Yes, Summer Is Drawing To A Close…

some thoughts on our Saturday night summer auctions.

I am a little late in writing this, but it has been a very busy week since the last auction.  So thanks to all who attended our final Saturday night auction of the summer, on Aug 25. We had another good crowd, 162 registered bidders, and prices were fair on most items.  Primitives of course did well, and the pine Canadiana brought fair prices for both the buyers and seller.  Most glass and china still on the down side, but that seems to be typical across the board. I’ve been very pleased with the Saturday night sales this summer.  Last year was the first summer I did this and it went over well then.  This year brought in even larger crowds!  So obviously next year I will be doing it again…you can’t change something that is working so well! Now I realize the large, crowded noisy sales are not for everyone. Two rings going at one time for part of the sale can be a little challenging.  Big, noisy crowds can also be challenging. As my grandmother might have said…”it’s not everyone’s cup of tea”. That brings me to my next point. Our sales are not for everyone.  I wish I could please everyone, but that is not possible. I hear the comments and I do take them to heart. I hear people say there are too many primitives, too much glass and china, too much furniture, too many people, too much good stuff, too much low end stuff…too much of everything!  You can’t create the perfect sale for everyone.  If ever I can do that, I will make a lot of money and for six months of the year you won’t even see me!  However, that is not likely to happen. The average attendance at our auctions has increased about 30% over the last five years.  We are continually reaching new buyers and bringing out new faces to the auctions.  Typically, over 70% of the registered bidders purchase something.  The quality of the auctions has never been better, and I am working to make it even better for the upcoming year. So, even though this may sound a little strange, I actually am up front about admitting, our sales are not for everyone.  We are not Waddingtons or Sothebys, and we are not trying to be.  We are not trying to be an English antique auction, or some stuffy high end objets d’art auction.  We are trying to be a fun, energetic country antique auction. Sometimes a little goofy, but overall getting the job done. I, as always, will listen to and consider any comments, but I am also pretty adamant about what kind of auction I want to be.  I will always continue to make improvements, but despite our flaws, I am still pretty happy with the direction we are going in. So here’s hoping you do enjoy what we are doing and I look forward to seeing you at the Oct 6 Saturday daytime auction.  I could not get a booking in Pottageville in September, so I have lots of time to put together another good auction for you! Rob