My first Auction...

In September 1962 we moved to Grafton Road in Valley City, onto a small 3 acre farm that a man named Arthur Haas was selling. It was wedged between huge farm fields owned by MTD Farms. Across the street was the Schmidt/Krueger farm. Further down on the right was the Mallasch's homestead. Next to them was the Foecking Farm and as the crow flies cross the back side field was the Crocker Dairy Farm. After Dad bought the property, before we could move in ... the Haas's were having an auction.

What an exciting day that was! We got there early. Trucks and tractors started pulling into the long driveway and parking in the side pasture. Men and woman were gathered talking. Groups of men in overalls were standing under the pear and cherry trees. A man had even climbed up onto a big branch of the big oak tree by the back door and was perched there smoking a cigarette. There were a few kids in the crowd,and some were down by the apple tree at the end of the driveway trying to knock down an apple to eat.

The big crowd hushed as the auctioneer started his fast talking spiel...and bids started to fly. I couldn't keep track of it all! My dad was right in there bidding on furniture and old farm equipment, tools and chickens! The auctioneer, got to the point that when my dad won the bid , he would do a salute and yell, "Sold to the man in the green shirt!" It was exciting! I remember men stacking boxes around my dad's feet won from bidding...full of dishes and old books, and all sorts of stuff. I couldn't keep up with finding the treasures in one box before another was delivered to dig through. This was better than any holiday!

A young boy about 13 was there . His sister. who was older, was trying to keep him in tow. He wanted to bid on something in the worst way. Finally near the end, an old kitchen table came up for bid. No one bid. This boy yelled out...TEN CENTS...the crowd was dead quiet. Then the auctioneer pointed at him and said SOLD! That was when I knew this is something I wanted to learn about. This kid had just bought a perfectly good table for 10 cents...I could have done that!

That boy was Dick Foecking our neighbor. The table ended up in his family's grainary...up the steep stairs to the loft and was our childhood clubhouse table for many years.

My Dad and I went to many auctions together. It was a passion we shared up until he died. He helped me load up many pieces of furniture and boxes full of treasures for the Depot,. And, I would tease him now and again about wearing a green shirt...