Auction Day

So, I have found a new found love…auctions.  About a month and a half ago, Andy told me that there was going to be a big auction the following day in front of the home supply store in town…they had windows, doors, and a lot of things we would be needing for the new house.  So Saturday morning we got up early and went over to the new house to measure the windows and doors we needed, as well as make a list of anything else we should look for.  Then we drove over to the auction.

Boy was that a new experience!  I felt pretty lost, as I desperately tried to figure out the auctioneers were even saying.  What exactly did “did-dly-uh” mean?  And how were you supposed to know how much your bid was when numbers were flying around like crazy?  Andy told me later that “did-dly-uh” didn’t mean anything, it was just something they say.  He sure knew a lot more about this whole auction thing than I did.  So, I left the bidding to him, who barely nodded his head like a pro.  Meanwhile I kept my hands stiffly at my side, afraid to even scratch my nose for fear I would be bidding $100 on a rusty nail.

As the day went on, however, I found myself flung full force into the process of bidding.  Andy wanted to bid on some lumber, and a box of drawer pulls that we had been eyeing came up for auction at another auction circle.  He told me how high to bid on them and I sauntered over to wait for the drawer pulls to come up.  While I waited, I watched all the other bidders to see what they were doing.  They all seemed so calm and collected…and all had a straight face.  I was just sure that I would never be able to do that…I must have looked like a chicken with its head cut off!

Finally the drawer pulls came up and I jumped in.  I honestly have no idea what amount I bid for them…all I know is that the numbers went very high, and I was suddenly out. I was somewhat relieved that I didn’t accidentally pay $500 for some drawer pulls, but kind of bummed that I didn’t get them.  So, like a dog with its tail between its legs, I quietly slunk back over to Andy, glad that he was much better at this whole auction business than I was.

We were there almost all day, of which Andy’s bright red skin could attest to. In the end, however, it was very much worth it. Here’s a list of what we got and what we paid:

· 5 white paneled interior doors, $10 a piece or $50 total

· 1 large arch window, $42.50

· 3 regular windows, $27.50 a piece or $82.50 total

· 3 bundles of lumber, $170 total

· Stack of plywood, $95

· Privacy fence rails, $55

· Makita saw, $75

· 2 boxes with door knobs and other random items, $40

· 3 boxes of random items (including can lights!), $4 a piece or $12 total

So the grand total was $622! What a great deal, huh?

If I ever find free time again, I think it would be awesome to buy things at auctions and sell them on ebay or at a flea market.  You could seriously make a lot of money!  Either that, or get stuck with a strange collection of useless items.  On second thoughts, maybe I should leave that to people who actually know what they’re doing!

As a note, Andy and I went to another auction this past weekend.  Stay tuned for what happened at that!