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COLORADO AUCTIONEER
First Quarter • 2015
The The Quarterly Quarterly Newsletter Newsletter of of the the Colorado Colorado Auctioneers Auctioneers Association Association
2015 Annual Convention Review By O.J. Pratt, CAI, CAA President
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ur 2015 Convention was a convention of Mores! More attendees than we have had in several years, more participants in the Championship, more dollars raised in the fun auction, and more new members. The Friday night Fun auction brought in $16,640 in comparison to last years $9,500. The Championship competition total was $9,556 vs $6,200 in 2014. Our new event- “Kids Auction” fetched $542 for the CAA Foundation. I was the one in charge of the event but many, many board members and others deserve the high praise for making it work so well. I won’t take the space to list everyone but if you helped, a huge heartfelt “Thank You.” Here are a few of those that deserve special recognition. The National Auctioneers association for sending both Vice President, Spanky Assiter and NAA, CEO Hannes Combest to speak and judge our contest at minimal cost to us. If you aren’t already a member of the NAA please consider joining. Our fantastic speakers, Jenelle Taylor, Robert Mayo and John Korrey for sacrificing their time to travel and teach our group. The CAA Foundation for hosting the Kids Auction on Friday evening. Auction Boulevard, LLC for the toy donation to fund the event. If you don’t already know, you are a member of the Foundation. The Foundation Board is gearing up for exciting projects, stay tuned! Special thanks to Casey Giddings for her efforts to organize and catalog the fun auction for the last several years. Special thanks to Director Dean Gunter and his Mile High Car Company for the Harley Davidson donation to the fun auction.
Thanks to all our vendors, but a special “Thank You” to The Fence Post for sponsoring the fun auction and also giving us advertising to sell at the event. Thank you to those past champions who braved the weather to attend and be recognized. Finally, thanks to the great staff at the Westin. They were always ready, willing and able to accommodate our group in every way. I am happy to have been a part of the convention and even happier to pass that baton to VP Butch Haglestrom for the 2016 event.
Website / Directory Update David & Diana have diligently been working on updating the members for our website. We believe we have it completed at this time. www.coauctioneers.com
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If we have missed you… Please let us know. Thank you!
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From the President
CAA President’s Message By O.J. Pratt, CAI
Thanks for the honor of being elected to serve as president of the CAA board. I am excited at the group of directors that was elected to manage the association for 2015 and beyond. It is an excellent cross section of the auction industry. We have directors who haven’t come close to a thirtieth birthday yet and some for which that date is an ancient memory. We have held two board meetings to date and the diversity of information represented will enable us to serve all our members very well. I started working the floor at auctions at age 12 when my job was to collect the cash payments for every item as it sold. Emily Wears mentioned that she started at about that same age but it was because she could clerk on the computer! The changes in our industry in the last 40 years are truly amazing. When I bought Pacific Auction in 1984, I hand wrote my advertising list on a big chief tablet and drove to the various newspapers to place ads. No one had invented a fax machine much less e-mail and online bidding. Looking back always presents the question “What lies ahead?”. A mentor always told me “Predicting is difficult, especially about the future”. My goal as your president and our goal as your board will be to set a path of continued success for the CAA for the next 5 years. We were fortunate that the NAA was willing to send the CEO, Hannes Combest, to meet with our board to help us create a plan. Hannes spent a full day with the board. We discussed many aspects of the CAA, it’s past and it’s future. Mission: CAA exists to educate auction professionals, to promote CAA members and to monitor legislation in Colorado for the auction industry. Our vision is to have all auction professionals in Colorado be members of the CAA. I invite you to get involved. Ask a friend to join the CAA. If you hire other auctioneers request that they be CAA members. Our organization will be come stronger with every new member. The board welcomes any comments or suggestions as we work to continually improve the Colorado Auctioneers Association. O.J Pratt, CAI 2015 CAA President
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT: O.J. Pratt, CAI Pacific Auction Companies 1330 Main Street • Longmont, CO 80501 303-772-7676 • Cell: 303-598-8585 ojpratt@pacificauction.com 1st VICE PRESIDENT: Butch Hagelstrom Buckhorn Auction Services P. O. Box 306 • Fort Lupton, CO 80621 303-827-5157 • buckhornauctions@earthlink.net 2nd VICE PRESIDENT: Eric Arrington The Auction Team 1610 Hwy. 505 • Grand Junction, CO 81503 970-245-1185 • Cell: 970-623-9161 • eric@theauctionteam.com CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD: John Schaffner Schaffner Auctions 36470 CR Z • Wray, CO 80758 970-332-5196 • Cell: 970-630-3402 • jschaffner51@yahoo.com TREASURER/ DIRECTOR: Walt Partridge, BAS Partridge Auctions • 6577 N. Windfield Ave. Parker, CO 80134 • 303-840-7573 Cell 303-881-2632 • waltsells@hotmail.com Sean Allen 9920 City View Dr. • Morrison, CO 80465 303-888-2722 • seanallen79@gmail.com Dean Gunter Rocky Mtn. Auctioneers 1480 Ainsworth St. • Colorado Springs, CO 80915 719-570-7800 • Cell: 719-650-8184 • deangunter21@gmail.com Sammy Hamblen - Sammy Hamblen Auctioneers 15926 W. CR 86 • Pierce, CO 80650 970-834-9528 • Cell: 970-215-0157 • sammyhamblen@yahoo.com Josh Larson 310 N. Wayne • Haxton, CO 80731 970-520-2946 • jmlauction@gmail.com Michael Nichols - Odle-Cumberlin Auctioneers 22300 CR 9 • Flagler, CO 80815 719-350-0126 • mnichols96@esrta.com Emily Wears, BAS, ATS 1826 Mehaffey Bridge Rd NE • Solon, IA 52333 435 Wapiti Trail • Cheyenne, WY 82007 319-331-1888 • emily@wearsauctioneering.com Cissy Tabor - Auction Country, LLC 951 21 Rd, Unit B • Fruita, CO 81521 970-985-8228 • cissysauction@gmail.com David P. Whitley, CAI, CES, BAS - Rocky Mtn. Estate Brokers, Inc. 24 Oak Ave. • Eaton, CO 80615 970-454-1010 • Cell: 970-539-1269 • david@whitleyauction.com Diana Raven • Association Administrator 8757 W. Cornell Ave., #9 • Lakewood, CO 80227 720-242-7971 • Cell: 303-618-1162 • diana_rave@comcast.net
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Government
“Day At The Capitol”
CAA Members Invited to Colorado State Capitol on April 10th By Michael Nichols, Legislative Chairman
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f you missed the email blast… Mark your Calendars CAA Members Invited Back to the Colorado State Capitol on April 10th. In honor of National Auctioneers Day (which is actually April 18th) we hope you’ll join your fellow CAA members for a visit to the State Capitol on April 10! We are set to meet with Representative Becker, in his office, at the Capitol on April 10th @ 8:30 for introductions. Representative Becker will introduce us on the floor at approximately 9 am. All members of the CAA are invited and strongly encouraged to attend the event. Our organization will be honored and announced on the floor of the legislature. In past years, we have been able to meet many of our elected officials. Mike has been hard at work lining up the day at the capitol/Governor’s proclamation. Mark your calendar, enter it in Google, post it on Facebook or write it on the refrigerator door…but please plan to attend! Please R.S.V.P.: Michael Nichols - mnichols96@esrta.com or 719-350-0126. We are allowed 20 spaces on the floor, so let’s fill them! Let’s have a strong showing for National Auctioneers Day!
NOT NOT DEAD------ALIVE DEAD------ALIVE AND AND ACTIVE ACTIVE
The CAA posse is seeking your news,
THE CAA POSSE IS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR ACTIVE CAA MEMBERS WHO stories, successes, ARE READY WILLING ANDTHE ABLELOOKOUT TO failures, SERVEFORONACTIVE THE experiences BOARD DIRECTORS THE CAA POSSE IS ON CAA OF MEMBERS WHO and guidance… OF CAA. IF YOU MATCH THIS DESCRIPTION TURN YOURSELF IN BEFORE ARE READY WILLING AND ABLE TO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS YOU ARE IFHUNTED DOWN!!!! JOHN or SCHAFFNER ATexpertise 970-630-3402 OF CAA. YOU THISCALL DESCRIPTION TURN YOURSELF IN BEFORE Share anMATCH experience your FOR INSTRUCTIONS. CALL NOW!!!!! AN ELECTION FOR BOARD OF YOUin AREan HUNTED DOWN!!!! CALL JOHN SCHAFFNER AT 970-630-3402 article that could assist fellow DIRECTORS WILL BE HELD THE CAA CONVENTION IN JANUARY. FOR INSTRUCTIONS. CALLAT NOW!!!!! AN ELECTION FOR BOARD OF CAA members. DIRECTORS WILL BE HELD AT THE CAA CONVENTION IN JANUARY.
For the Spring Newsletter (2nd Quarter), we’d love to hear “What creative promotions / strategies have you used in your auction business?”
Please email your answer to: cissysauction@gmail.com by April 30th.
Contract for Hire Cissy Tabor Auctioneer / Professional Ringman / Clerk (970) 985-8228 cissysauction@gmail.com
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AUCTION CO. MHBAR BAR MH
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Mike Heitmann
Mike Heitmann Mike Heitmann
Office • (719) 683-7235 Office • (719) 683-7235 • (719) 683-7235 Cell • Office (406) 450-2051 • (406) 450-2051 Cell Cell • (406) 450-2051 mhbar@earthlink.net mhbar@earthlink.net mhbar@earthlink.net
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MONTANA MONTANA AUCTIONEERS AUCTIONEERS ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION
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Champions
2015 Bid Calling Champion By Doug Carpenter, CAI AARE
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s I sat and watched the 2014 Colorado Auctioneers Association Bid Calling Championship, I told myself I could win this competition next year. I did not say that because I felt I was better than any competitor competing, however, I saw how polished Scott Schuman was and how well he presented himself. I told myself, “I can do that.” So, how was I going to do that? It sounded easy, but I found that I had to prepare if I was going to win. To win, I had to think about the whole competition and not just about the bid calling aspect. In January 2014, I joined a local Toastmasters club here in Grand Junction. This is an organization that helps you speak in front of a crowd. We all do it everyday in our business; however, in this setting they critique you. It was intimidating, but I loved it. The club I joined disbanded in mid-summer of 2014, so I was without my ‘interview portion’ support for the last 6 months of the year, however, I put the things I had learned into practice and moved forward. The second aspect of the competition was, of course, the bid calling portion. My thought was, if I am not the best bid caller in the competition I want to gain points from other areas like the interview, poise, command, etc. However, I wanted to learn how to become a better bid caller, so I solicited the help of a good friend of mine, Kevin Borger, who won the 2010 IAC championship in Kansas City. I met with Kevin in February 2014 and he worked with me by giving me different pointers on the chant, videoing my performances and critiquing them. Talk about intimidating!! I met with him again in July where we went over more detail in regards to the chant. Then it was just practice, practice, practice! One piece of advice that Kevin gave me was that I needed to practice every day. And practice in front of a mirror so that I could see my mannerisms and movements. I felt very confident during the competition. I felt like I performed well…then I watched it back on barnmedia.net and wanted to cringe, I made many mistakes. But as I thought back on the competition I realized that I was not the best bid caller in the group of the 20 who competed, I realized that I won because I was the most prepared. I want to thank Kevin Borger from the bottom of my heart for all the help he gave me. I treasure our friendship! And, I want to thank my Toastmaster Club for the critiques they gave me that made me better prepared for the goal I had set one year before. Please contact me if you need any further information. 4
FIRST TIMERS CHAMPION! The first word that comes to mind is surprise. My fellow First Timers that I competed with were so good! I did not expect to hear my name called as the winner. It was suggested to me by another Troil Welton Memorial Award recipient to not second guess, just accept, so I’m going with that, but I thought everyone was phenomenal! I spent a fair amount of time practicing my bid calling leading up to the contest; Daily Dozen Drills, selling the dog, counting bids from countless telephone poles, hanging out at auctions where the nice auctioneers gave me a chance to practice. Attending auctions for the ‘auctionmosis’ [def. hanging around auctions hoping that something will sink in] and even conducting a few benefit auctions of my own. I also participated in the Fun Auction at the conference on Friday night - which seemed to help with getting used to the feeling that I was going to throw up. While I was in Las Vegas in December for BAS Designation Training, I had the opportunity to work with some great bid callers including JillMarie Wiles of Oregon, who is one of the awesome instructors at World Wide College of Auctioneering. One of the problems I had been having, was remembering who bid what. JillMarie suggested I think of the auction as having a conversation with my bidders. She said, “If you’re having a conversation, it’s hard to forget who you’re talking to”. It seems obvious, but that was a light-bulb moment for me and it really helped. It is also necessary to thank Paul C. Behr, and the instructors at World Wide for teaching me how NOT to pass out. On the last day of school this past September, the day we took our written and oral test, all the nice instructors suddenly turned in to drill sergeants, barking orders and roughing us up. Did you know Paul C. is a Marine? Anyway, I have experience as a live performer and a voice-over artist, so I’m used to a healthy dose of stage fright, but this was the stuff that makes you want to breathe into a brown paper bag! When the testing was over, those nice instructors apologized and let us know that we would never be that nervous again, and to date, they were right! All stomach and anxiety issues aside, competing was exhilarating and rewarding. I highly recommend it and look forward to the next opportunity. Our conference is too short to meet and sit down with everyone, but I’m so grateful for the warm welcome I felt as a newbie and for the future opportunities to get to know more of you. It’s thrilling to have found a profession I feel I was born to be a part of and is filled with salt of the earth good people. If anyone reading is ever in the Denver area and would like to get together for coffee, please give me a ring 303-674-0020. I’m looking forward to meeting more of you at the picnic this summer. - Jennifer Clifford
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Convention News
First Timers Competition By Michael Nichols
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ne of the most important resources of any organization is the addition of new members. Whether these members are newcomers to the auction industry or veteran auctioneers, the CAA welcomes YOU to our auction family. Saturday evening at our annual convention we had a spirited First Timers Bid Calling contest; 6 new auctioneers chose to compete in the contest for the coveted Troil Welton Memorial Award. All the participants did a very professional job and I was proud to call them all, fellow auctioneers. This award is named after an auctioneer who was passionate about helping new auctioneers. Mr. Troil Welton spent more than 45 years in the auction profession and was a pioneer of the CAA along with being honored as a member of the CAA Hall of Fame and the NAA Hall of Fame. Following his passing in 1999, the board voted to annually present the Troil Welton Memorial Award to the Best of the First Timers Bid Calling competition. The first timers in the bid-calling contest also had a first timer for an emcee, myself, Michael Nichols. This particular contest has been organized and conducted by Mr. John Schaffner for a number of years in which he always did a very professional job and I want to thank John for his leadership and allowing me to take his place. I am honored the board appointed me to for this position. Just a few years ago, I was a contestant in the First Timers Bid Calling competition and I can truly say that this is a very successful contest that allows the rookie auctioneers to sell and be judged in front of a tough, but very supportive audience that is comprised mostly of their peers. All of the contestants must have completed their auction school or training within the last 12 months to compete in the First Timers Bid Calling competition. The rookie auctioneers that chose to compete in the contest were Reno Babcock, Janae Branning, Jennifer Clifford, Luke Ewing, Tracy Lynn Weise and Michael Whitfield. The competition was close, but a winner
prevailed and that person was Jennifer Clifford from Lakewood, CO. Jennifer also made history by being the first woman to win this contest! Congratulations to Jennifer and congratulations to all of the contestants. I thank you for competing. The first timers to the CAA were also given a Scavenger Hunt to complete that challenged them to meet and greet various members of the CAA. On Sunday, at the annual board meeting, one of the members names were drawn to win a free membership for 2016. Luke Ewing was the winner of the free membership for next year. I want to challenge the membership body of this fine organization to go out and recruit a new member or a person that has been a past member and invite them to rejoin. We are a member-powered organization and we have greater strength in numbers. Whether we help each other through business opportunities, experience or fellowship; we will have a stronger united membership we can all be proud of. Children’s Fun Auction and Jr. Bid Calling Championship Declared A Success
I was very pleased to see a Jr. Bid Calling Championship added to this year’s convention. Also, the addition of the children’s auction was a crowd pleaser. I think the addition of these two events says a lot for CAA and the intention of getting people excited about the auction method of marketing. It was fun to hear so many young people at the convention practicing their chants and getting excited about the profession that the rest of us love. Regardless if a person is entering the children’s fun auction, the Jr. Bid Calling Championship, First Timers Bid Calling Championship or the State Championship I believe they learn much about themselves and their abilities. They are all Champions in my book. I was very excited to see my daughter Amanda compete in the Jr. Bid Calling Championship and I was a very proud father when she was named champion. She received encouragement and guidance from the other competitors and they performed like champions as well. In each of the events, it would have been hard to be a judge. I am looking forward to seeing the talent that moves through the CAA in the future – it is going to just keep getting tougher! - Scott Shuman
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Convention
Emily Ford’s Quilt Reflects CAA Spirit Of Giving By Cissy Tabor
The kind of giving that generates happiness does not go on sale at the end of the year. In fact, it’s not even for sale. You can’t put a price tag on it, nor can it be mass-produced. And it certainly doesn’t require gift-wrapping. The concept of real giving cannot be commercialized. It’s January 2015 and not the end of the year, but the beginning. And I believe this year the Colorado Auctioneers Association and auction attendees were able to experience the true essence of giving during the Fun Auction on Friday night. Dean Gunter gave many “gifts” to the CAA this year, however, there is one in particular that kept on giving and touched more lives than just a single bidder. Dean has transacted business with the Ford family through his car dealership for many years and has had the privilege of getting to know them and their daughter, Emily. Emily has a talent and love for making custom designed quilts, which she shares with her mother, Brenda, and creates beautiful quilts that are truly one-of-a-kind. Emily’s Masterpiece Quilt was displayed prior to the start of the convention for all attendees to view until the Fun Auction in which Dean shared his story for the request of the quilt and of Miss Emily’s talents along with the creativity & support of her mother, at which time Brenda stated that the quilt was a gift to the CAA and ALL proceeds were to be donated to The Colorado Auctioneers Association. Bidding was quick and came down to 2 individuals, Dayton Roller and Kevin Mitchell for the price of $800.00, in which Dayton asked Mitchell if they both raised the price to $1000.00 and would CAA cover the cost of an additional quilt to be purchased. Emily agreed and two winners were announced for an Emily Ford Quilt and the room applauded excitedly. Upon the completion, President John Schaffner presented Emily as an Honorary Colorado Auctioneer. Therefore, we could say “the true essence of the kind of giving that creates happiness not only for the giver, but also, for the one receiving.” When you give from your heart, you put yourself in line to experience a deeply rewarding truth and there really is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving and I believe this was true for everyone that evening with the auction of an Emily Ford Masterpiece Quilt. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Giving Back In Support Of Our Industry…
Dean Gunter, of Mile High Car Company, and a fellow CAA member made a decision this past year to reinvest back into the auction industry that he has grown to love in conjunction with his career as an owner of an automobile car company. It was first announced in December that Dean would be donating a 2006 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 with only 1016 miles to be auctioned off to the highest bidder at absolute / no minimum… Upon giving Dean a hard time and telling him that it was going to be an exciting auction, I asked him about his donation and why he chose to donate such a fantastic item… He replied that it had been discussed amongst the board members in regard to bringing in quality items for our Fun Auction and it seems that the suggestion just grew from there! He saw an opportunity that he could assist in and he took it. It may not be well known, however, our 2015 Convention in conjunction with the Harley Davidson item was quite the buzz on different Facebook groups in which many other auctioneers were excited / impressed with this item and look forward to hearing what the outcome would be. I have to say that I think CAA helped “set the bar” for Fun Auction Item Donations amongst our industry profession! As we all know, there were many individuals ready to raise their bid card for a chance to win the Harley Davidson motorcycle, however, as we all know….you have to be 6
that final bid to get the keys and title to be able to take it home! For Luke Ewing, who is a 1st year CAA member, who was the final bidder for the motorcycle and received the delivery the following week of the 2015 CAA Convention. In addition, Dean and Alliance Auto Auction are donating a car to the NAA Foundation and will be sold at the World Auto Auctioneers Championship this upcoming April 2015, which is being held in Las Vegas, during the preliminary rounds. Mile High Car Company and Alliance Auto Auction are from Colorado and are excited to invest / contribute not only back into the profession they love, but also by donating these vehicles and their proceeds to the NAA Foundation which, as Dean states, “Helps many, many auctioneers across our country.” Even though Dean operates his company on a full-time basis, his passion in the industry is within the Benefit / Fundraising Auction market and if there is any way he can help others…he will do his best to do so. For Dean, it is not about the recognition / status / credit that he may receive in doing so…for Dean, it is about giving back to what he believes in, what he loves to do and supporting others in any way he can possible.
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Loving Memory
In Loving Memory The Man With the Golden Voice By Cissy Tabor
H
e was born Craig Ninker, but the majority of us who met / knew him in the past decade, knew him as Dax. He had rosy cheeks, an award winning smile that lit up the room or gave you that hint of mischievousness he possessed or the look you’ve just been caught, not to mention, a deep chested laugh that was so infectious you couldn’t help but get caught up in his laughter. But, no matter what, once you met him, you met a friend…and a friend till the end was Dax Gillium! If it wasn’t for The Scavenger Hunt at the convention for “first timers,” many of us wouldn’t originally know that Dax was a very talented pianist / musician. He couldn’t read music. But was a natural & learned everything by ear… By the time he heard a song three times…he’d have it down flawlessly! In his years after high school, Craig and his best friend were a duo and would literally “sing for their supper.” Somewhere along the way, he ended up in Dickenson, North Dakota country where Dax Gillium emerged he was the man on the radio with an amazing deep golden voice. Dax moved to Denver to help his father while he had knee surgeries where he met Miss Lu Hays, who lived next door, and a friendship began. Their first date, he took her to McDonald’s and that was the beginning of the “boy next door” romance. They were married in Vegas at the Chapel of Bells with all the bells and whistles. For Lu, Dax gave her the ultimate gift of love, friendship, romance, honor and respect. They went camping, teaching her the fine art of fishing (yes, she would make him clean the fish), traveling (he loved Las Vegas) and playing piano. “Being with Dax was the happiest time of my life and it was an honor and pleasure to be his friend and wife. I will love him forever.” In 2005, Dax took Lu to her first auction by Fenter Auctions, with Shannon Schur as the auctioneer and Rich was assisting. Shannon noticed Dax’s rich voice and suggested he attend auction school, in which both he and Rich attended the World Wide College of Auctioneering September 2005 session. A great friendship developed between the two and the Colorado auction industry has 8
forever been changed. Dax had a passion for auctions and it showed. He was a man of many talents, but his greatest gift was the gifts of friendship / mentor. The 2015 CAA Convention arrived and so did Dax! He wouldn’t have missed it for the world! Dax & Lu spent Saturday evening attending the dinner and 2015 Bid Calling Championship with fellow attendees in which we, as an organization / peers / friends were able to have a moment to honor him and his attendance at our event, recognizing him for being the reigning 2014 Honorary State Champion in which he passed on the trophy to the new state champion of 2015. Even though his voice was raspy, his humor was still there and he was enjoying the evening’s events. He loved being an auctioneer and loved this industry till the very end and in helping / encouraging fellow auctioneers. It wasn’t long after our convention when family members surrounded Dax in a circle of love where he lost his battle to the cancer and went home to be with Our Heavenly Father. I believe I can say this for everyone when I state, “You have impacted our lives with your infectious smile, humor, compassion, passion, integrity and character. You will forever be………… The Man With the Golden Voice.”
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News
Jim Odle Honored At 2015 Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall Of Fame
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n November 2014, the Colorado FFA Foundation announced four inductees into the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame. Dr. Temple Grandin of Fort Collins, James “Jim” Odle of Brush, Don Rutledge of Yuma and Robert Tuttle of Eckert were formally inducted into the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame in February at the annual Hall of Fame Banquet. Friends, peers and business associates recognized the four inductees during the Farm Credit Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame Banquet on Feb. 26, 2015, at the Renaissance Hotel in Denver, Colorado. The honorees joined 81 other outstanding Colorado agriculturists who have been honored since 1989. All Agriculture Hall of Fame members’ portraits will be displayed at the CoBank Center for Agricultural Education at Colorado State University upon its completion. Hosted by the Colorado FFA Foundation, the banquet is held yearly to induct members into the Agriculture Hall of Fame who have significantly contributed to Colorado’s second largest industry. A unique, multimedia presentation will highlight the life of each new inductee during the ceremony. James “Jim” Odle has been instrumental in revolutionizing the way cattle are marketed throughout the United States. He has spent most of his life as an auctioneer and steward to his community. After operating several livestock auction barns and selling farm equipment, he turned his sites to a larger market. Through his vision and leadership Superior Livestock was founded and to date has marketed over 34 million head of cattle by way of satellite video selling. He is also co-founder of Cowboy Church TV, a nationally broadcast show on RFD-TV. Given his leadership, vision and interest in helping others, it is only natural that he was also a founder in the “All American Beef Battalion,” an organization that honors our men and women who serve our country by feeding them a steak dinner prior to or after deployment. Currently he serves as a management consultant to Superior and raises cattle and horses on his ranch. Sources: agjournalonline.com and coloradoffafoundation.org
CAA Awards 2015 Scholarship The CAA was proud to award a $500 educational scholarship to one of our member’s daughter at the 2015 CAA Convention this year. Ms. Sydney Silver, daughter of CAA member Norm (wife Tracey) Silver, was the recipient of the scholarship. Sydney attends Colorado State University and plans to earn a degree with a double major in equine science and psychology. Her dream is to start her own facilitated psychotherapy business and help troubled teenagers. Sydney has had a hand in numerous volunteer roles including, but not limited to, training new horses at Saddle Up!, working as a stable hand at SU, served as an intern with a large animal veterinarian. We are pleased to congratulate Sydney on her scholarship award and wish her all the success in pursuing her goals! ~ Butch Hagelstrom
LIVE Media Coverage Provided for CAA Convention The BARN Media & the Colorado News Network provided coverage once again for the 2015 Colorado State Champion Auctioneer Contest through live video streaming. At this point in time, it shows that the First Timers Auction has been viewed 338 times and the 2015 Colorado State Championship has been viewed 1,917 times with the page reflecting 103 Facebook “likes” and 8 Tweets! Our organization would like to “Thank” BARN Media Founder / Chief, Brian Allmer and his lovely wife, Connie Allmer, for their continued support to the Colorado Auctioneer’s Association and in promoting our organization, CAA and its members. You can directly watch the competitions at the following link: https://new.livestream.com/ BarnMedia/CAA-AuctioneerContest
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2014 CAA CONVENTION MEMORIES Special thank you to Adele Nichols with CAA Pictures
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CAA Foundation
CAA Foundation Sponsors Inaugural Children’s Fun Auction By Cissy Tabor
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his year we had many “Moments of 1st” and the success of those could not be anymore evident than during the 1st auction to kick-off our convention, the Inaugural Children’s Fun Auction! As we gathered around in the convention room after dinner and began to take our seats, the children / grandchildren of CAA members were looking over the items offered to be auctioned by their choice. Walt Partridge’s granddaughter quickly got our attention with her growing confidence and captivated the attendees to her chant as Walt and Doug Carpenter stood by for assistance, if needed. “The auction’s on” and we were off and running! Grandma was the winning bidder and our next convention auctioneer was Walt’s grandson…. As the children grew in their confidence, so did the pace in choosing their 2nd / 3rd items and boldly walking up to the stage to “Sell, Sell, Sell.” Along with the growth of their confidence, so did their pride at “their new item” they just sold. It was a joy to hear the children show one another “their new purchases” and say… “Look what I just got!” A big shoutout of “Thank You” goes out to the support from the grandparents, parents, friends and members in helping bid / win the items for those “upcoming auctioneers” and raise funds for the Foundation successfully. The feedback received was that this new event was a success and we are looking forward to it next year. The success of pride and joy was apparent in the multitude of smiles displayed around the room coupled with the mass of cameras and video cameras recording their grandchildren / children. We wish to not only thank Auction Boulevard for sponsoring the toy donations, but also for organizing this successful new event to our convention, along with Walt Partridge and Doug Carpenter for the hosting / assistance given to the children. Last, but certainly NOT least, we would like to thank all of the children / grandchildren of the association members; Dean Gunter, Rob Hart, Lance Nichols, Walt Partridge and Scott Shuman that participated in this event and our association considers each and every one of them a winner.
CAA FOUNDATION GREAT NEWS!!! The Colorado Auctioneer’s Foundation (CAF) is on the brink of having all of its paperwork in place with the IRS. I am happy to provide you with a copy of our Certificate of Good Standing. Chris Gunlikson, attorney with Holland and Hart, has provided all the legal service for the start-up of our Foundation and he provided those services for no cost to the Foundation. That has been a huge savings and without his generous donation of time we would not have been able to afford to get our Foundation up and running. I want to thank Chris for all his efforts! Your Foundation Board, Doug Carpenter, Walt Partridge, OJ Pratt and Scott Schuman, met in early February, and will be meeting again soon, for a planning meeting and to set goals for this year. We have some fun things planned to get the Foundation bank account primed so we can start carrying on our mission of providing scholarships and educational opportunities to our members. Stay tuned. Great things are happening at CAF!! - Doug Carpenter
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Marketing
2015 CAA Marketing Contest Recap By Butch Hagelstrom
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he 2015 CAA Convention Marketing Contest provided the convention attendees with a variety of ideas and suggestions. This year’s judging was handled by independent judges, rather than utilizing the membership for the voting process. The invited judges were from the different vendors who had booths at our convention, with the qualification that their business disciplines allowed them to provide a non-partial evaluation for the contest. We had a good turnout of entries, with a total of approximately 40. The winners were judged from the categories with at least 2 items entered. The board felt that it did not meet the spirit of competition to provide an award for a category with only one entry. FOUR COLOR BROCHURE Real Estate
Auction Boulevard
Farm and/or Ranch (Machinery & Equipment)
Purple Wave
Antiques/Collectibles/Estate/ General Household
Micheal Auction Services
Benefit Auctions
No Award
Facebook Groups for Auction Industry • Colorado Auctioneers
• Professional Livestock
• National Auctioneers
• World Automobile
Association Association
• NAA Auxiliary • National Auctioneers Foundation
• National Auctioneers • • • • • •
Foundation Online Auction Auctioneers Auction Technology NAA / ATS Graduates Auction Chant Contract Auctioneers For Hire Livestock Auctioneers and Market Owners
Auctioneers
• • •
Auctioneers Professional Association Women Auctioneers (Women in the auction industry only) First Generation Auctioneers Real Auctions Real Auctioneers (Post your auctions for other auction professionals to see)
** I apologize if I have missed any…..
BUSINESS PROMOTION Company Brochure & Stationary
Auction Boulevard
Company Promotional Item
Rocky Mountain Estate Brokers
Company Apparel
MH Auctions
Internet Web Page
Affordable Auctioneering
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
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Board
Meet Your Newly Elected Board Directors
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ewly elected board members Josh Larson, Cissy Tabor, Emily Wears and David Whitley for the 2015 – 2016 term by sealed ballot. Each nominee seeking a position on the CAA Board provided a intro-speech in regard to their interest in and the asset(s) they believed that they could bring to the Colorado Auctioneers Association and its members as a newly appointed director. The election for the open director’s positions was sought after by new members and previous board members alike. We are looking forward to the promising outlook that the 2015 CAA Board of Directors and believe that these members will be a great asset for their service to the CAA. Walt Partridge has served his maximum length of term, however, he graciously remains a voluntary “member” of the board as the Treasurer at this time and we are grateful for his time / expertise to stay “connected” to the board. We wish to thank the outgoing members, Neil Enslow, Casey Giddings and Chairman of the Board Dax Gillium for their continued service and look forward to hear from them in the future.
Emily Wears
Josh Larson
Cissy Tabor
From the Editor
feel that it is valuable to us, as an organization and in fulfilling our membership goals, to gain / retain a strong number of association members.
I would first like to say “Thank You” to the association members for the honor of being nominated / elected onto the 2015-2016 CAA Board. I am thrilled at the opportunity that I have been given, (ok, I did request this opportunity), to oversee The Colorado Auctioneer newsletter and pray that I can over-deliver in my desire to provide a high-quality publication that will be read from cover-to-cover with great satisfaction.
How can we possibly do this? How can I expand our newsletter and learn new things about the auction industry, become a better auctioneer and businessman all the while providing a quality newsletter the association members will find valuable and enjoy reading and look forward to every quarter? I need to connect with you individually / collectively and NEED your help / assistance to do so. There is a vast amount of knowledge in our association and I am asking for you to share it with others and assist in the mentoring of new members / first generation auctioneers. We learn so much during attendance at auction school, however, it only scratches the surface of our complex industry and I feel that it is the lack of continued growth, education, knowledge, experience and mentoring that leaves us with a revolving door of members leaving or quitting this industry all together.
By Cissy Tabor
Each year as I have departed from our conventions, my mind would be spinning with questions and ideas from all of the wonderful education that I had just received, coupled with all of the knowledge that I lacked. I am a firstgeneration auctioneer and despite the fact that I crave education / learning experiences, I still feel at times that there is so much information that I am simply ignorant about. Why would I say ignorant? Ignorance is not stupidity. On the contrary, it is the lack of knowledge or information. With that being said, I am looking forward to being able to ask questions, seek ideas, look into different auction markets, auction categories, niches and learn more about them and be able to share them with association members. I believe that I am not the only one who desires to learn more and I
I have added a “Wanted Posting” in this newsletter that presents a question in which I hope to spur a response from YOU to provide new ideas, opportunities to be sought after, suggestions, recommendations and so forth. Not only do I know, but I truly believe in you
David Whitley
(the members), our state association, the experiences and education that is available to be shared and to assist one another in growing our auction industry profession and “first time” auctioneers within the State of Colorado. So please, be encouraged to contact me and share your experiences, let us know how you’ve accomplished success or how to prevent possible failures, road blocks that you’ve overcome or…how did you grow your business? Some of the older traditions / experiences are still valuable today and in many geographic locations. I believe that there are more individuals looking to you than you realize and our newsletter helps bridge the gap in between our annual conventions. Lastly, I want to “Thank” everyone that assisted me with putting the 2015 1st Quarter newsletter together. I am grateful to each and everyone that eagerly supplied me with an article upon request and would like to state that this couldn’t have happened without you! I’m already looking forward to what can be provided in the next newsletter as “I put this newsletter to bed.” The next deadline for the Spring Newsletter will be May 7th. ~ Cissy Tabor
cissysauction@gmail.com
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Members
Membership Report By Cissy Tabor
T
he Colorado Auctioneers Association has continued to grow in the strength of its dedicated members and even though the number has slightly fluctuated from year to year, the continued growth of fellow Colorado Auctioneers and additional outlying state members continues to increase. Our organization continues to mark a path of dedication by its members to ensure valuable service to our communities / clients / customers. In addition, our association continues to be recognized by our state legislature as an organization that is committed to our industry profession, legislation and in self-governing to make sure consumers are protected in their business transactions with CAA auctioneers. As of March 3, 2015, we are 122 members strong that are current on their yearly association dues with a potential addition of over 30 members who have not renewed their membership for this year. We hope to continue our growth in membership and strongly encourage you to renew within the near future in which Miss Diana has sent out a renewal email request.
Coming in the Next Issue: • CAA Board of Directors – Where are we heading? • Day At The Capital Review – A look at the Colorado Auctioneers visiting the Capitol • Member Spotlight(s) – A series highlighting members from our association • Coin Auctions – Benefits / Hazards of conducting online coin auctions
CAA Hall Of Fame In 2014, the CAA Hall Of Fame Members voted on and received their NEW Hall Of Fame pins.
Welcome New Members Gary Adler Reno Babcock Rod Bergholm Janae Branning Kurt Campbell Jennifer Clifford Luke Ewing Tim Fritch Rob Hart Edith Parrish-Kohler
Charles Rundell Daniel Miller Danny Nicodemus Tracy Weise Tamara Whelpley Michael (Whit) Whitfield CAA Honorary Member Emily Ford
Partridge Auction Services Walt Partridge Partridge Walt
• Is an NAA Designation right for you? – The benefits you can reap with an advanced auction education
2005 Colorado Champion Auctioneer Over 15 years experience as a Contract Auctioneer
• Getting Started? – Where to begin…..
waltsells@hotmail.com
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Phone: 303-881-2632 • Fax: 303-840-2058
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Members
A New Members View of CAA & Convention
W
By Reno Babcock
hen I was asked to write this article I thought, “Heck yes”, and jumped on the opportunity. Then as I replayed the conversation in my mind, I paused, they said they needed it when; this evening? NAAWW….. Couldn’t be, I had to have misunderstood. Upon doublechecking I discovered that I had, in fact, committed to writing an article with a deadline of only a few hours. Those who know me are well aware that I am more than capable of talking up a blue streak. Typing up a blue streak, on the other hand, is a COMPLETELY different animal. My view of the Colorado Auctioneers Association and Convention, is not just that of a new member, it is also the viewpoint of a brand-new auctioneer (having graduated from World Wide College of Auctioneering in Sept of 2014), and that of an out-of-state attendee. An obvious question would be why would I leave Montana in the middle of the winter and travel to Colorado to join this Association? That answer is quite simple. The CAA members that I met during school, whether they were there to teach, attend our student auction or just to show support for us as newcomers displayed an amazing amount of professionalism and true concern with our success as auction professionals. While at school for all of the obvious reasons I joined the NAA. I came to Colorado and joined the CAA because it was filled with the same caliber of people and those are the type of professionals and individuals, which I choose to surround myself with. With any new venture there tends to be a sense of apprehension if not a certain degree of fear. Will I fit in? Is this where I should be? Am I doing the right thing? For me, attending the CAA convention was no different. To be quite honest attending the convention also stretched my considerably limited budget. So I was also stressing over whether or not it was worth the investment. Basically, all of these questions were answered as soon as I reached the registration tables. The answer was “Yes.” “Yes I will fit in. Yes, this is where I should be and yes, I am doing the right thing.” The warm welcome that I received at the registration desk continued with every handshake and every hello. 18
I left every seminar and every conversation with valuable information and new insights. Interacting with all of the other members solidified my resolve in the knowledge that I had chosen the right profession. The first timer’s competition was an absolute blast and a great learning experience. Watching the pros and juniors compete was entirely inspirational. The quality of the speakers was outstanding. Attending the convention was worth every second of time and every penny spent. In short, I believe that the Colorado Auctioneers Association is doing a phenomenal job representing this profession and the professionals therein and I consider myself lucky and proud to be among its members.
Light Bulb Moments by Josh Larson I grew up in the little town of Haxtun, in Northeastern Colorado. My family and I have always been involved with agriculture and the last thing I ever thought I would be, is an auctioneer. When I think back to the adolescence of my auction career, it can only be described as a roller coaster ride. All too often I would find myself banging my head against the wall after hours of practicing to no avail. I mean to tell you, my poor dog has been subjected to some rough bid calling, but what’s great about Duke is that he never seemed to care. With a little persistence I soon came to find that after every tongue tied try, came a light bulb moment; a moment of perfect clarity when things just seemed to click. Even if only short lived those light bulb moments are what make us better. That’s right, “the sweet stuff.” They are what keeps us going, keeps us learning and keeps us excelling. After becoming involved with the CAA, it didn’t take me long to realize that this is what we are all about here; providing more of those breakthrough “light bulb” moments to our members. Whether you are the seasoned vet or a new face on the block, stay relevant, stay educated and keep growing. Join us, take full advantage of all that the CAA has to offer and you will see the benefits first hand. Lastly and maybe most importantly, get yourself a good dog, a little grit and I’ll see you at the convention.
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FIRST CLASS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 56 Parker, Colorado
Colorado Auctioneers Association, Inc. 1685 S. Colorado Blvd., Unit S-160 Denver, CO 80222 • 303-729-1195 www.coauctioneers.org
C A L ENDAR March 22-26, 2015 April 5, 2015 April 10, 2015 July 14-18, 2015 September 13-15, 2015 January 1-3, 2016
Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI), Bloomington, IN Easter Sunday CAA “Day at the Capitol” CAA Board of Directors Meeting NAA Conference & Show, Addison TX Benefit Auction Summit 2015, New Orleans, LA CAA Annual Convention, Westminister
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