Kuhlman Auction Service

I have been blogging about auctions for a number of years.  I appreciate my on-line audience who checks in occasionally to see if I have written anything new.  I regret that sometimes it is a long time between posts, especially in the winter.  I have been thinking about this for a while and I am going to try something different.  When I started doing this blog, all I talked about was auctions and auctioneering.  I have come to see that what I am doing is much broader in scope and I am going to try to expand my blog accordingly.  When I went to auction school, we were counseled to not refer to a person’s possessions as “stuff”, as this word was considered to be insulting to the “merchandise” to be offered at auction.  With the benefit of hindsight after 30 years of conducting auctions, I am more and more convinced that the word “stuff” really does describe most of what people accumulate over the years.  From now on, I am not going to be shy about using the term “stuff”.  In addition to antiques, collectibles, furniture, and items of value, almost every house contains its share of obsolete electronics, out of style décor, unused sports equipment, almost new clothing that no longer fits, as well as multiples of various tools, consumer appliances, and kitchen items, not to mention books, toys, games, and everything else.  With the advent of big box retailers, IKEA, and the home shopping network, we have overwhelmed ourselves with “stuff”.

          It is obvious that dealing with “stuff” can be a major problem for people.  In the extreme case, society has become fascinated with “hoarders”.  Even in “nicer” neighborhoods, people don’t always want to leave their garage doors open for everyone to see all their “stuff”.  The world of “stuff” has changed a lot since I started doing auctions.  Back in the day, even a toaster or an iron at an auction would have another life in a new home.  All that changed when we started importing inexpensive consumer goods from overseas.  Single family homes used to be the standard in many communities, and in smaller communities, many if not most people were only one generation away from the farm and almost everyone understood auctions.  I remember being slightly annoyed at the concept of “estate sales” when they first started cropping up in outstate Minnesota.  I wondered why anyone would consider having an estate sale when an auction was obviously the best way to sell things.  Over time, I have come to realize that different situations require different solutions, and so several years ago we started conducting estate sales in addition to auctions.

          I have decided that I am going to start using my blog to talk about “stuff” and how to handle it.  Sometimes I may be talking about an auction or estate sale, either one that is coming up, or one that has occurred. Other times, I might be talking about a garage sale, or a flea market, where “stuff” can be bought or sold.  Additional topics might include selling “stuff” on the internet, moving “stuff” or storing “stuff”.  I want to make my website interesting and useful for people who either have too much “stuff” or want more “stuff”. 

Feel free to let me know what you would like to hear about.

In order to settle the estate of Blondina Otto of Faribault, the following items will be sold at public auction located at 920 3rd St NE in Faribault.  

Oak furniture including: round oak table & 6 chairs; dressers; commode; lamp table; drop front desk, oak rockers, Singer treadle sewing machine, wardrobe, cedar chest, very nice dry sink, wringer washing machine, wood cook stove, iron beds, vintage couch, grandfather clock, midcentury furniture, bedroom sets, couch, lamps, pictures, trunks, turn of the century shelf clocks, kitchen table & 4 chairs, recliner, book shelves, upholstered chairs, Zenith TV, jewelry, gun cabinet,

Antiques & collectibles including: Grace “Rhapsody” china-svc for 12, depression glass, pressed glasss, silver plate, Fire King, Texas ware,pyrex, crock bowls, enamelware, 10 wooden duck decoys, GE field telephones, early canning jars & lids, political collectibles, pottery, crocks, World’s Fair collectibles, local advertising, Lil Abner Shmoo bank, Little Orphan Annie mug, Disney, brass fans, 10 Grain Belt tip trays, miniature beer bottles, vintage tools, primitive cabinet w/20 drawers, vintage clarinet, older kitchenware, bread box, advertising tins, nail kegs, books, lanterns, old radios, coat tree, pressed back chairs, floor safe, table saw, and other items too numerous to list.

Yard & garden tools: lawn mower, oil burner, fishing equipment, floor jacks, hand and power tools, garage misc,

 Auctioneer’s note:   This listing is just a sample of what you will find.  This is an untouched estate, so come early and plan to spend the day.

In order to settle the estate of Lota Bare, the following items of personal property will be sold at public auction located at 613 5^th St E, Northfield, MN   Watch for signs on auction day

 Wedgewood Florentine china, Sterling silver, silverplate serving pieces, Wines, goblets, and stemware, Pressed and cut glass, Vintage children’s books, Carleton mugs and chair, Vintage 45 records, Dining room table & 4 chairs, Hundreds of books: art, travel, history, civil war, cookbooks, etc, Double bed, server cart, coffee table, hutch, pictures, stereo, lamps, desk, typewriter, microwave, armchair, rocker, dishes, cookware, small appliances, cutlery, couch & chair, records, Minolta camera equipment, pottery mixing bowl,

Arnold and Edna have moved to town after 46 years on their farm and are selling the following items at their auction.  The auction is located at their farm 4 miles Northeast of Northfield, MN on Highway 47

Satoh 650g tractor with loader, Satoh 650g tractor with front snow blower & belly mower, 8N Ford tractor, 1964 Chev C10 diesel pickup, 1966 Buick Electra 225, 1985 Winnie LeSharo Camper, antique cutter sleigh in great condition, Farm King 3 pt snowblower, 1951 Farmall M, Haban tow behind mower, Simplicity walk behind tractor, plow, disk, cultivator, mower, new Kubota model 905 engine, new Kohler 20 hp vertical shaft engine, new Onan 24 hp vertical shaft engine, 54 hp Mercedes 1957 D180D engine, Onan 12 hp horizontal shaft, Onan CCK 2 cyl engine, John Deere 2 cyl w/pto, Wisconsin 4 cyl engine, Caribona 3pt finish mower, Paulson universal front loader w/hydraulics, 36” Ditch witch trencher, vehicle mounted propane tank, 1951 Studebaker transmission, 1970 MgA drive train & motor, 1964 Chev C10 truck transmission, 15” tire chains, Yamaha Riva scooter, Cushman truckster, and lots more

Antiques: wringer washer, 2 pot burner oil stoves, coal/wood cast iron boiler, steamer trunks, wooden barrels, sausage maker, picture frames, metal kitchen table, Setchell Carlson TV, ice tongs, hay hooks, horse bits, wagon wheels, milk buckets and all sorts of other tools and misc that you would find at an old time farm auction.  Make plans now to attend.