Country Auctions

It was freezing so Eugene and I decided to go to a couple of outdoor farm auctions we saw advertised in the local paper. One was simply done, the other was much more fancy with rings under canvas and chairs and heaters. Both had a lot of crap but the simpler auction called by Larry McMechan and his son Lyle had better crap so we spent a lot more time at that auction and bought a martin house, a pile of hand towels and girlie girl aprons, an aluminum extension ladder and a hand truck all for $17.

Both required that we drive over frozen fields. The simple auction had a far better field than the rutted corn field at the other sale. But that is what you get at country farm auctions, field parking. At least it was not muddy and vehicles getting stuck. The crowd was a sea of tan Carhardt coveralls. I noticed anyone who came early and was not dressed for standing still in subfreezing weather did not stay very long. Ball caps were not good head gear yesterday, one needed a good hat or hood (or both) along with heavy boots and gloves. Many of the older people elected to stay in their trucks with the engines and heaters on waiting on what ever item they were interested in to come up, actually for the auctioneer and crowd to move to it.

The food concession at the simple auction sold out of hot chocolate (or is it cocoa?) early in the sale. Eugene bought a bowl of chili, I had nothing.

Taking a piss in a Port-A-John when you have a big parka and several layers is not easy. Port-A-Johns were not made for such conditions but at least nothing dropped down the hole that wasn't supposed to and it was there in the first place.

Because the two auctions were about 5 miles apart people were driving back and forth quite a bit and the question was asked more than once "did you go to the other (fancy) auction?" and when the answer was yes the reply was "man they has a lot of crap and in worse shape than the crap at this auction" (the simpler auction).

Both were being held because of probate cases. Farm owners died a while back and now the heirs are doing something with the estates. Having been through dealing with a parental estate it is both sad and empowering work.

It's been several years since we have had the space to put the stuff we buy at auction so we have not been to many in a long time. But now it looks like we will make a habit of going to auctions once again. there is much we need. You can get such good stuff generally for a song and one is not using new resources.

Auctions are the ultimate in recycling and one can always E-Bay what they do not want or if it is not E-Bayable than one can post the stuff on their local freecycle lists and get rid of it that way.