of an independent auction
company, conducting 15-25 public
auctions per year, this recipient is
engaged in the liquidation of a wide
variety of personal property including
antiques,
collectibles,
fine
and
decorative arts and tools. His clientele
include attorneys, bank trust officers,
estate executors, municipalities, small
business owners and individuals.
The recipient has also worked as
an independent contractor on a regular
basis,
auctioneering
construction
equipment, industrial machinery and
automobiles at the major Mid-Atlantic
facilities.
Over the years the recipient has
conducted
charitable/fund-raising
auctions for national organizations as
well as numerous local and regional
service organizations.
He has earned several advanced
professional designations and has
served his local chapter as president and
also chaired and served on numerous
committees.
He has served the Pennsylvania
Auctioneers Association as a member
of the board of directors, president and
has chaired and served on numerous
state committees.
Of the many applicants, the
committee felt that this gentleman was
the one member who really exemplified
the requirements of ‘outstanding
contributions to the PAA and to the
auction profession during the past year
which project honesty, high ethical
Serving Auctioneers
In and Around
Pennsylvania for
Over
38 Years!
39
Two special seminars will be held on
Saturday, January 12, 2008, following
the 60th Annual PAA Conference and
Trade Show at the Sheraton Harrisburg
Hershey.
The Pennsylvania Auctioneers Accredited Continuing Education (PAACE)
Program will offer fully accredited seminars worth a total of 4 CEUs.
Verification and monitoring of attendance will be strict in order to be accurate. Name tags will be checked upon
entering and leaving the seminar room;
"
"
Advertise
Your Sales
In The Paper
That’s Seen
Everywhere!
For AD RATES
and Deadline
Information,
Phone Our OfÄce
1.800.800.1833
ext. 2541
Antiques & Auction News
Is Published Weekly and
Circulated Throughout The East
ANTIQUES & AUCTION
NEWS IS A PROUD
MEMBER OF PAA
Write: P.O. Box 500, Mount Joy, PA 17552
E-mail: [email protected]; or
Visit Us On The Web At: www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
2008 PAA CONFERENCE
PAA Members Come Up Winners at
60th Annual Conference continued from page 29
standards, willingness to share with others, and a genuine
devotion to and for the betterment of the auction industry.’
This recipient is supported by his wife who works as his
office manager and his two children.
Please join me as we bestow an unprecedented second
award for auctioneer of the year … Mr. Robert H. Clinton.”
C. Sherman Allen, of C.
Sherman Allen Auctioneer,
Conneaut Lake, Crawford Co.,
PA, and former PAA President,
was inducted into the PAA Hall
of Fame, joining a list of 35 other
respected and distinguished
Pennsylvania auctioneers since
1990. Please see related article on page 25.
Eugene “Jake” Zelmore of
Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland
County, was also a recipient of
the PAA Hall of Fame award,
having been in the auction
business nearly 53 years. His
father was an auctioneer, and
he has followed in his footsteps
since he was ten years old. His specialties include garage and
tools, farms, auto salvage, and estates. He claims the most
unique item he ever sold was a box of 1940’s chewing gum!
In addition to being a member of the Southwest Chapter
of the PAA and his local Rotary Club, Jake is a Paul Harris
Fellow and 32nd Degree Mason. Much of his spare time is
occupied by music and singing in his church choir. Jake’s
faithful appearances singing favorite hymns at the President’s
banquet at PAA Conferences are an annual delight.
Jake owns a scrap yard and is the manager of Zelmore
Brothers (see banquet award presentation on page 13).
John M. Hess, of Manheim, was judged
the best bid caller in the 2008 PAA Auctioneer
Championship held at the State Farm Show in
Harrisburg, competing against several dozen
other auctioneers for the coveted title.
John M. Hess Auction Service, Inc. found
its beginnings in the early 90’s in several small
leased facilities as the epitome of a small familyrun business. In its beginning John was not only
the lead auctioneer, he was the only auctioneer.
John’s wife Jacy and sister Elizabeth clerked
and cashiered every sale. Slowly, over the
course of time, the small business gained momentum with
the construction of their Manheim facility and the completion
of an extremely successful year of marketing real estate at
auction in 2003. Hess Auction Service began to resemble the
company that it is widely recognized as today.
To date, Hess Auction Service employs 3 full time
auctioneers and a wide range of support staff that enables the
company to function efficiently, marketing a wide variety of
real estate and commercial and personal property. In 2007
John M. Hess Auction Service, Inc. conducted well over 100
individual auctions.
Michael Morris of Elizabethtown, PA
was the winner in the fourth annual ‘Rookie
Auctioneer Championship,’ a competition
for newer auctioneers to showcase their
bid calling skills.
He was raised in the
small farming community of Norrisville in
northern Harford County, Maryland. As a
youngster, Mike was active in 4-H on the
county and state levels, showing beef cattle,
sheep, and hogs, as well as holding several
leadership roles. Mike went on to major in
Animal Science at Delaware Valley College in
Doylestown, PA, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in
Animal Science. Mike was active in DVC’s Block and Bridle
Club, served as co-chair of the school’s A-Day Exposition,
and was a member of the school’s Intercollegiate Livestock
Judging Team. Mike is also a graduate of Reading Area
Community College’s Auctioneer Certification Program.
Mike’s career path has included working as a county
extension Agent in Virginia and selling farm equipment,
parts and supplies in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Mike has
spent his entire adult life involved in agribusiness. Currently
Mike is a self employed certified appraiser of farm equipment
and livestock, as well as a licensed and bonded professional
auctioneer.
TOP 10 WINNERS 2008 —
PAA Bid Calling Championship
Place
Winner
1st Runner Up
2nd Runer Up
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Name
John Hess
Chet Geyer
Kevin Teets
Mike Weaver
Mike Martin
Curtis Shenk
Sanford Alderfer, Sr.
Matthew S. Hostetter
C. Ivan Stoltzfus
Sue Houck
City
Manheim
East Greenville
Mt. Morris
Allenwood
New Holland
Manheim
Harleysville
Beaver Falls
Honey Brook
Reedsville
2008 PAA CONFERENCE
PAA Hall of Fame Members
A stellar lineup of PAA auctioneers who have been inducted into the PAA Hall of Fame since it was begun in 1990. Front row, l. to
r., Ralph Zettlemoyer (1994), Jerry Burke (1998), Jake Zelmore (2008), Sherm Allen (2008), Mervin Adams (2000), Simon Miller
(2004). Back row, l. to r., Jim Lewis (2005), Wylie Rittenhouse (1996), Ralph ‘Pete’ Stewart (1994), Don Hock (2001), Charlie
Baker (1993), Jerry Schwenk (2006), Larry Reed (2000), Fred Toomey (2007), Wayne Patterson (2002), Jim Young (1996), Vernon
Martin (2000), and Charlie Moyer (1997).
PAA Champion of Champions Contest and Trophy
by Gerald Rader, Southeast Chapter
2008 PAA Vice-President
In order to add a new flair to the 60th Anniversary PAA
Conference, a Champion of Champions Showcase and Bid
Calling Contest was planned by the Southeast Chapter to be held
during the fun auction on January 10.
The goal of the contest was
for all past bid calling winners and
attendees of the fun auction to have
just that … FUN and celebrate our
professional association and its 60
years of existence.
Overall, the total concept and
criteria for the champions’ contest
was Josh Rhoades’ idea. Our chapter took his idea and ran with
it.
Invitees included the past 28 bid calling champions since the
contest was begun in 1980, and 20 of the 28 champions registered
for and participated in the competition including:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
John Lindley – 1980
Harry Anderson – 1983
Robert Clinton – 1984
Kerry Pae – 1986
Larry Lefever, Sr. – 1987
David Yearsley – 1988
Ken Hansell – 1990
Sherman Hostetter, Jr. – 1992
Michael Fortna – 1993
Gerald Pennay, Jr. – 1994
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Nevin Rentzel – 1995
Sherman Allen – 1996
Frank Trunzo – 1997
John Rutt II – 1998
Randy Betton – 2001
Ryan Groff – 2002
H. Brent Souder – 2003
Matthew Hurley – 2004
B.J. Jennings – 2005
David Conley – 2007
Championship Contest Judges
Six chapter secretaries from the PAA served as judges for
the competition and rated the following categories:
• Clarity and articulation;
• Salesmanship and attitude;
2008 PAA CONFERENCE
PAA Champion of Champions Contest and Trophy continued from page 31
•
•
•
Professional appearance
Ease of listening pleasure
Overall general impression
Unique Trophy Idea
The idea behind the “40’s” style “pill” microphone was to
tie it to the era, 60 years ago, for the 60th anniversary of the
Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association.
The microphone on the trophy is actually a restored RCA
77C1. After searching for weeks for a decent used one, and the
deadline looming, I found a gentleman in Indiana who restores
these and sells them from his home. It is actually an empty body
that could be fitted with all the original guts to make it a working
microphone (the empty body is more affordable!).
This is the same microphone seen on Larry King Live,
numerous talk shows and music videos. I felt the gavel was so
overdone and the “gold globs” trophy stores sell would not cut
it for a group of people who take pride in
selling originals.
The concept and carrying out of the
first-ever Champion of Champions event
also lent itself to require a special trophy,
even though auctioneers of the 1940’s
probably didn’t use a mic frequently.
When I pitched this idea to Southeast
Chapter member Jon Hummer (our
already appointed MC for the competition),
we sketched a concept of the body of the trophy with its three-tier
look, which was like a square wedding cake with a microphone
on top), on the back of a lane schedule (from the Manheim Auto
Auction). I decided to have black plates with chrome letters to
match the microphone, and the rest is history.
Our chapter sold PAA 60th Anniversary hats and shirts to
raise funds for the event. Additionally, each contestant received,
compliments of the Southeast Chapter, a white oxford buttondown shirt embroidered with the 60th Anniversary Conference
logo on the chest and Champion of Champions Contestant
designation on the back.
Nevin Rentzel Named Winner
Following the appearance of more
than a few tense moments, pacing back
and forth and nervous conversation
and laughter, the contestants queued
for their chance to achieve the
Pennsylvania champion of champions bid caller by selling three
items consecutively.
When the competition was over, there
were three names announced … Sherman
Hostetter, Jr. of Beaver Falls was the
second runner-up, Kenneth Hansell of
Perkiomenville was the first runner-up,
and Nevin Rentzel of York was chosen as
the Champion of Champions bid caller in
Pennsylvania for 2008.
Congratulations to Nevin and
to all contestants in the PAA
Champion of Champions
competition!
PAA Auctioneer Champions
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
John Lindley
Richard Moyer
Mark Rohaly
Harry Anderson
Robert Clinton
James Gibson, Sr.
Kerry A. Pae
Larry Lefever, Sr.
David Yearsley
Ed Miller
Ken Hansell
Bradley Smith
Sherman Hostetter, Jr.
Michael Fortna
Gerald Pennay, Jr.
Nevin Rentzel
C. Sherman Allen
Prosperity
Reading
Pleasant Unity
Georgetown
Ottsville
Pottstown
Harrisburg
Quarryville
Kemblesville
York
Perkiomenville
Brogue
Beaver Falls
Annville
Hop Bottom
York
Conneaut Lake
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Frank Trunzo
John Rutt II
Thomas Abruzzese
Mark Ferry
Randy Betton
Ryan Groff
H. Brent Souder
Matthew S. Hurley
B. J. Jennings
Tim Rocco
David Conley
John M. Hess
Apollo
Ephrata
Bath
Latrobe
Greensburg
Manheim
Sellersville
Greencastle
York Haven
McKean
York
Manheim
2005
2006
2007
2008
PAA Rookie Auctioneer Champions
Phil Grosh
York Haven
Matt Hostetter
Beaver Falls
Kylee H. Reeder
Beaver Falls
Michael Morris
Elizabethtown
2008 PAA CONFERENCE
PAA Advertising/Marketing Contest Winners 2008
One Color: Personal Property/Estate
Liquidation
Rentzel’s Auction Service
Multi-Color: Real Estate & Personal
Property Combined
Barry S. Slosberg, Inc.
Specialty: Commercial/Industrial Real
Estate
Hurley Auction Co., Inc.
One Color: Farm Equipment
Personal Property/Estate Liquidation
(non-commercially produced)
Specialty: Newspaper Display
One Color: Residential Real Estate
Shamrock Auction Service
One Color: Collectibles/Antiques
Fortna Auctioneers
One Color: Real Estate & Personal
Property Combined
Multi-Color: Personal Property/Estate
Liquidation
Yoder & Frey Auctioneers, Inc.
Multi-Color: Farm Equipment
Multi-Color: Residential Real Estate
Fortna Auctioneers
Farm Machinery & Equipment
Specialty Catalogued Auction
Auction Firm Promotional
Fortna Auctioneers
Residential Real Estate
Stationery
Fortna Auctioneers
Farm Real Estate
Robert W. Zogorski Real Estate
Collectibles/Antiques/Specialty
Business Card
Thomas Saylor Auctioneer
Internet Website
Fortna Auctioneers
Photography
Tim Keller, Keller Auctioneers
Multi-Color: Farm Real Estate
Real Estate & Personal Property
Combined
Multi-Color: Collectibles/Antiques
Specialty: Commercial/Industrial
Fortna Auctioneers
BEST OF SHOW
Roan Auctioneers
Judges: Kathleen Pratt, Pratt
Marketing Group, Part-time HACC
Faculty, and Diane Mauro, Assistant
Professor of Marketing, HACC Faculty
WIRELESS
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MIPRO 101, 101A
& 404
MEGA VOX
PRO-LIBERTY
BEHRINGER
EPA-40 & 800
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VA 25 & VA 80
(weighs only 4.2 lbs.)
1713 Rt. 522 N., Lewistown, PA 17044
Phone (717) 248-0867
LONG RANGER
1/2 MILE HAILER
XTREME-BELTPACK BLASTER
(units with rechargeable batteries
some systems with 16 channels)
REPAIRS – PARTS – BATTERIES – CHARGERS
ALL POINTS SOUND CO.
951 South 14th Ave., Lebanon, PA 17042-8852
(717) 270-4555 or (717) 222-6191
CHANGEABLE LETTER SIGNS FOR SALE
2008 PAA CONFERENCE
Advertising Recommendations for Future Contests
by John Ensminger and Charlene Caple, Central Chapter
Advertising/Marketing Contest Co-Chairs 2008
* Don’t crowd information or make your ads too
“busy” and hard to read or unreadable.
* Verify all information before printing.
* Please check for spelling errors!!
* Create bold or underlined headings for categories
CONGRATULATIONS to all of the winners in the
2008 PAA Advertising and Marketing Contest!! Thank
you to all who entered.
With 27 categories and well over 100 entries,
Pennsylvania auctioneers proved the cream of the crop
always rises to the top. Competition was sharp and keen
to say the least.
What a job for the judges!! We wish to thank Kathleen
Pratt and Diane Mauro, Marketing Professors from
the Harrisburg Area Community College. They did a
tremendous job. We also asked them to provide us with
feedback regarding the contest and tips for advertising after
judging and reviewing all the entries.
rather than a run-on paragraph with long lists, so
that types of items stand out (i.e., separate glassware,
furniture, etc.)
* DON’T TYPE YOUR AD IN ALL UPPER CASE
LETTERS – THIS FORMAT IS HARD TO READ.
* Be consistent with the logo and/or name of the
auction company. Use the same color, font letter
style, and placement for every ad.
* Make sure pictures are sharp and clear.
* If pictures are on the back of the flyer, make sure it
directs customers to the back of the piece.
* If a two-color ad is possible, make the headline a
color that stands out, such as bright blue or red on
white.
Overall feedback:
Both judges felt that the contest was well
organized and had great participation from members.
They enjoyed looking at all the different ads.
Advertising Tips:
* Use more white space. If a lot of information is
necessary, use a larger sheet of paper – 11 x 17,
instead of 8-1/2 x 11.
GOOD ADVERTISING DOES NOT COST
… IT PAYS!!!!
2008 PAA Conference Speakers
Listed here for your information and future reference are the names and addresses of all speakers and participants in the 2008
Annual PAA Conference.
Decorated Stoneware
David Cordier
Cordier Antiques & Fine Art
2151 Market St.
Camp Hill, PA 17011
717-731-8662
[email protected]
Equipment Auctions & Appraisals
Michael Hunyady, CAI, ASA
Hunyady Auction Co.
1440 Cowpath Rd.
Hatfield, PA 19440
215-361-9099
[email protected]
Booking Your Next Auction
Tommy Williams, CAI
Williams & Williams
5705 E. 121st St.
Bixby, OK 74008
918-369-0472
[email protected]
Product Roundtables
Silver and Silver Markings
Barry S. Slosberg, ASA, CAI
2501 E. Ontario St.
Philadelphia, PA 19134
2150783-0215
[email protected]
Gold
Wood Recognition & Identification
Internet Auction Legislative Update
Real Estate 101
Randy A. Betton
Randy A. Betton Auctioneer
25 Nottingham Dr.
Greensburg, PA 15601
724-837-7948
[email protected]
Robert Ensminger, GPPA
3557 Elmerton Ave.
Harrisburg, PA 17109
717-652-4111
[email protected]
Matthew S. Hurley, CAI, AARE
Matthew S. Hurley Auction Co.
2800 Buchanan Trail E.
Greencastle, PA 17225
717-957-9100
[email protected]
Diamonds
Kenneth Hansell, Jr., CAI
923 Kulp Rd.
Perkiomenville, PA 18074
267-640-2201
[email protected]
Selling with Personality –
Why Behavioral Selling Works
Early Photography
Kimberly Hemingway, GG
816 Layfield Rd.
Perkiomenville, PA 18074
215-541-4025
[email protected]
Robert Goldstein
[email protected]
Internet Auction Legislative Update
Joann C. Slosberg
[email protected]
Early Prints
H. Brent Souder, CAI, GPPA
Sanford Alderfer Auction Co.
501 Fairgrounds Rd.
Hatfield, PA 19440
215-393-3000
[email protected]
Robert H. Clinton, CAI, CAGA
PO Box 29
Ottsville, PA 18942
610-570-2488
[email protected]
Jay Layman
PO Box 1085
717-234-5350
[email protected]
Rep. Mark Keller
PA House of Representatives
HB 202086, Rm. 5EW
Harrisburg, PA 17126
717-783-1593
[email protected]
Phil Wesel
112 Ridgewood Circle
Downingtown, PA 19335
610-202-7872
[email protected]
John Schindell
Institute for Motivational Living
3307 Wilmington Rd.
New Castle, PA 16103
800-779-3472
[email protected]
Using the Internet to
Enhance Your Live Auctions
Ellen Miller
Cordier Antiques & Fine Art
2151 Market St.
Camp Hill, PA 17011
717-731-8662
[email protected]
2008 PAA CONFERENCE
PAA sponsors generously help to
underwrite cost of annual conference
For those who were unable to attend
our conference in January, you missed
a golden opportunity to visit with our
conference sponsors. Our sponsors
have made considerable contributions
to the PAA and are again thanked for
their part in making our 60th Annual
Conference a success.
Some of
those sponsors also advertise in our
magazines and directory. When you
are shopping for services you purchase
in your everyday business transactions,
please make sure these folks are on your
short list for consideration.
E.R. Munro & Co.
is the “go to” company
for providing bonds
for PA auctioneers.
They also provide
insurance services tailored specifically
for auctioneers. Last year the PAA
switched all our insurance coverages
to Munro and saved over $350. I just
changed my business liability policy at a
savings of more than $300 with double
the amount of liability protection.
Antique Week (DMG Media) has
been a solid
contributor
to the PAA
over
the
years. They distribute a weekly antique,
auction and collectibles newspaper
in regional and national editions and
have a far-reaching circulation.
I
have advertised in this publication and
have received excellent results over the
years.
Pearson Insurance Agency has
returned for the second year as a
conference sponsor. Maureen’s primary
emphasis
is
on dental and
health insurance
for individuals,
sole proprietors and groups. Life,
disability and long-term care policies
are also available. Last year I asked
for a quote on health coverage, and she
provided about 20 different plans to
choose from.
Alderfer Auction Co. goes above
and beyond in support of the PAA
and the auction
profession.
Our
past
presidents,
Auctioneers of the Year, and the PAA
Hall of Fame are loaded with members
from the Sanford Alderfer Companies.
They are always willing to help!
Rounding out the list of our
Platinum Sponsors are the Central and
Northeast Chapters. As always, their
support is appreciated!
1-800-THE-SIGN, a gold sponsor,
provided
all
conference signage,
including eye-catching hanging vinyl
banners. Their auction signs are quite
impressive and reasonably priced.
Generic signs can be used over and
over.
Our newest gold sponsor and PAA
partner for a myriad of financial services
is Wienken and Associates. They will
provide auctioneer-specific employee
benefits, business planning, financial
planning, investment management,
estate planning, trust/philanthropic
services, and charitable giving. Allen
Carr is one of this group’s executives.
I have known Al for 30 years and can
attest to his good character. He was
also the chairperson of the Mennonite
Relief Fund Quilt Auction for many
years.
Many thanks to these sponsors
for the major support to the PAA.
And thanks to our other sponsors,
Northwest
Chapter,
Southeast
Chapter, Lancaster Farming, Harry
Bachman, Hunyady Auction Co.,
Hurley Auction Co., Nevin Rentzel,
Jim Young, Jim Clayton, Rittenhouse
Auction Co., Lesh Auction Co., and
Olen Knecht.
You have all helped make our 60th
Anniversary Conference a success!
-by Bob Ensminger
PAA Treasurer
PA Farm Show 2009
Pennsylvania State Farm Show will be held in Harrisburg January 10-17, 2009. The PAA Bid
Calling Auctioneer and Rookie Competitions will be held Wednesday, Jan. 14.
For more information, visit http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/farmshow
AUCTION INDUSTRY NEWS
Enlightening, Engaging and Extremely Exceptional Things to
Know About Stuff You Sell
Favrile - Favrile iridescent glass is
a type of art glass patented in 1894 by
Louis Comfort Tiffany. The iridescent
effect of the glass
was obtained by
mixing different
colors of glass
together
while
hot. The trade
Blown favrile glass,
name Favrile was
1896-1902, Louis
derived
from
Comfort Tiffany
an Old English
word,
fabrile,
meaning handcrafted (or ‘French’ as
per the reference in the Louis Tiffany
biography, but means the same).
Favrile glass is distinguished by
brilliant or deeply toned colors, usually
iridescent like the wings of certain
American butterflies, the necks of
pigeons and peacocks, the wing covers
of various beetles. In 1865, Tiffany
traveled to Europe, and in London he
visited the Victoria and Albert Museum,
whose extensive collection of Roman
and Syrian glass made a deep impression
on him. He admired the coloration of
medieval glass and was convinced that
the quality of contemporary glass could
be improved upon. In his own words,
the “ … rich tones are due in part to the
use of pot metal full of impurities, and
in part to the uneven thickness of the
glass, but still more because the glass
maker of that day abstained from the
use of paint.”
Tiffany wanted the glass itself to
transmit texture and rich colors and as
such developed Favrile.
Gustav Klimt –
Gustav Klimt was an
Austrian
symbolist
painter who was a
controversial figure in
his time. His work was
constantly
criticized
for being too sensual
and erotic, and his symbolism too
deviant. Klimt’s work
is distinguished by
the elegant gold or
coloured decoration.
Today, they stand out
as the more important
paintings ever to come out of Vienna.
Perhaps his most notable work is The
Kiss,” shown below in left column.
Faberge. The House of Fabergé
is a jewelery firm founded in 1842 in
Imperial Russia, famed for designing
elaborate jewel-encrusted Fabergé Eggs
for the Russian Tsars. Since January
2007 the Fabergé brand has been under
the ownership of Fabergé Ltd.
In 1885 Tsar Alexander III
commissioned the House of Fabergé
to make an Easter Egg as a gift for his
wife, the Empress Maria Fedorovna. Its
‘shell’ is enameled on gold to represent
a normal hen’s egg.
This pulls apart to
reveal a gold yolk,
which in turn opens to
produce a gold chicken
that also opens to
reveal a replica of the
Imperial Crown from
which a miniature ruby
egg was suspended.
Although the Crown
and the miniature egg
have been lost, the rest of the Hen Egg
as it is known is now in the collection of
Victor Vekselberg.
The tradition of the Tsar giving
his Empress a surprise Easter Egg by
Carl Fabergé continued. From 1887
it appears that Carl Fabergé was given
complete freedom as to the design
of the Imperial Easter Eggs as they
became more elaborate. According to
the Fabergé family tradition, not even
the Tsar knew what egg form they
would take: the only stipulation was
that each one should contain a surprise.
The House of Fabergé completed 54
Imperial Eggs for Alexander III to
present to his Empress and for Nicholas
II to present to his mother, the Dowager
Empress Maria Fedorovna and his wife,
the Empress Alexandra Fedorovna. Of
these, 42 have survived. The eggs for
1917 were never completed but have
been discovered in recent years.
The House of Fabergé also
stocked a full range of jewelery and
other ornamental objects. There were
enameled gold and silver gilt, as well
as wooden photograph frames; carved
hardstone figures of people, birds and
animals; vases of flowers crafted in
hardstones and precious metals, some
perhaps enhanced by precious stones;
gold and silver boxes; desk sets and
timepieces.
On November 27th, 2007, the
Rothschild Fabergé Egg was auctioned
at Christie’s for $16.5 million. The
Rothschild Fabergé Egg became the
highest price ever paid for a Russian
jewelry item, as well as the most expensive
jewelry clock in the world to date. It is
one of the few eggs that was not made
for the Russian Imperial family, and has
remained in the Rothschild family since
1905(see photo in middle column).
Bas-relief. A Bas-relief, French
for “low relief,” derived from the Italian
basso rilievo, or low relief, is a sculpture
which is not free-standing or in the
round, but has
a
background
from which the
main elements of
the composition
project.
Basrelief is very
suitable for scenes with many figures
and other elements such as a landscape
or architectural background. A basrelief may use any medium or technique
of sculpture, but stone-carving and
metal-casting are the traditional ones.
If more than 50% of most rounded
or cylindrical elements, such as heads
and legs, project from the background,
a sculpture is usually considered to be
“alto rilievo” or “high relief,” although
the degree of relief within both types
may vary across a composition, with
prominent features such as faces in
higher relief.
The advantage of the natural
contour of the figures allows the work
to be viewed from many angles without
distortion of the figures themselves, but
the background depth is only suggested.
There is a continuum of the bas-relief
technique into the next category, altorelievo, or high relief.
The perpetual consumer question regarding auctioneers …
bid rigging, false bidders, cappers or puffers
The following email was received by the PAA office recently, requesting our input and interpretation; as always, the PAA does
not offer legal opinions but does attempt to respond to consumer questions to the best of our ability.
“Can one please tell me if this practice (refer to published Terms and Conditions below) is acceptable, and how it
differs from ‘rigging the bid?’ I have been to many, many auctions, and it has been my experience that if the reserve
price is not met, then it is a ‘pass.’ Please advise if this is normal practice?”
”TERMS AND CONDITIONS...
All items in the auction will be sold with reserve, if a lot is offered subject to a reserve (the confidential minimum price below
which the lot will not be sold), the (auction company) may implement such reserve by bidding on behalf of the consignor or
owner, whether by opening bidding or continuing bidding until the reserve is obtained, by placing consecutive bids, or bids in
response to other bidders. Consignors shall not be permitted to bid on their own items.”
Response from Central Chapter
Member
“This is a tough one. First of all ‘bid
rigging’ (in a strict sense) is an activity
conducted by buyers to limit competition.
Typically, a group of buyers get together
and agree not to bid against each other.
Later, they may distribute the spoils
of their toils amongst themselves with
each member of the group realizing
the profits of limited competition.
I take the question to be false
bidders, cappers or puffers (a person
employed to bid at an auction in order
to raise the prices for the auctioneer
or seller) rather than rigging.
The Pennsylvania Auction Law says
that an auctioneer shall not “knowingly
use false bidders, cappers or puffers.”
But extenuating circumstances exist, in
that this practice is disclosed in the terms
and conditions so that all buyers are
aware of the practice. But in actuality,
the seller is bidding up to the reserve
amount if there is only one interested
bidder. eBay – the great wonder of the
online auction community – engages in
this practice. In an undisclosed reserve
price auction on eBay, if a party’s max
bid is less than the reserve, the bidding
is advanced to party’s max bid. If the
party really wants the item, he can bid
again and eBay will advance the bid to
the maximum bid or to the minimum set
by the seller which ever is lower. Other
bidders are free to make offers but if
there are no other bidders and the reserve
price hasn’t been met, the item will not
be sold. If the one bidder meets the
seller’s minimum, the item will be sold.
Now, things are about as clear as
mud. The PA auction law says thou
shalt not knowingly misrepresent and
thou shalt not knowingly use false
bids, cappers or puffers. On one
hand a practice is used, but it is not
misrepresented because the practice is
disclosed to all parties. An auctioneer
may have a lot of wiggle room under
PA law and could present a convincing
argument to the State Board of
Auctioneer Examiners and probably has
favorable grounds for appeal if he does
not like the decision of the auction board.
My opinion (although not a legal
opinion) is that we must look beyond PA
auction law to the Uniform Commercial
Code. If the auctioneer declares an item
as SOLD, even though the reserve price
was not met – he may have used a false,
‘house’ or seller’s bidder number – he
could be in a world of hurt. There are
several ways an auctioneer can declare
an item as sold without specifically
declaring “sold”. He could ‘drop the
hammer” or strike the podium with a
gavel, declare a buyer by instructing
the clerk to record a bidder number, or
some other means that the auctioneer
typically uses to indicate an item was
sold. If he declares NO SALE, PASS
or simply moves on to the next item,
there is clear indication the reserve
price was not met.
(All auctions
are considered to be with reserve
unless specifically stated otherwise.)
There are a lot of other ‘ifs’ and
‘buts’ that I could go into, so here
is the bottom line. There are good
arguments on both sides of this issue.
A challenge of the law could be costly
and time consuming to both sides. In
the meantime, the practice has been
disclosed, so bid accordingly.”
Southeast Chapter PAA Response
“I tried not to respond to this
email, but after reading some of the
responses, I feel compelled to throw in
my two cents. My first impression of
this “Terms and Conditions” statement
is that someone got confused at
auction school with reserves and
absentee bids. The procedure they
describe perfectly describes how to
handle an absentee bid, when there
is a reserve, until live bids expire.
The law is very clear that we should
not bid items up, whether it is disclosed
or not. In fact, disclosing it in terms
or email is incriminating to all, in my
opinion. It would be one thing to
witness this and try to figure out what
happened, and another to spell it out in
your terms and conditions and blatantly
do it on auction day. I would have to
say it is not “normal practice.” It is
my practice to simply say pass or no
sale if an item does not meet reserve.
I don’t think ebay advances the
bid to meet reserve price, either.
You can see many items “reserve
not met” with no or very low bids
when you view expired or sold items.
I will also add, how we handle these
situations on our own is our business,
and we personally take responsibility.
How we respond to questions posed
Eye Exams for Auctioneers
As an auctioneer, you may take
many health issues for granted,
including your vision and eye health.
It’s important to have checkup eye
exams on a regular basis to determine
any eye problems. Regular exams are
critical for detecting:
• Glaucoma
• Age-related macular degeneration
(AMD)
• Cataracts
• Hypertensive or diabetic
retinopathy *
How often should you have
an eye exam?
Here’s what the
American Academy of Ophthalmology
recommends:
• Ages 20-29 – at least once during
this period
• Ages 30-39 – at least twice during
this period
• Ages 40-64 – every 2-4 years
• Ages 65 and over – every 1-2 years
* Retinopathy is a problematic eye
situation stemming from two very
common health issues – high blood
pressure and diabetes.
In addition to causing heart and
kidney problems, untreated hypertension can also affect your eyesight
and cause eye disease. Hypertension
can cause damage to the blood vessels in
the retina, the area at the back of the eye
where images focus. This eye disease
is known as hypertensive retinopathy,
and the damage can be serious if
hypertension is left untreated.
Diabetic retinopathy occurs as a
result of high blood sugar and can cause
blindness if left untreated.
This condition affects people with
diabetes who have high blood glucose,
or sugar, over a prolonged period of
time. Too much blood glucose can
destroy the blood vessels in the back
of the eye, preventing the retina from
receiving the proper amount of nutrients
it needs to maintain vision.
The retina is a light-sensitive nerve
tissue at the back of the eye. As light
enters the front of the eye, the retina
coverts the light rays into electrical
impulses that travel along the optic
nerve to part of the brain called the
visual cortex. The brain then combines
images sent from both eyes to interpret
them as a single, three-dimensional
image, allowing us to perceive depth
and distance. Without the retina, the
eye cannot communicate with the brain,
making vision impossible.
World Wide College
of Auctioneering to
Celebrate 75th
Anniversary
World
Wide
College
of
Auctioneering, Mason City, IA, will
celebrate its 75th anniversary on August
15, 2008, with a full day of events
scheduled.
World Champion Auctioneer Ralph
Wade will give a free bid calling seminar
in the morning. An auction to benefit
children
receiving
treatment for cancer
at St. Jude Children’s
Hospital will be held
in the afternoon. In
the evening there
will be food, fun and
fellowship.
For more information and a
complete schedule of events, go to www.
worldwidecollegeofauctioneering.
com or call 800-423-5242.
World Wide has trained over 35,000
auctioneers in its 75-year history.
It figures. Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes,
windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common? A. All were invented
by women.
The perpetual consumer question regarding auctioneers... continued from page 37
to us, about situations like this should
be based on law and require a legal
opinion, which is better left to lawyers,
not auctioneers.”
Auctioneer from Lehigh Valley area:
“Differs from bid rigging as bid
rigging is an activity among bidders to
“fix” the bidding in their favor.
Bidding on behalf of the seller to
reserve is acceptable so long as it is
disclosed - and in this case it is.
This is common. I have used same
in real estate.”
Response from Auctioneer in
Northwest PA:
“I agree with the first answer
above for the most part. It is interesting
that eBay’s process was also brought
into the discussion, although eBay does
not repeatedly enter the seller as a bidder
until the reserve is met. Only those
bids from bidders other than the seller
are received and registered to drive
the price to the reserve and beyond.
As I understand it, in a reserve
auction, the seller is permitted one, and
only one, reserve bid. It seems that by
repeatedly entering a bid for the seller
until the reserve is reached, whether
disclosed in the terms or not, does expose
the auctioneer to claims that the seller had
more than just one reserve bid.”
PEANUTS OR PROFIT
by Steve Proffitt, Attorney-at-Law
I am blessed to work for two of
the finest gentlemen in auctioneering:
Dennis Kruse at Reppert School of
Auctioneering (Auburn, IN), and
Forrest Mendenhall at Mendenhall
School of Auctioneering (High Point,
NC). These men and their schools are
tops, and it’s a privilege to be associated
with such professionals.
Auction school is an exhilarating
time whether you’re a student or a
teacher and I love working with the
new minds that will
eventually drive our
industry. They are a
joy to work with and
they are always hungry
to learn.
When I speak
about professionalism,
I
emphasize
that
auctioneers are not
professionals because
they’re
auctioneers.
The label, “auctioneer,”
or a paper license,
never made anyone
a
professional.
Auctioneers
become
professionals only by
working honestly and ethically to be the
best that they can be, not sometimes, but
all the time. And with top performance
should come top pay.
Years ago when I was a new
lawyer, I was taught professional work
commands professional fees.
“If you don’t value your work,
Steve, no one else will,” my mentor
advised.
That was good advice then, and
it’s good advice now. Professions and
industries attract and keep the best
people by rewarding their efforts with
the best pay. If this doesn’t occur,
practitioners will abandon their fields to
go elsewhere and earn their economic
worth. This is not only natural, it’s
required when it comes to supporting
modern families.
People show the same appreciation
for money when it comes to spending.
We all want to save a buck where we can.
That’s why folks commonly shop for
commodities (i.e., groceries, gasoline,
office supplies, and other staples) on
the basis of price.
But who goes shopping for the
cheapest dentist in town … a bargainbasement cardiologist … or the economy
model trial lawyer? That would be
about nobody! So why are auctioneers’
services shopped so hard and valued so
low? The answer is simple – we did
it to ourselves. Worse yet, we’re still
doing it.
I’ve never known of an auctioneer
making too much commission, but I
frequently see them suffer for making
too little. The public
believes
auctioneers
make easy money – hold
a microphone, chant,
and the cash rolls in.
We know differently.
The only thing easy
about an auctioneer’s
money is spending it.
As hard as auctioneers
work for their dollars,
that hasn’t deterred
many from continually
under pricing their
services.
These
auctioneers do a dollar
of work for a dime of
reward and make little
or nothing for their expertise and labor.
Much of this “give-away” auctioneering
originates with those who could care
less about professionalism.
These
fellows routinely quote bottom-dollar
commissions just to get work. Of
course, their sellers then receive what
they paid for – sub-par auctions.
Unfortunately, auctioneering is so
competitive that professional auctioneers
frequently get pulled into these price
“wars” and respond by cutting their fees
as well. This is a serious mistake that
leads to auctioneers working more for
less, and the inevitable resentment that
grows from inadequate compensation.
It’s a major problem in the industry
today, and it must be cured if auctioneers
are to take their place alongside other
successful professionals.
Adequate commission rates can’t be
plucked from thin air and what works
for one auctioneer won’t work for all.
Like any business, each auctioneer must
determine how much income is needed
on a job to cover overhead and return
a worthwhile profit after considering
investment, risk undertaken, work
to be done, and the value that will be
achieved for the seller. It’s a necessary
calculation.
So how does an auctioneer convince
a seller to pay the full commission the
auctioneer wants, as opposed to the
discount the seller seeks? By competing
on quality factors such as competence,
integrity,
service,
experience,
professionalism, and ultimate value –
not price.
I once heard a North Carolina
auctioneer say he has two answers for
sellers who want him to discount his
commission. First, he explains that
the seller’s assets deserve more than
a discounted selling effort. To get a
first-rate effort, a seller must pay a
comparable commission. Second, if
the seller refuses, the auctioneer politely
declines the auction. He’s content to
wait for a better auction that will allow
him to do the job right and be fairly
compensated, too.
Alderfer, Butterfield, Christie, Julia,
Skinner, Sotheby, Weschler and other
top auction houses are not going to give
their services away like a chain store
discounts dated merchandise. These
upscale auctioneers have positioned
themselves to serve a market that will
pay premium commissions for premium
work. Such fees should be the goal of
every auctioneer and, like our colleague
from North Carolina knows, no one
will ever earn them by discounting
professional services to a commodity
level.
Ask yourself – do you want to work
for peanuts or profit?
(Steve Proffitt is general counsel of J. P. King
Auction Company, Inc. (www.jpking.com)
in Gadsden, AL. He is also an auctioneer
and instructor at both Reppert School of
Auctioneering in Auburn, IN and Mendenhall
School of Auctioneering in High Point, NC.
This information does not represent legal
advice or the formation of an attorney-client
relationship and readers should seek the advice
of their own attorneys on all legal issues. Mr.
Proffitt may be contacted by email at sproffitt@
jpking.com.)
Copyright 2008
NAA IN THE NEWS
Structuring the business model for the long haul
by Thomas L. Williams, CAI, President, National Auctioneers Association
Structuring our businesses and charges
in a manner that will be sustainable for
the long pull is our most critical business
decision. The main street of America
is littered with businesses that suffered
or are suffering from short-term vision.
Long-term business vision is essential, not
optional. Compare the business giants
K-Mart and Wal-Mart; their business
models were almost identical. I think the
key to their success, or lack thereof, was
their long-term vision.
Your ability to become more efficient
and hence more competitive in your auction
delivery systems from marketing to day-ofsale activities is crucial. Price does dictate
success when the client is paying the price.
Wal-Mart delivered similar goods for less
than the competition. I’m not telling you
to cut commissions; I’m telling you to be
aware that competition will be coming
from every direction, putting pressure on
pricing structures.
Possibly the greatest pitfall for an
auction entrepreneur is the windfall sale
where everything seemed easy and very
profitable. However, careful examination
of the situation points to elements of
extreme good luck that led to the huge
success. This example is very much like
the first-time gambler who hits the jackpot.
It looks easy, and bolstered with false
confidence the player loses it all back and
then some. The normal expected factors
usually operating in the marketplace might
have taken a day off in this rare instance.
When normal expected market conditions
prevail, happy often turns to sad.
The auctioneers in for the long haul
know their business and the product they
handle. They know current market trends
and all the factors that affect product value.
They don’t survive on hype; rather it is the
professionalism that can be delivered each
and every time that sets them apart.
Successful auction businesses are not
measured by the last commission check.
That is only one of many factors and is well
down the list. Number one, by far, will be
a successful report card from the client.
Every service was delivered as expected
and on time. The charges seemed fair,
appropriate and, most importantly, exactly
as understood on listing day. Your clients
and consumers will be your judge and
jury.
The greatest opportunity offered by
the auction profession is the ability to
chart one’s own course, to pursue our
dreams as individual entrepreneurs. No
one has the ideal road map for you. Only
you know your ideal path. The ability to
chart your course and control your destiny
highlights the uniqueness of every auction
marketer. You are the decision maker, and
your ultimate success rests solely on your
decisions.
Until next time, give life and your
auction the very best you have to offer
every minute of every day.
2008 NAA Conference & Show Keynote Speaker
Overland Park, KS -The National
Auctioneers Association is pleased to
announce the keynote speaker for the 59th
International Auctioneers Conference and
Show, US Navy Commander Scott Waddle
(Ret.).
In a matter of minutes, Commander
Waddle’s life and the lives of his 140
man-crew changed forever on February
9, 2001. What was planned as a routine
training session ended in disaster as the
USS Greeneville, a Los Angeles class fast-attack submarine,
breached the surface during an emergency test run, tearing
through a Japanese fishing boat and killing nine innocent people.
Commanding the largest naval submarine accident in American
history, Cmdr. Waddle was the center of international attention.
While many leaders choose to deny or make excuses for
their behavior, Cmdr. Waddle stood boldly and took complete
responsibility for his actions. Against the advice of his lawyer and
the direction of the Navy, Scott followed his conscience.
An inspirational leader with uncompromising ethical standards,
Cmdr. Waddle and his pursuit of integrity against all odds provides
an inspiring challenge to anyone facing difficult choices in life.
Cmdr. Waddle will tell his compelling story about his tragic ordeal
and the choices that followed. It’s a lesson about integrity, faith,
and resilience.
Bob Shively Announces Resignation
After eight years serving the members of
the NAA, Bob Shively announced recently
that his last day as the chief executive officer
with the NAA will be August 31, 2008. The
NAA Board of Directors has expressed their
sincere gratitude and appreciation for all his
years of service, leadership, and dedication to
the association and its members.
According to Tommy Williams, CAI, NAA President, “As a responsible leader, Bob believes it is an opportune time for change in
the chief executive officer’s office at the NAA. Bob firmly believes
that with new leadership at the helm, a new perspective can be had,
as well as the creation of new ideas and innovations to move the
association forward.”
BUSINESS OPERATIONS
Structured Buy – Sell Agreement Can Help
Buyer and Seller Alike
by Wienken & Associates, Allen W. Carr Sr. and Matthew Kell
I’m sure you’ve run into a situation
like this before. An individual 65 years
old, wants to sell his/her business and
has identified two other individuals as
the prospective buyers. The current
owner stands to receive approximately
$750, 000 in cash but is concerned
about the potential tax consequences of
the transaction. In addition, the seller
also is concerned about locking in a
source of replacement income, since
he/she no longer will have the business
profits to draw upon.
In such a situation, you might want
to propose the concept of deferred
compensation as part of a structured
and insured strategy for the business
acquisition.
Instead of simply taking a full
purchase price buy-out approach, the
parties could elect to make a “structured”
proposal that may dramatically reduce
the real cost of the acquisition, but
that may be even more attractive to the
Allen W. Carr Sr.,
CLU, ChFC, MSFS
717-760-5362
seller. In effect, there would be three
components to the buy-sell offer:
1. An agreement to purchase all
of the assets of the corporation
or perhaps all of the corporate
stock for a generous amount
of front-end cash, but for less
than what the seller would have
received if there had been a
total lump-sum purchase.
2. A transitional two – or – threeyear employment contract
during which the seller is
debriefed and his/her customer
contacts and business insights
are assimilated by the buyer.
3. A retirement income for the
seller-individual for a length of
time that approximates his/her
life expectancy.
The up-front cash required has to
bear some reasonable relationship to the
liquidation value of the balance sheet
items. In many instances, we’re talking
about cash and accounts receivable.
Any fixed assets probably have been
aggressively depreciated below their
true useful value.
What must be taken into account is
that the after-tax value of the liquidated
firm will increase since the buyer can
expect to acquire a new basis in any such
fixed assets and will gain downstream
tax deductions for depreciation of those
fixed assets.
Seller becomes employee
The two- or-three-year employment
contract is a wind down for the seller
while the new owner is tooling up. The
seller is a critical “employee” at this
juncture; hence the payments to him/
her are tax-deductible expenses. The
same can be true for the subsequent
deferred compensation payments.
When you add together all the
various components, it’s easy to see
Retirement, Estate,
Business Planning,
and Wealth
Management
Matthew A. Kell,
ChFEBC, CFBS
717-760-5371
Dedicated to providing solutions to complex
financial challenges unique to Auctioneers
Family business specialists, Matthew Kell and Allen W. Carr Sr., have teamed up to offer their expertise
in making sound and profitable decisions in the auction business with a focus on:
• Estate Planning • Investment Management • Charitable Planning • Employee Benefits
• Financial Planning • Insurance Services
Allen Carr and Matthew Kell are registered representatives of and offer securities and investment advisory services through MML
Investors Services, Inc.ƒ Member SIPC Supervisor Office:100 Corporate Center Drive, Camp Hill, PA 17011 717-763-7365
Insurance offered through Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company and other fine companies
BUSINESS OPERATIONS
Structured Buy – Sell Agreement continued from page 41
that the seller probably will end up with
more money than if he/she simply took
a lump sum. The actual dollar figures
depend upon the facts of each particular
case.
However, even in the current tax
environment that provides a somewhat
marginally better rate for capital
gains over ordinary income as well as
a graduated rate for income taxes,
“structuring” might still be more
attractive, depending upon the total
amount of benefits that will be provided
(and over what period of time).
The “structural” approach has
numerous advantages for the seller,
including the potential for a much larger
total payout, easy career wind down,
income to the age of life expectancy,
etc. Of course, against these obvious
good things we need to weigh the loss
of the immediate gratification of selling
the business for one lump sum and
being done with it.
The other side of the coin (the
buyer’s position) is however, just as
important. In effect, the buyer can be
given an opportunity to get a part or full
cost recovery of the purchase price for
the business through what we commonly
refer to as one of the living benefits of
life insurance.
Using life insurance
Don’t forget, the objective is
to improve any structured offer by
employing deferred compensation. If
properly arranged, we can make cost
of the business acquisition disappear
entirely- actually making a profit
on the funding of the acquisition,
adding untaxed profits to the balance
sheet (except for potential alternative
minimum tax, or AMT, exposure) and
prefunding the long pay-out that might
be required to reach the seller’s life
expectancy.
How do you do it? Simple. The
business will buy life insurance on the
The 11 Commandments of
Good Business
For those of you who have worked in the auction profession for
even a short period of time know how important your buyers and
sellers (customers) are.
We hope, if you’re not already following these rules, you will try
to incorporate and implement them in your auction business. They
can only result in increased profits:
1.
2.
A customer is the most important person in your business.
A customer isn’t dependent on you … you’re dependent on
him/her.
3. A customer isn’t an interruption of your work but the purpose of it.
4. A customer does you a favor when (s)he calls you … you’re
not doing him/her a favor by serving him/her.
5. A customer is a vital part of your business, not an outsider.
6. A customer is not a cold statistic but a flesh and blood human being with feelings and emotions like yours.
7. A customer is not someone to argue with or match wits
against.
8. A customer is a person who brings you his/her wants and
needs … it’s your job to fill those wants and needs.
9. A customer is deserving of the most courteous and attentive treatment you can give.
10. A customer is the individual who makes it possible to pay
your salary or commission, whether you’re the auction
business owner, lead auctioneer in a facility, a clerk, or
other auction employee.
11. A customer is the lifeblood of every auction business.
seller and then enter into the deferred
compensation agreement with him/her.
Needless to say, tax-efficient policies
will be utilized.
The
deferred
compensation
payments will create a tax deduction to
the business, and the death proceeds
will be free of ordinary income tax
(with some exposure to AMT) when
subsequently received. Thus, we have
tax-free or minimal tax, inflow to the
business and a tax-deductible outflow
as the deferred compensation payments
are actually made.
The prospects for a profit to the
business are extremely good.
Summary
This solution doesn’t work in every
case. Still, given the right set of facts,
you have the opportunity of proposing
a creative strategy that also will result
in substantial advantages for both buyer
and seller.
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Jeanie M. Crowl, Administrator
Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association
P.O. Box 299, Elysburg, PA 17824
800.577.6801
[email protected]
Registration ends soon for the NAA C & S in
Nashville, July 7-12, 2008. Register now!
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Newest Information on PA`s Electronic Auction Broker Legislative

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