Part of the more than 200 teapots on the February 7 “Weeks” auction

Well it is time to catch up again. The last time I wrote I was headed for the Minnesota State Auctioneer’s convention in Brainerd. The convention was a great success. What do auctioneers do at their convention? That is one of the questions I was most often asked. They conduct auctions of course. First there is an auctioneering contest to determine the state champion auctioneer. I entered this contest along with 38 other auctioneers. I want to tell you, this is some tough competition. These are some of the best auctioneers in the state. Maybe I will do better next year. Then there is a marketing and advertising contest. I was really proud to win second place in the “Auction Specialty Ideas” division with an idea for making auction advertising flyers more efficiently. We attended seminars on selling real estate at auction, new technologies such as on-line bidding, bid calling, machinery consignment auctions and others. It was a great way to get re-acquainted with our auctioneer friends across the state.

This is the time of year that we are able to get involved with fundraisers. We just did an auction for the Mantorville Restoration Association in Mantorville on Saturday. Some of the most exciting items were maps of Mantorville and Dodge County from 1876. Following the auction, there was a wonderful community talent show. What a fun evening for everyone. We hope the MRA will hold this event in conjunction with “Snow Days” again next year.

We will be conducting a number of fundraising auctions in the next several months including auctions for: Friends of the Northfield Library, Northfield Rotary, Cannon Valley Girl Scout Council, Cannon Valley Sportsmen, Northfield Arts Guild, Prairie Creek School, St Dominic’s School, and St John’s Lutheran Church camper’s program. These are fun and worthwhile events for the community to support.

Our auction schedule is getting off to an early start this year as well. On February 7 we will be conducting the Charles Weeks estate auction at 217 N Linden St in Northfield. This auction will feature a collection of over 200 teapots as well as numerous pieces of green and pink depression glass, nice antique oak furniture including two nice old oak secretaries, an oak china cabinet, round oak table and chairs, lamp tables and others. There will also be some nice old tools and household. This auction will be at the house and will be held in the garage so find your boots and dress warm. Be sure to look at the Weeks picture gallery on our website.

This is a new milestone. Two postings on my blog in one week. I just wanted to take one more moment to talk about the auction this Sunday, November 16 at Walt Gaul’s auction barn located 4 miles East of Owatonna, MN on Hwy 14 and then 1 mile South on Cty 59. If you haven’t been to Walt’s place before, consider this to be a personal invitation. Walt’s auction barn is a real treasure. As my friend Jerry says, if Norman Rockwell was still alive, he would paint a picture of it.

This will be a real Americana country auction. In addition to the two households that we were originally working with, we were fortunate to be able to add a very nice old estate from Iowa. There are so many primitives and collectibles and old furniture in the rough that we will have to sell with two rings and sell fast at that. There are old postcards from towns in Southern Minnesota, wooden bowls, a Norwegian map from 1906, a 1953 picture of the original Leuthold’s store in Kasson. Norwegian books, an old rocker that may have come from Norway, kitchen primitives, a china cabinet, round oak table, library table, shelves, chairs, pressed back chairs, mohair couch and chair, oak and ash tables, old pictures. All the small items and box lots will be sold inside the heated auction barn. Dress warm anyway, because the furniture will be sold outside. Hope to see you there.