American Farmers raised poultry for home consumption and limited trade for over 200 years. However, the farm poultry flock in the early days was a very small sideline of the individual farmer.

The National Auctioneers Association (NAA) is the only national organization serving the Auction Industry in the United States.

Imagine an Auction company that operated a store that conducted weekly Auctions of real estate, furniture, imported goods, household merchandise, stocks & bonds, loans, commercial inventory and equipment...

A good lot of Auctioneer Poetry extracted from early Auctioneering Association publications...

The horses utilized in "harness racing" whether pacers or trotters, are known as "Standardbreds." The origin of the Standardbred horses can be traced back to "Messenger, an English Thoroughbred foaled in 1780"...

One hundred years ago, one of the most important attributes of a successful Auctioneer was a positive, charismatic, colorful personality. The late 19th Century and early 20th Century Auctioneer was an individual that stood out from the crowd, elevated b

Did Ian Fleming have an English auctioneer in mind when he developed the character of James Bond? ....

Fruit, being a perishable commodity, had to be transported, sold and distributed quickly to consumers to prevent spoiling. Much like the wholesale fish Auctions that took place on the docks the morning of the catch, setting the daily prices...

Serious collectors put a lot of time, effort and dollars into building a quality specialized collection. It is not uncommon for a collector to invest many years or a lifetime in building, upgrading and culling the collection; elevating it to museum

Auctions create action. The auctioneer assembles goods belonging to the seller in such a manner as to attract interest from buyers. No auction could survive without the buying public. Yes, I mean that crowd that...

Cataloging auction inventory is not a new concept. Auction “Rooms” in many early American cities boasted catalogs for their offerings. Auction “Exchange Rooms” were located in Boston, Providence, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, St. Louis and Chicago

The auctioneers should be proud of the honorable history of their profession. Authorities have traced the history back almost to the days of Noah and Adam. Certainly the profession is older than Methuselah....

With all the debate going on about the use of the buyer’s premium in America I thought it might be appropriate to reflect on what it is, where it came from and why it started....

What do you call a person that pays thousands of dollars for an 1845 sticky one-inch piece of paper having a price of five cents on it? The answer is a philatelist, better known as a stamp collector. The smiling person that dropped the hammer on that ra

The year was 1901. There were regulations, red tape and obstacles. “Cheap Johns” provided unfair competition to professional auctioneers. Non auctioneers were conducting foreclosure sales. In addition, transp

I believe that the Auction Method of Marketing played a major role in the development of the civilized World and particularly the success and expansion of the “New World” that we call America. However, the story of our great industry’s contribution is s

We all know that the finest things in the world sell at public auction. The auction method of marketing dating back to the earliest civilizations has worked for the disposition of all types of assets from the spoils of war to fine art. In the historical

Fish auctions are commonly marketed in the “Primary” distribution level. By calling it “Primary” it means the entry level to the market, which is below the wholesale value...

The auction profession is a very ancient one; most probably originating from the time money replaced barter. In France it became very structured and controlled under the rule of King Henri II (1547-1559) with statutes that governed the commissiares-pri

The “Auction Method of Marketing,” competitive bidding, was responsible for the rapid expansion and development of America starting with the first settlers and continues through to now.

It’s hard to imagine 200 years of continuous operation of a family owned Auction business; Seven generations of management spanning 20 decades of ever changing economic conditions, surviving many Wars and adapting to a dynamic social evolution....

The Barber had the Barber Pole, The Pawnbroker had the symbol of three hanging balls. So, what did the Auctioneer have as a trade sign universally recognized by the buying public?

Now there's a title you don't hear every day! But if there is a person deserving of such a title is was Reuel Colt Gridley of Austin, Nevada. This true story is a tribute to what one person could do for the benefit of his fellowmen utilizing the aucti

History has shown us that a professionally conducted public auction is a type of “sale” that equates to the white heat of selling, fetching the highest possible...

The Multi-Ring Auction is not a new concept. In fact, the method dates back to Colonial times. when large estates had to be liquidated during daylight hours....

Although Sotheby’s in London dates to 1744, their presence in America did not commence until 220 years later. However, that is not to say that there were no prestigious auctioneers or auction galleries in America prior to Sothebys....

Horses have been sold at auction in the “New World” dating back to the time of the Pilgrims. As an early form of transportation and a source of labor the horse was a necessity for the development and expansion of the colonies and territories of early...

Last month I asked about unusual commodities sold at auction and promised to share with you auctions that move at a “snails pace”....

Farm auctions have been popular in America since before the dawn of this nation. The auction method has always been the most efficient system...

Original auction catalogs provide an instant, time dated, snapshot of the past. These historical catalogs illustrates how auction businesses operated long ago...

We all know that the finest things in the world sell at public auction. The auction method of marketing dating back to the earliest civilizations has worked for the disposition of all types of assets from the spoils of war to fine art....

The Multi-Ring Auction is not a new concept. In fact, the method dates back to Colonial times when large estates had to be liquidated during daylight hours....

Studying early original historical papers always provides unique insights regarding the way people lived, conducted business and -- in this case -- handled the affairs of a family member that died....

In 1902, farmer hired auctioneer to negotiate with girl for marriage, but then auctioneer had to sue to collect his pay. Reprinted from the Times-Republican of Marshalltown , Iowa....

A.D. Powers, from Chicago, Ill, was the first President of the International Association of Auctioneers formed on August 22nd, 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri at a gathering of Auctioneers in a building within the St. Louis World’s Fair grounds....

The celebrated English Auctioneer, George Robins (1778 – 1847) had the honor of cataloging and auctioning the contents of the castle known as “Strawberry Hill” over a 24 day period at his Auction Rooms in Covent Gardens. This catalog and subsequent...

The larger the crowd of anxious bidders that assembles before the auction begins, the more comfortable an auctioneer feels. Auctioneers want to feel the energy produced by a swarm of eager bidders at the start of the auction. A large crowd endorses...

Collecting auction-related memorabilia and studying the history of auctions is very rewarding. Each acquisition provides a snippet of historical information that reveals or reinforces data on how auctions were conducted in earlier times...

Since the late 1800s Auctioneers have utilized printed business cards and trade cards to solicit business...

Featured this month are postcards from livestock auctions of the early 1900s. The cards show the scenes, the language and the advertising concepts that surrounded this type of auction in that period of history...

Abraham Lincoln, America’s 16th president, born in 1809, is perhaps the most collected of all the past presidents...

A six-page handwritten estate settlement document dated December 11, 1863, provides a glimpse of life in the South during the Civil War and the workings of the auction method of marketing at that time...

The history of Auctions in America contains the stories of many memorable collectors, dealers and Auctioneers as well as the treasures that they accumulated and dispersed...

It is my opinion that the auction method of marketing was the key to the successful expansion and economic development of America. The entrepreneurial spirit of early settlers coupled with the auction method of marketing...

A symbol of authority, used to show “finality” to an auction transaction, the auction hammer, or gavel, has been a prized possession of the professional auctioneer all through history.

For those of us that thought that only Colonels sold the spoils of war during the American Civil War, I present an original auction broadside dated Wednesday, Nov. 27, 1861 that is titled “Marshal’s Sale.”

What has holes, and still holds water? A sponge . Sponge auctions have been conducted around the world for centuries in the “primary” wholesale market...

If so, this auctioneer would have to have been from royalty, an English gentleman, well-bred and educated, savvy and street smart.....

Twenty minutes away from Manhattan , NY, lays a quiet St. Ignatius Jesuit Retreat House set in a beautiful mansion. The mansion, known as “Inisfada”—Gaelic for “ Long Island ”—was first owned by the utilities millionaires Nicholas and Genevieve Brady.

Illustrated on this page is an 1876 engraving titled “Wife Auction in England,” originally illustrating a story by Charles Reade in the November 18 edition of Harper’s Weekly. The article focused on the auction of Joseph Thompson’s wife by Thompson on A

This story about one of the outstanding Auctioneers of the early 1900s starts with a photo I purchased on eBay a couple of years ago of an auction scene in Ohio. The photo came from a gentleman in Oregon.

Col. J. P. Gutelius (pronounced go-tel-us) described himself as a livewire in his book High Lights on Auctioneering, written in 1922. His first auction was in 1890. He retired in 1922, with 32 years of experience on the block.

The auction method of marketing was utilized by the U.S. Government in the dispersal of “Indian Lands” starting with the passage of the Dawes Commission Act in 1893. The act implemented a policy of dividing tribal lands into individual holdings. Althoug

A tremendous amount of information has been written regarding the auction method of marketing, and I would like to present a list to you here.

I never grow tired of learning about auction history. Auctions are very much integrated into daily lives of people in the past and present. I find it fascinating to learn the impacts of the auction method of marketing on our culture and how different tu

American Auctioneers, sheriffs, administrators and government agencies have utilized print advertising in city newspapers as a way to announce auctions from the advent of tabloid distribution

According to a large 1916, four-page red-and-black brochure, Charles S. Powell sold “Land” across America since 1889. Today, we have the opportunity to learn about selling real estate at auction from “the Master-Mind at the helm” of a land-selling machi

Illustrated on this page are original engraved metal or cast metal print types mounted on wood providing images pertaining to the Auctioneer or the auction method of marketing.

On the walls of the National Auctioneers Museum hang the commemorative plaques of Auctioneers who have been recognized for their outstanding service to the profession of auctioneering and to the National Auctioneers Association. Since 1961 over 100 Auct

This subject contains so much debated material that it could be presented in book form. My task is to reduce it to an article of approximately 1,000 words without losing the important points. As a book, the first chapter would most likely cover what led

Ford's Theatre in downtown Washington DC will forever be associated with the events of April 14, 1865 , when President Abraham Lincoln, seated in Box 7 , was assassinated by actor John Wilkes Booth. The National Parks Service has preserved the site of

A significant number of historical broadsides, posters, catalogs and other advertising pieces exist that provide evidence of the popularity of land auctions in America from the 1890s through the 1920s. Land development was booming during this period and

We all realize that one of the most important features of the auction method of marketing is a creative and targeted advertising program. However, the first step to a successful auction is convincing the seller to choose your auction service rather then

The December 1929 issue of the magazine Touring Topics contains an interesting article of the first land auction in the city of Los Angeles . According to the article, in 1849 the city funds were extremely low and an auction of city land was needed to m

From the late 19th century to the mid 20th century the penny postcard was a very popular way for Americans to communicate. Telephones were not yet a household item. Interstate highways were not developed yet.

Bringing every available citizen together once a week for the purpose of buying and selling is the goal of the auctioneer that conducts “Community Auctions” in their “auction barn” or at the local Grange hall. The Community Auction is an American tradit

From the earliest times, fur has been utilized by man and considered a prized commodity. The word “fur”refers to any animal skin or part that has hair, fleece, or fur fibers attached, either in a raw or processed state. The furs were also called “peltri

The American tradition of conducting auctions on-site at the farm dates back to the early colonies. In order to raise money, the early American settlers turned to the auction method of marketing to liquidate excess livestock, equipment, timber and produ

Without transportation, the auction method of marketing would not have flourished in early America. The auctioneer needed a mode of travel for himself and his goods. In addition, the buyers needed to be able to get to the auction site.

I really get to meet a lot of interesting people working at the National Auctioneers Museum. Recently, I met George Morse, who had a reel-to-reel recording and some photographs that I was interested in acquiring for the museum. Morse, who retired in Feb

I thought I would kick the New Year off with a pictorial exhibit of some late 19th Century and early 20th Century views of auctions conducted in the streets of early America.

One of the most valuable sources of information about auctioneers and the auctioneer profession at the National Auctioneers Museum is the collection of auctioneer publications. We have several complete sets of the Auctioneer, of course published by the

No one knows exactly when auctions began, but the simple idea of lifting a product into the air and having people gather around to bid on it to receive the highest price possible was a natural idea that occurred to man in society very early.

At the end of my last column I asked the question “What was the first auction school in America ?” To my knowledge it was the Jones' National School of Auctioneering and Oratory. Its first session started July 12, 1904 .

The auction method of marketing was utilized throughout the history of America for the sale of just about every commodity known to man. During the 19th century auctioneers sold all types of agricultural products and livestock on-site for farmers, hunter

According to an article in the National Auctioneer magazine in 1904 over half of all real estate sold in New York at that time was sold at public auction. Real estate auctions were very popular then and Joseph P. Day was leading the way.

“ My experience has convinced me that in the spring the early (farm) sales are all good ones. Persons who have sold stock, especially horses, are looking about to supply their needs ready for spring use.”

The act of two or more bidders organizing to form a “ring” or “pool” designed to suppress prices by not competing with each other, is illegal. However, it is a fact that “syndicates” of bidders have pooled at auctions all through history causing signifi