The Colorado Auctioneer 3rd Quarter 2017

COLORADO AUCTIONEER

the Third Quarter • 2017

The Quarterly Newsletter of the Colorado Auctioneers Association

2018 Convention Preview

By Michael Nichols ur Annual CAA Convention is only a few months away and the New Year will be here before you know it. I wanted to say a few short words to let everyone know what you can look forward to at our 2018 CAA Convention.

Our convention speakers will include World and International Auctioneer Champions such as Neal Davis and Dustin Rogers, an Asset Protection Expert, Dr. Larry Oxenham, Pioneering Auction and Marketing Business Professional featuring our very own, Mr. Jim Odle, Champion Auctioneer and Professional Ringman instruction by Steve Cherry, Social Media and Technology experts of Adele Nichols and Aaron Traffas, two great speakers from our own CAA membership!

These auction professionals are sure to peak your interest in more than one area and I hope you attend their sessions.

This upcoming convention marks our associations, 60th Anniversary, and we are planning on hosting an additional auctioneer bid calling contest to kick off the convention. This is a special competition where only our past, Colorado Auctioneer State Champions can compete in and will be known as our “Challenge Of Champions.” The Champion will take home 75% of the entries and a “Challenge of Champions” 60th Anniversary belt buckle. The remaining 25% will go to the Colorado Auctioneers Association. Complete contest rules will be in the 4th Quarter newsletter. There has been a fair amount of interest from our past champions to participate and we look forward to seeing our state champs in fine form.

There will be a complete convention schedule and additional details in our 4th Quarter newsletter, The Colorado Auctioneer. So keep an eye out for it! Please make the time to attend our 2018 CAA 60th Anniversary Convention and I look forward to seeing you there.

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From the President

What a great experience! I hope that you took the time out of your busy schedule to witness a part of the wonderful universe that we live in and caught, at the very least, a part of the eclipse.

As I pondered the word eclipse, I noticed that it is most used in a negative manner. I wonder if it is due to the fact it blocks that which is so needed for daily life, even if it is for just a few minutes, or if people in general are negative. With this in mind, is it easier to be negative than positive? It seems to me it takes more effort to be positive and to make changes that account for something. Theodore Roosevelt once said, “It is not the critic who counts, but the man that is in the arena...”. We have to face challenge, ourselves every day to decide between what is right, and what is easy.

Your Board is working on budgets, memberships, financial futures and long term plans for the CAA to make it more efficient, streamlined and effective for the future. I am working with the objectives of past presidents, as well as my own, to create a broader vision for the Association as it grows. Many of these ideas cannot be worked out in a year of presidency, and you have to count on the next president, and the board, to work it in with the rest of the agenda that is “the status quo.” The Board has invited experts and speakers in the past to bring inspiration and ambition to our association that will allow growth and unity among Colorado Auctioneers.

It is my hope, with the collaboration of past and present cabinets that the association will continue to grow indefinitely.

While you are making your attendance plans for the 60th anniversary convention, I ask you to, “Please extend an invitation to a fellow auctioneer to join in the fun and education that is provided during the convention.” First Vice President Michael Nichols is working on a fantastic group of speakers and presenters that will excite and intrigue everyone.

You can still participate within the convention! Ask a board member how you can help with the fun auction, the Foundation, sign in or many other areas.

In closing I would like to remind you that the opportunity to serve on the Board is just around the corner, and should you decide not to run for the board, serve your association in other ways as an active member. The more the members are involved the stronger an association grows.

I would also like to extend a great big thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the CAA Summer Picnic. You all made it a very special day.

Take care, Eric Arrington - 2017 CAA President

BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT: Eric Arrington The Auction Team 1610 Hwy 50 • Grand Junction, CO 81503 970-245-1185 • Cell: 970-623-9161 • eric@theauctionteam.com 1st VICE PRESIDENT: Michael Nichols Nichols Auctioneers 22300 CR 9 • Flagler, CO 80815 719-765-4756 • Cell: 719-350-0126 • mnichols96@esrta.com 2nd VICE PRESIDENT: Mike Heitmann MH Bar Auctions, Inc. 27275 Mid Jones Rd. • Calhan, CO 80808 406-450-2051 • mhbar@earthlink.net CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD: Butch Hagelstrom Buckhorn Auction Services P.O. Box 306 • Ft. Lupton, CO 80621 303-827-5157 • butch@buckhornauctions.com TREASURER: Rob Hart, CAI, ATS Hall & Hall Auctions 100 S. Cherry Ave., Suite D• Eaton, CO 80615 970-716-2120 • Cell: 303-510-3866 • rhart@hallandhall.com Bryce Elemond (2016-2017) Affordable Auctioneering, LLC 25800 E. Byers Pl. • Aurora, CO 80018 720-229-5832 • affordableauctioneering@gmail.com Casey Giddings (2016-2017) Rocky Mountain Estate Brokers, Inc. 24 Oak Ave. • Eaton, CO 80615 970-454-1010 • Cell: 970-222-1625 • casey@whitleyauction.com Rob Hart, CAI, ATS (2017-2018) Hall & Hall Auctions 100 S. Cherry Ave., Suite D• Eaton, CO 80615 970-716-2120 • Cell: 303-510-3866 • rhart@hallandhall.com Josh Larson (2017-2018) 310 N. Wayne • Haxton, CO 80731 970-520-2946 • jmlauction@gmail.com Lance Nichols (2017-2018) Nichols Auctioneers 38241 WCR 23 • Eaton, CO 80615 970-302-6185 • lanichols12@gmail.com John Schaffner (2017) Schaffner Auctions 36470 CR Z • Wray, CO 80758 970-630-3402 • jschaffner51@yahoo.com David P. Whitley (2017-2018) Rocky Mountain Estate Brokers, Inc. 24 Oak Ave. • Eaton, CO 80615 970-454-1010 • Cell: 970-539-1269 • david@whitleyauction.com Mike Whitfield (2017) Schur Success Auctions & Appraisals 366 Second St., #B • Monument, CO 80132 719-667-1000 • Cell: 402-730-8602 • whit@successauctions.com Cissy Tabor • Executive Secretary 970-985-8228 • admin@coauctioneers.com

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2018 Convention

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NAA Spotlight

NAA Spotlight

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s I write this I am in Jacksonville, Florida where we are conducting a Board Orientation and Annual Strategic Planning Session for the NAA Leadership. Today is the day of the Eclipse. I was kind of bummed when I realized I was going to be gone from Lawrence, KS (which is REALLY close to the path of totality) and instead would be in Jacksonville, which ONLY has 90% of the eclipse (ONLY!).

Here’s the deal – it ended up being pretty cloudy in Lawrence, KS today (no one saw anything) and it is raining here in Jacksonville. I guess what I am trying to say is that Robert Burns was right “the best laid plans of mice and man often go awry.”

I’m sure you can appreciate my distress – How many times have you planned your auction for every contingency and then BAM, something happens? Your live personal property auction is scheduled and a storm pops up and your tents may not be enough shelter, your online auction is disrupted by a power outage (that happened to me as a customer on my first online auction…that’s a story for another day).

So what do you do?

You go to your handy, dandy back-up plan – because as a professional, you will have a back-up plan. You’ll bring all of the personal property inside and hold your auction or you’ll reschedule it if necessary.

Rescheduling an auction may be the problem of the day for you, but what happens if your entire business is threatened?

What happens if a tornado, fire or hurricane destroys your building? What happens if there is a death in your staff or what happens if you pass away? What happens if you have

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a cyber attack? These things are more than event based – they could threaten your entire business, your livelihood or that of your family’s.

I would encourage you to begin today to build a Business Continuity Plan. Include in it everything you might need in the event of an emergency. Start small – collect in one document all of your bank accounts and the name and telephone number of important professionals in the life of your business – your attorney, your CPA, your tax advisor.

Have you written down who handles your technology issues so that someone can find it if you are not available? List it in your Business Continuity Plan. List the business names and numbers for your insurance company and the utility companies (seems like a strange request, but you will be surprised how easy this will make things). What papers do you need to make sure you don’t lose? Do you have a copy of your auctioneer’s license or of your incorporation papers?

NAA has developed a Business Continuity Plan and we update it every two years. I keep a hard copy of it at my house; the Board has access to it at all times and my staff has access to it through “the cloud.” We want to make sure that if something happens to our building in Overland Park, Kansas, or if something happens to me, that NAA will still be there for our 3900 members.

I’ll be glad to send you a copy of our Table of Contents (just email me at hcombest@auctioneers.org). You can use it as you wish – or just start writing things down.

Start developing your own Business Continuity Plan today and if you missed the eclipse today – start planning for the next one in 2024!

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Media Relations

Social Media Management Tools

By Adele Lind-Nichols

C

ongratulations, you finally decided to enter the world of social media for your business and you’re killing it! You are rocking and rolling on that one platform – making posts frequently, engaging your audience, getting new “Likes” and social media followers are turning into real, live customers!

Hold the phone! Stop the presses! Now you’re being told that one social media platform is not enough? That you should consider adding (insert all you’re not currently using here; Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, blogging, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, Google+).

Does the thought of adding just one more social media platform make your head spin? Does the idea of more than 3 tabs open in your browser window cause you to hyperventilate? Do you feel like looking at the clock and crying at the mere thought of spending even more time scheduling social media posts for your business? Don’t worry. You’re not alone. For these reasons (and more) various social media management tools are available, affordable and easy to use!

A simple Google search of “social media management tools” will yield about 134,000,000 results. Sponsored ads and websites, blogs, and articles abound about this topic. Some tools / apps are free. Some are paid. Many have options for both.

Of the free management tools, there are two which have both been around a relatively long time, are easy to use and have been well received by the masses. Hootsuite and Buffer will both allow you to write out your post, add media such as a photo, link to your website and post to multiple social media platforms at one time! You can even schedule your posts into the future utilizing either of these apps.

If you want to do more than just schedule and post, and would really like to manage your platforms and interact with all of your social media followers, Hootsuite may offer a bit more functionality. Both are free, relatively user friendly and with practice can become an easy to follow, familiar interface for most users.

Some social media management tool apps are paid services, which are a step above the free tools, or are entirely paid services with higher functionality and more analytics than the basic management apps. SproutSocial, Sendible, Everypost are some you may want to look into if you like to geek out on social media statistics and functions.

Don’t be afraid to branch out onto different social media platforms. By utilizing just one of the tools listed above, you can engage new followers, increase your presence and ultimately build your business with minimal time!

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The Art of Photography

By Sarah Pugh, IAA Auctioneer We’ve all been there. No electricity, home decorated like an 18th century castle, the list could go on! Good news is, you don’t need to worry! You can still take good quality photos even with the setbacks!

The number one things to remember is “find the light.” Not fluorescent lights or flash, but natural light. Unless you’re in an underground bomb shelter you are sure to find some natural light.

Flash would seem like your most likely solution but not having an understanding of lighting and flash and how they work could leave you very frustrated. I’m going to venture out and say most of you have a better understanding of Auction Law vs. ISO, Shutter speed, Aperture etc. so I’m here to help you avoid unnecessary frustration.

What you’ll need - Point & shoot camera (or a smart phone) and a white sheet. And just follow these easy tips: • Open up the curtains and let that natural light shine in!

• Use your white sheet as a staging area. White reflects light so this will help keep your photos brighter. If you choose to use a black or background of color please note that these colors will absorb your light and leave color hues around the edges of the item.

• Taking the extra time to highlight items by photographing them individually or in small groups will help eliminate questions in the long run. If you have removed the clutter from the background by using the sheet as a back drop, you will receive one less phone call about those candle sticks in the upper right hand corner of your image that aren’t part of the sale. We all know there is always one person who plays “what else can I spot that might be for sale.” Also, if you are using these images for online auctions, your bidders will appreciate the attention to detail. They’re counting on you for your representation of the item.

• Avoid fluorescent light if at all possible. It can give you a yellow tint to your image that is extremely unattractive.

I rarely take my DSLR out on appointments with me. Technology has made great advancements and the cameras on most cell phones are just as good if not better than most point & shoot cameras. So make it easy, use your phone and then upload them to Google drive when you are done. Simplicity is key!

IMAGE #1 – NATURAL LIGHT IMAGE #2 – FLASH IN A DARK ROOM – NO NATURAL LIGHT IMAGE #3 – FLASH IN FLUORESCENT LIT ROOM – NO NATURAL LIGHT IMAGE #4 – NO FLASH IN FLUORESCENT LIT ROOM – NO NATURAL LIGHT Another point to consider is how these images will look on a computer monitor, cell phone or in print media. It will always appear brighter on a computer monitor, slightly darker on cell phones and darkest in print media. Just edit accordingly depending on where you use them.

In Real Estate they always preach LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! In Photography it’s LIGHTING, LIGHTING, LIGHTING!

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CAA Foundation

Barbara Bonnette

Foundation Sweepstakes Drawing WINNER!!

Barbara won half of the amount raised in our sweepstakes campaign, $9,700.00. Barbara signed up for the Sweepstakes at the National Auctioneers Association Conference and Show, where the Colorado Auctioneers Foundation (CAF) had a booth in the Exhibit Hall.

When contacted, Barbara was so excited. She told the board, “Really? I won?!? I’ve never won anything before!”

I want to thank all of you who participated in our first major fundraiser since your Foundation was formed. It takes everyone’s participation to make any event successful and to all those in our Association who participated I want to say a heartfelt “Thank you!”

The CAF Board is currently looking at other ways we might raise more money to continue Our Mission “of providing scholarships and education to members of our Association.” Please stay tuned as we will be announcing them soon.

Should you have any questions, comments or ideas for the Foundation, please contact any of the members of the Board - Doug Carpenter, OJ Pratt, Walt Partridge and Shannon Schur.

King Soopers Reward Program and YOU! King Soopers Reward Program Pre-loaded King Sooper Gift Card (initially contact Walt Partridge) that is recognized at most Kroger affiliated stores throughout the US including, Kroger, Fred Meyer, Ralphs, Fry’s and Fry’s Marketplace, King Soopers, Dillons, smith’s Food & Drug, City Market, QFC, Food 4 Less, Owen’s Foodsco, Hilander, Pay-Less, Cala-Bell, Baker’s, Jayc, Fred Meyer Jewelers, Littman & Barclay Jewelers and Loaf & Jug. — Cards with a $0.00 Balance for 90 days will become inactive. A new card will need to be purchased from our organization.

The Colorado Auctioneers Foundation earns 5% each time we, as an organization, reaches a total of $5,000!

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Encryption & BACKUP

t was 2007. NAA Conference and Show was in San Diego.

My bags were packed in my truck. I swung by the office to grab my computer and other electronics that I’d need for the week in California. As I walked out the door for my two hour drive from Manhattan, Kansas, to the Kansas City Airport, I realized I forgot something. I sat my computer bag on the ground next to my pickup’s passenger door and went back inside. When I returned, I got in my truck, cranked the wheel to the left and backed out, only to realize that my front tire just rolled over my laptop bag. My computer — and my mood — was crushed. I had unfinished work for upcoming auctions that was going to get done on the plane and had no time before my flight to prep another computer. It made for an interesting and uncomfortable trip.

Broken hardware is one thing, but what if I’d lost the computer?

What if instead of picking up pieces off of the ground, I was instead unsure of where it was? Had it fallen into malicious hands?

Were all my accounts that I’d logged in to now at risk of being compromised? It’s always better to know a computer is destroyed than to wonder if someone is combing through the data.

The scenario is simple — at any time, you can suddenly lose your laptop. In order to make sure that the only cost to you is the value of the hardware, it’s crucial that your computer is encrypted and backed up properly.

ENCRYPTION Computer encryption can get very technical very quickly, but for our purposes it simply means, a way of scrambling the data on the computer’s hard drive so it can’t be read by someone who doesn’t have the password. The password to login to Windows isn’t enough, as it’s fairly trivial to bypass. The correct solution is called full disk e bncryption, where everything on the computer is encrypted for everyone who doesn’t have the password.

For many years, the right answer for encryption was a product called TrueCrypt. It was free software and the encryption was bulletproof. A few years ago, the TrueCrypt project closed down.

Luckily its successor, called VeraCrypt, is also FREE and based on much of the same code base as TrueCrypt. Since it’s open source, third parties have been able to audit the software to make sure there aren’t backdoors or other ways for criminals or governments to bypass the encryption.

Operating systems have their own versions of encryption. Windows has BitLocker and Apple has FileVault. While I’ll always prefer a free and open source solution over one from an operating system provider, these solutions may be a good fit in some situations.

Many modern laptops also provide built-in encryption options on the hardware level. Many of these might work as well as VeraCrypt, though there’s no way to guarantee there isn’t a backdoor. Sometimes, a laptop’s password simply prevents the laptop from booting up and doesn’t actually encrypt the data. This means someone could simply remove the hard drive and put it in another computer to access the

By Aaron Traffas, CAI, AMM, CES data. Make sure if you’re using a built-in password function on your laptop that it’s actually encrypting the data.

Only by using full disk encryption can you rest assured that if your computer falls into the wrong hands, all your data about your auctions, customers, clients and personal accounts won’t be at risk.

Entering a password every time you boot your computer is a small price to pay for that peace of mind.

BACKUP Encryption prevents the bad guys from getting your data, but what about losing your data? If you drive over your laptop with the front wheel of a diesel pickup, how do you get your files off of a hard drive that’s in pieces on the ground? In addition to the possibility of losing your computer, new viruses called ransomeware actually encrypt your files and make you pay a ransom before giving you the key to decrypt your files. A good backup solution can mitigate a ransomware infection by allowing you to restore the unencrypted versions of your files.

There is a frequently recited rule of backup called 3-2-1. You need three copies of your data, on two different mediums and one needs to be offsite. Simply buying an external hard drive and copying your files there is better than nothing, but it’s also grossly insufficient and inefficient. A good backup solution will run continually in the background so you don’t notice it until you need it.

In much the way that TrueCrypt was the best answer for encryption, there was a best answer for backup called Crashplan. Crashplan allowed users to backup to friends for free. I wrote on my AuctioneerTech blog in 2012 how this was a perfect solution that didn’t have a monthly fee like most of the backup services. Unfortunately, a few weeks ago, Crashplan announced that it’s discontinuing its free version in October 2018. While I’ve been hunting for a replacement, it’s unlikely anything will be as simple as Crashplan to use without a monthly fee.

There are myriad subscription backup services. Some of the best known are Carbonite, Backblaze and Mozy, and each had different pricing plans based on how the amount of data to store and how many computers will be using the service. As you shop around for the best deal, pay attention to the cost to get your data back. In 2011, I lost 2 terabytes of data that was backed up with Mozy. Only then did I learn that they charged $.50 per gigabyte to restore the data, and I had to come up with the $1000 within 30 days before my files were deleted.

In the auction business, like any business, time is money. Some backup solution is better than nothing. In my search for a Crashplan replacement, I’ve found a lot of negative comments about Carbonite and a lot of positive comments about Backblaze, so if I were looking for a simple turn-key subscription backup service, I’d probably start with Backblaze.

Disaster happens when you least expect it. If your computer’s stolen or broken, will it only cost you money to replace it or will it also cost you sleep?

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Summertime Picnic Was A FuN TiMe!

ver the last few years the association held its Summer Picnic at the Adams County Fairgrounds. There was a fee involved in using the grounds, so this year at the Convention, I asked for the members to bring forward any ideas that they might want to contribute to the Board for a location for this years event.

We did have a few people that gave us ideas and we did look into them. We were primarily looking for a location that would not have a cost involved so we could save money.

We found that by talking to the City of Eaton, Colorado, we could use their grounds and only pay a small fee for electricity.

This was the most cost effective location, so we used it and felt that we were looking out for our members in using a place that would be open and easily accessed by main roads for members and their families to travel.

The Board decided on a date and location earlier this year, than in the past, because of the fact that we had the WIN Your Dream Truck Sweepstakes in which the Foundation wanted to coordinate with their for the drawing. Any sweepstakes ticket buyers could attend and meet CAA members.

The Colorado Auctioneers Foundation Board, Doug Carpenter, OJ Pratt, Walt Partridge, Shannon Schur and Cissy Tabor had started selling tickets for The Sweepstakes at our Convention in January. When the National Auctioneers Association Conference & Show was in Columbus, Ohio, this year, OJ Pratt and Doug Carpenter purchased a booth with some of our CAA members attending the conference, assisting and selling tickets for the drawing.

This was a success and to finalize the year, Manheim Auto Auctions allowed them to come in and sell tickets to dealers before, during and after two of their weekly held auto auctions.

The final push to gain as much revenue as possible was fantastic and appreciated by the Foundation.

The week before the picnic showed wet weather coming and we were prepared for inclement weather. On the day of the picnic, the CAA Board met at Rocky Mountain Estate Brokers auction house for their board meeting, thanks to Director David Whitley and Director Casey Giddings.

We made our way to the park and were met by several members that were already there. WE were very lucky in that we didn’t have rain until after the Finals for the Annual Horseshoe Competition and even then, it wasn’t very bad.

This year, Lance & Adele Nichols and Jon Flack donated the hamburgers for the BBQ, while we also had donations for all of the buns, hot dogs, cinnamon rolls and donut holes, which saved our association a great value. We would like to give 10

By Bryce Elemond, BAS another big shout out to the Nichols and Jon Flack for their donations to our association. THANK YOU! We had 63 people that included family members that responded that they would attend the Picnic. I did a quick head count about 2 hours into the event and counted 43 members along with their children in attendance. The weather did have an effect on attendance, but I am happy with the turnout and hope we can have an even better picnic next year.

We had 12 Teams entered into the Annual Horseshoe Competition, and this years’ winner of the coveted trophy went to team, “Pitch & Woo,” which consisted of Butch Hagelstrom and Jon Flack. Congratulations!

I am so glad we had a great turnout of members, despite the weather that came in, and hope you all enjoyed some conversation with your fellow auctioneers.

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lack and to Jon W. F s n o ti la tu "Pitchin' Congra trom, team ls e g a H h rseshoe B utc AA 2017 Ho C e th s a " s!

Woo t Champion Tournamen

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Gmail Hack:

even tech-savvy users fooled by sophisticated phishing technique

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ven tech-savvy Gmail users are falling victim to hackers who steal their login credentials, according to a security expert, who notes that increasingly sophisticated phishing techniques are being employed. How does it work?

The hacker will first send you an email, which includes an attachment, according to Mark Maunder, the CEO of WordPress security plugin Wordfence.

When you click on the attachment to preview it, a new tab opens to what looks like a Gmail login page. However it isn’t genuine.

If you enter your email and password, hackers will have stolen your credentials and have full access to all of your emails.

But why would I open the email from a random person in the first place?

Because the hackers have devised the email to look like it comes from one of your contacts, someone who is likely to have already been hacked by them.

The email will contain a subject line and the attachment from the contact may look familiar – they may use a subject line that your contact has used before – and rename the attachment to something plausible.

Once the hackers gain access to your emails, they will look for future targets they can send the phishing emails to.

Won’t I know something fishy is going on when I’m asked to login again?

Not necessarily, because the hackers have been very sophisticated when creating the phishing technique.

When you open the attachment and a new tab pops open, the URL will look something like: data:text/html,https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?

That’s not a far cry from what it is meant to look like on the legitimate Gmail login page: https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?

And the login box, where you enter your email and password, looks like the real one.

How long has this phishing technique been going on for?

It’s been gaining popularity over the last year.

Surely if you’re tech savvy, you’re safe?

Sadly not. Even “experienced technical users” have become victim to the hacks, says Mr. Maunder.

So how do I stay safe?

There are some checks you can do before typing in your login details: First, check the URL to see if it begins with: data:text.

Second, if you widen out the bar, you will see there is a lot of blank space which may not be visible at first. After the blank space is the file that actually opens in a new tab, informs Mr. Maunder.

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By Serina Sandhu of iNews Also check to see if the URL has been verified.

Depending on your internet browser, the https:// might be in green, and there may be a padlock symbol before it.

You can also enable a two-factor authentication for logging in to your Gmail. So on top of the username and password, there would be an extra layer of security that will require an extra piece of information.

What if my account has already been hacked?

It would be best to change your password straightaway. Also you can check your login history (https://support.google.com/mail/ answer/45938?hl=en) to find logins from unknown sources. Mr Maunder also recommends using a security researcher who can check if your email has been part of data leaks, but adds: “There is no sure way to check if your account has been compromised.”

When I contacted Google for a comment, they pointed to Prevent & report phishing attacks page. (https://support. google.com/websearch/answer/106318?hl=en) Google’s statement: “We advise people to be careful anytime you receive a message from a site asking for personal information. If you get this type of message, don’t provide the information requested without confirming that the site is legitimate. If possible, open the site in another window instead of clicking the link in your email. You can report suspicious messages directly to us.

Google will never send unsolicited messages asking for your password or other personal information.”

This article was originaly published with iNews The Essential Daily Briefing, (https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/technology/gmail-users-targetedhacekers-phishing-technique/), January 17, 2017. *This article is being shared with you because we have seen a growing attempt of such activities within the auction industry targeting auctioneers and auction associations alike. – Cissy Tabor

Create an Alert

1. Visit Google Alerts.

2. In the “Create an alert about” box, enter the words you want to get email notifications for.

3. Click Show options to say how often you get alerts, what types of results you want to get, and more.

4. Click Create Alert.

5. Once your alert is set up, you’ll start getting emails any time we find new search results for your keywords You can also create an alert by clicking the + next to any of the suggested topics on the Google Alerts page.

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Video Marketing a Growing Trend

By Scott Robertson had lunch a few weeks back with a friend who produces and hosts business and real estate videos for the Internet. He mentioned that such videos are a growing trend due to the fact the majority of “Web Surfers” prefer to be entertained and informed in a short video presentation format rather than having to read paragraph upon paragraph of copy. What he said made perfect sense.

This new video trend is also beginning to gain momentum in the world of fundraising. If you are not promoting your event with the use of video let me help you get started.

Nearly every cell phone these days not only takes photos, but also video. Although this could do in a pinch, I’d recommend using a regular digital camcorder due to the fact the quality is much better.

Once your video is recorded it will have to be imported from the camera to a computer, edited, and then uploaded to YouTube or other video-sharing sites. This may sound complicated – but trust me – someone on your staff will be happy to take on this task.

So, what should be explained or shown in a video format?

Well, just about anything. But, here’s a good place to start.

1. Use video to better explain the mission of the charity 2. Use video to promote the items in the auction 3. Use video to help sell tickets 4. Use video to show how the previous year’s event helped change lives and made the community better 5. Shoot video during your current event (when appropriate) of people having fun as promotion for next year’s event Now, here’s perhaps the most important advice I can give regarding these videos – KEEP THEM SHORT! People’s attention spans are short – so keep every video you produce short. Some videos should run as short as 30 seconds while the longest they should run is 2 minutes – and that’s pushing it.

In the months to come you will be seeing more and more fundraising events promoted with the use of videos on the Internet. So grab those digital camcorders and start shooting. Who knows – you might be the next Alfred Hitchcock or Steven Spielberg.

Scott Robertson is a full time professional benefit auctioneer. For more than 20 years, he has assisted schools and non-profit organizations to meet or exceed their fundraising goals. This Florida State Champion Auctioneer has conducted thousands of fundraising auctions.

This article was originally published on his blog, Fundraising Auctioneer, www.fundraisingauctioneer.biz, on February 6, 2014.

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Real Estate  Business Liquidation Personal Property

Eric Arrington Auctioneer

Phone: (970) 245-1185 Cell: (970) 623-9161 eric@theauctionteam.com 1610 Hwy 50 Grand Junction, Colorado 81503

www.theauctionteam.com

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2018 CONVENTI CONVENT Neal Davis

Neal Davis is a three-time auctioneer champion as the 1st Arkansas Auctioneers Association Bid Calling Champion, the Runner-up in the 1989 NAA International Auctioneers Championship, the 1990 NAA IAC Champion and the 1996 World Automobile Auctioneer Champion.

He holds Arkansas Auctioneers License #1 and was instrumental in getting many of the auction laws established in the State of Arkansas. He is a licensed real estate broker specializing in real estate, estates and automobile auctions.

Neal has developed a successful chant and taught hundreds of students across the nation on how to build, develop and structure their chant.

Steve Cherry, CAI, CES, BAS, PRI

Steve Cherry is a Kentucky State Champion Auctioneer and a past President of the Kentucky Auctioneers Association. Since 1992, Steve’s passion for the auction industry has driven him to further his education and to develop the next generation of auctioneers. He holds the highest designation awarded by the National Auctioneers Association as a Graduate of the Certified Auction Institute (CAI) at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. He also holds the prestigious certifications of Certified Estate Specialist (CES), Benefit Auction Specialist (BAS) and is a Graduate of the Professional Ringmen’s Institute (PRI) in Springfield, Missouri.

An accomplished instructor to the next generation of auctioneers, Steve is the Co-Founder of the Kentucky Auction Academy in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he teaches students from around the world what being a Professional Auctioneer means. He particularly enjoys teaching his students the structured chant through courses at the Kentucky Auction Academy and individual coaching.

Steve has worked for over two decades to achieve the success as an Auctioneer, Realtor and Entrepreneur he now enjoys. His passion for helping others achieve success has led to his founding of ten successful businesses and his communication skills have allowed him to travel the country for various speaking, teaching and consulting engagements.

Steve’s desire is to help every auctioneer fulfill their goals, become the most Professional Auctioneer they can be, and position themselves for success. Steve resides in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with his wife of 30 years, Gretchen.

They have three children and enjoy boating, camping and beef cattle operations.

Jim Odle

Jim is a two-time world champion livestock auctioneer who won the 1972 World Livestock Auctioneer Central Region Championship and the 1978 World Livestock Auctioneer Western Region Championship. He has auctioneered at numerous auction markets throughout Colorado and Wyoming, including the Denver Stockyards and the National Western Stock Show. Following a successful livestock auction career, in 1972 Jim Odle and Chuck Cumberlin formed their own dispersal auction business. The firm, Odle Cumberlin Auctioneers sold farm machinery, real estate, business liquidations and heavy equipment.

In the fall of 1979, they began conducting video cattle auctions that were held in a hotel ballroom with a videotape of the cattle being shown to buyers in attendance that had to travel to the sale site to bid on the cattle. In December of 1986, Odle and Jeffers, of Amarillo Livestock Video Auction, merged their two video cattle auctions and founded Superior Livestock Auction. In January of 1987, Superior Livestock Auction conducted its first auction with the use of satellite broadcast. It was held during the National Western Stock Show in Denver and this unconventional idea became accepted with the very first auction. Throughout his career, Jim “truly believed that the optimum way to receive true price discovery was through competitive bidding and the auction method was implemented in all of his professional endeavors.”

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TION SPEAKERS Dustin Rogers, CAI, CAS

Dustin is a third-generation auctioneer from Mount Airy, NC. He is a graduate of Mendenhall School of Auctioneering where he was named Best All Around. In 2006, Dustin was named Rookie Bid Calling Champion by the AANC. In 2007, he was 2nd Runner-Up in the Inaugural International Junior Auctioneer Championship (IJAC).

In 2008, Dustin won Grand Champion Auctioneer in the AANC State Bid Calling Contest. Dustin has been a finalist in the International Auctioneer Championship every year since 2010, placing 2nd in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2016, and placing 3rd in 2012 and 2014, before winning the contest in 2017.

Dustin specializes in selling machinery and equipment along with fundraising, real estate, automobile and livestock auctions. He has worked as a contract auctioneer for some of the world’s largest auctioneers of equipment, conducting auctions across the United States as well as six foreign countries in English and Spanish. Dustin is lead auctioneer for CAT Auction Services, and an auctioneer for Ritchie Bros Auctioneers.

Dustin is married, and he and wife, Britini, have two children, Kenedi Blaire and Hudson.

Larry Oxenham, Author, Senior Advisor

Larry Oxenham is one of America’s top asset protection experts, having helped thousands of professionals achieve financial peace of mind by teaching them how to properly structure their assets for lawsuit protection and tax reduction. He has authored and co-authored several articles and books on the subject including The Asset Protection Bible. His career has been credited with helping thousands of people save millions of dollars. Larry Oxenham is a nationally recognized speaker who has trained thousands of professionals at hundreds of conventions, conferences and seminars across the country.

Aaron Traffas, CAI, AMM, CES

Aaron Traffas is an auctioneer from Medicine Lodge, Kansas. He is currently community evangelist for Purple Wave in Manhattan, Kansas. Aaron serves as the current president of the Kansas Auctioneers Association and in the past has served on the National Auctioneers Association Education Institute Board of Trustees. He is a past instructor at CAI, co-authored and instructed the ATS Designation Course from NAA. He currently instructs the Internet Auction Methods course offered by the NAA. An active contract bid caller, has competed in multiple state auctioneer contests and placed twice within the top 5 in Kansas.

During the summer, Aaron operates a farm in South Central Kansas. Aaron is an active singer and songwriter and the Aaron Traffas Band latest album, Enter : The Wind, can be found at iTunes, Amazon and Spotify.

Adele Nichols

Adele serves in various capacities of media, marketing, clerking and bid spotting for several auction companies in addition to Nichols Auctioneers. Adele manages the website and social media programs, in addition to print and internet sales, for Working Horse Magazine and as the Media Relations Liaison for the Colorado Auctioneers Association.

Adele grew up near Severance, CO and graduated from Windsor High School. She then attended Colorado State University where she double majored in Agricultural Business and Animal Science. Adele is married to CAA Director, Lance Nichols, in which they have a daughter, Payten, and son, Braden.

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NAA CONVENTION

A Special Thank You To Myers Jackson and CAA Members for the photos!

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Chaplain’s CornerBy John Schaffner As I write these messages for the CAA newsletter, I try to write something that follows the general theme of each newsletter. When I was told that the general theme of this newsletter has to do with technology I thought to myself, “That’s a good one for this old cowboy who is extremely technology challenged.” I grew up in a time before computers were ever thought of and the worldwide-web did not exist. If you needed to contact someone in another city or state you picked up the telephone receiver and dialed “0” for the operator. You would give her the number you wanted to call and she would put the call through to the other party.

At the end of the month you were billed for each minute of every long distance call you had made.

In the event that you needed to actually send someone a written message or document it had to be sent by mail through the U.S. Postal System. If that particular piece of mail needed to be delivered quickly you paid a little extra postage and sent it “Air Mail.” That meant instead of being sent across country in a truck it was put on a propeller driven airplane and flown to its destination city.

(On a humorous note, I am writing this article right up against a deadline for publication. I just texted Cissy, who is about as far across the state of Colorado from where I am as you can get, and told her I would e-mail the article in a few minutes.)

It seems like it is the older generation that resists change, and I am sure the same has been true down through history. Many of you who will be reading this article know I am one of those old cowboys who wishes I had been born 100 years earlier than I was. I like to study the history of the cattle trail driving days. In the first few years of driving cattle to market, the cowboys loaded what food and provisions were needed on packhorses and got by the best they could. In 1866, Charles Goodnight came up with the idea of building a cabinet of sorts on the back of a farm wagon to make it easier to feed his cowboys along the trail. What came to be known as, the chuckwagon, was “new technology” in a way. I can imagine that some of the older cowboys balked at the idea of needing a “wagon” to move food up the trail, but it was an idea that caught on and improved the lives of many cowboys.

In the same way, the new technology of today can be a good thing for auctioneers. We, of the older generation may not like it, but we should learn to use it to our benefit and the benefit of our clients. If you are like me, you can call a grandkid to help with your computer problems. I should have done that a few days ago. On that particular day, I had a doctor’s appointment for a minor checkup. I needed to do some work on my computer early

that morning and the computer was hiding things from me. I got very stressed out over what my computer was doing to me. Normally when I go to the doctor my blood pressure is lower than most people my age. That morning I told the nurse that my blood pressure would probably be higher that normal, and sure enough, it was several points higher. That was a morning I should have called a grandkid for help.

By this time you are probably wondering how all this ties in with a chaplain’s message. I can tell you from experience that, “GOD is the master of technology and instant communication. He is as close to you as your knees are to the floor. When things in life stress you to the breaking point GOD is looking over your shoulder waiting for you to ask HIM for help.

If you have questions about all this, or if you have a special prayer request feel free to use some modern technology to call or text me at (970) 630-3402 or e-mail me at jschaffner51@yahoo.com.”

PRAYER REQUESTS • Keep Safe Our Military / Police Officers & Civil Personnel • Keep those in prayer affected by the hurricanes & fires for complete restoration.

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Real Estate Technology

Round.Me + Google Street View

(Tech Required: Smartphone w/ Access to an App Store, Internet Access) Have you ever wanted to offer a walkthrough of a house from the comfort of your home? With these intriguing combination of apps listed above, you can easily create an interactive 360° walkthrough of a house, business or property!

Using the FREE Google Street View© app, you can easily take high-quality 360° panoramic photos of a location using a smartphone! To link your pictures together, simply create an account on Round.Me (www.roundme.com) and upload your photos.

Round.Me’s intuitive web-based application makes it easy to link your panoramic photos together to really bring your walkthrough to life!

After you’ve created your walkthrough, adding it to your website is just a few mouse clicks away! Each Round.Me video comes with a code that users can embed directly into their website. A FREE Account version of Round.Me is available with a limited amount of photo uploads per month, but a Pro Account only costs $12 / month; a very competitive price when you consider what the product offers. You’re also able to cancel your subscription during the months you won’t be active and renew it at any time, while keeping all of your walkthroughs active!

The CAA Board of Directors has made the following new appointments.

CONGRATULATIONS Mike Heitman - 2nd VP (2017)

Mike Whitfield - Board Director (2017)

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App for the Auctioneer

Take A Look At Advertising with AuctionLook’s AUCTIONEER app

FREE MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT

AuctionLook’s AUCTIONEER app is an aggregated platform where the public can search hundreds of Auctions OR Auctioneers, nationwide, using many different platforms of interest.

But what does it mean for us, “the Auctioneer,” and in being able to advertise our auctions? As a member of the Colorado Auctioneers Association or the National Auctioneers Association, this app gives us another tool to be able to advertise our auctions, our company and receive possible sales leads.

Posting on AuctionLook & the AUCTIONEER app is FREE with login being the same for BOTH sites! It’s as easy as 1-2-3. You can post an auction on your mobile with the AUCTIONEER app OR….from your computer at www. auctionlook.com.

With the AUCTIONEER app, there is a feature, “Sell with Auctioneer” that is available nationwide to public that assists connecting them to auctioneers as a lead generator. The AUCTIONEER app is FREE to download in the iTunes store for everyone providing a potential amount of public viewing.

What benefit does this give to you? Well, it is FREE to Register. FREE to Post an Auction. FREE for Anyone to download and search auctions nationwide whether it be a specific category, market or auctioneer. For me, it means I am able to increase my public viewing without adding additional expense to my advertising budget!

AUCTIONEER app is not a competitive platform for vendors, it is an aggregate platform for all the online bidding and onsite vendors of all Auctions and Auctioneers. Vendors can be seen on almost every Auction and some Auctioneer’s profiles. Direct links and promotions for these venders is encouraged.

What else does the AUCTIONEER app do? Well any Auction on the AUCTIONEER app can be found on the AuctionLook Marketing Center in one centralized HUB devoted to this syndicated task, for all Vendors and Auctioneers.

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Hall of Fame

Did You Know...?

Election to the Colorado Auctioneers Hall of Fame is an opportunity to recognize those individuals who have made great contributions to the CAA, the Auction Industry in general, and to the community.

Do you know someone like that? Do you know someone who has been a great help and mentor to your growth in the Auction Industry?

If so, why not nominate them to the CAA Hall of Fame?

Any CAA member can submit a nomination.

Each year during our convention the Hall of Fame members review nominations and votes are cast for induction into the Hall of Fame for the following year.

This year nominations will be accepted until December 1, 2017.

This is Your Association and Your Opportunity To Be Part Of The Nominating Process.

Forms are kept personal and confidential and are included in this newsletter.

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COLORADO AUCTIONEERS ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME Award Nomination Form Personal and Confidential to the CAA Hall Of Fame

Deadline Submission: December 1, 2017 Hall Of Fame Guidelines

I. Qualifications that weigh heavily in the selection include the contributions made by the Auctioneer to the Colorado Auctioneers Association, Inc. and if possible, the NAA. The honoree needs to have had an active interest in CAA, Inc. for ten years or more.

Have they been an officer or a member of the Board of Directors; have they been on various committees; have they attended seminars and conventions; have they been a speaker or a member of a panel discussion at the conventions or seminars.

II. The second area looked at closely is their auction business. It doesn’t make any difference as to the size of their auctions, the area that they encompass or the type of auctions or variety they may conduct.

What is important is that they have been an active Acutioneer for more than ten years, and their professionalism, integrity and high standards have made them an auction leader in their area.

III. A third area that adds some weight is the individual’s contribution to their community. Have they been active in community projects, civic organizations, elective office or any other community area?

IV. Nominations will not be accepted from the nominee’s spouse or immediate family.

THIS FORM IS PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIONAL BETWEEN THE HALL OF FAME AND THE SUBMITTER. THE NOMINEE SHOULD NOT BE INFORMED OF THIS SUBMISSION. Send To:

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Name of Nominee _____________________________________________ Residence Address _____________________________________________ Phone Number _______________________________________________ City _________________________ State ________ Zip _______________ BUSINESS INFORMATION Name of Firm ________________________________________________ Position _____________________________________________________ Number of Associates or Partners in Business _______________________ Business Address ______________________________________________ Phone Number _______________________________________________ City ________________________________________________________ PERSONAL AND FAMILY INFORMATION Spouse’s Name _______________________________________________ Does spouse participate in the auction profession: Yes No (circle one) If yes, please explain ___________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Children (Please give names and ages): _____________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ GENERAL PROFESSION INFORMATION How long has the nominee been associated in the auction business: ______ What percentage of the nominee’s time is actively spent in the auction business: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Has the nominee specialized in any particular field of auctioneering: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________ Walt Partridge ____________________________________________________________ 6577 Winfield Ave Parker, CO 80134 ____________________________________________________________ www.coauctioneers.org THIRD QUARTER • 2017 thecoloradoauctioneer waltsells@hotmail.com ____________________________________________________________ Revised January 9, 2017

COLORADO AUCTIONEERS ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME Award Nomination Form Page 2 of 2 Personal and Confidential to the CAA Hall Of Fame List the educational background of the nominee, including offices held, current and past: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ List regular auctions conducted, if any, and / or any special individual auctions conducted, which have brought attention and credit to the profession of Auctioneering: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Previous recipients of the CAA Hall of Fame Award have established some general qualifications which they feel each nominee should possess or have shown. Please reflect your personal assessment of the nominee with respect to the following categories:

1. Honesty

2. Willingness to Share With Others

3. Standing in His or Her Communityw

4. State and National Associations

5. Contributions To The CAA and The Auction Profession Narration: ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Submitted by (please print name):_______________________________________________________________ Address:___________________________________________________________________________________ City: _________________________________________ State ___________________ Zip _____________

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Signature of Submitter: _________________________________________________________________________

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The Independent Business Owner’s Retirement Dilemma

ccording to a survey by TD Ameritrade, 55% of selfemployed individuals admit to being behind when it comes to saving for retirement. The lack of an Employer-Sponsored Plan means that the Self-Employed MUST Be More Resourceful in planning their financial future.

Some hurdles the self-employed face include: • Irregular Incomes and Inconsistent Contributions • Confusion About Retirement Options • Lack of Financial Education • Lack of a Financial Advisor The average person starts PLANNING for retirement at 53 and….the self-employed tend to wait even longer since many do not have a retirement “target” age. Imagine having only 10-15 years to get your “ducks in a row” so YOU Can Be Financially Secure the last 20-30 years of your life!

A key to having the retirement income one needs and wants is consistent contributions over time. Unfortunately, the bad weeks, months and even years that many self-employed experience, impact those consistent contributions. That is why it is doubly important to have a Formal Retirement Plan in place so you can make consistent retirement contributions part of Your Business Plan.

There are a number of retirement options for the self-employed such as the traditional IRA, SEPs, etc.... Most of these plans rely on stock market growth, thus they can be greatly impacted by a stock market downturn like those in 2001 – 2003 and in 2008. Few people want to go back to work to make up for twice losing 30% to 40% of their retirement nest egg!

He takes your money when you need it the most and you cannot earn as much as you used to.

A Tax Free Retirement (or Indexed Accumulation Account) is the BEST Way to ensure that YOU get to keep ALL of your hard-earned retirement money!

Since contributions are made with after-tax money, distributions are protected from taxes. PLUS, these plans get the Upside Of The Market but have NO Downside Risk.

While it is similar to an IRS Regulated Roth Plan, a Tax Free Retirement is a “Roth on Steroids” because it: • Is fully under your control • Has NO income or contribution limits • Is approved by the IRS

• • • • •

Is NOT under IRS rules and regulations Is NOT at risk in the stock market Can gain market-like returns over time Locks in gains each year Cannot lose value due to a stock market crash

The Tax-Free Retirement Option Would you be happy to have Uncle Sam as your retirement partner knowing he will take 20% to 30% percent or more of your money each year in retirement?

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The Colorado Auctioneers Association is accepting nominations for Officers and Directors for the 2018 – 2019 term: To be considered be on the Nominating Committee, a nominee must be (1) An active member of the CAA in good standing (2) Ability to attend all meetings as required If you are interested in serving, please contact one of your current board members.

(See Board of Directors listing / contact on Page 2)

Elections will take place during the membership business meeting at the 2018 Annual Convention, January 7, 2018, @ 12 pm at Crowne Plaza DIA, Denver, CO.

Good Design is

Good Business Specializing in print graphics and logo & identity branding.

Proud Designer for the 2016 NAA Marketing Award Winners for The Colorado Auctioneer newsletter.

10+ years of experience in design!

Sarah Krautschun 970.590.3235 sarah.krautschun@gmail.com

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The Practical and Legal Issues of Credit Card Chargebacks for Auctioneers

C

By George A. Michak, Esq.

redit card chargebacks can pose real risks, and real problems, for auctioneers. Basically, a chargeback occurs when a buyer advises his credit card company that – because of some irregularity in the transaction or because of the character or quality of the goods purchased – the buyer did not get his money’s worth. The credit card company, then, backs the payment out of the auctioneer’s attached credit card processing account. A significant problem in this process is related to timing.

This is because a chargeback will typically occur after the auctioneer has paid the seller. As such, when the money comes out of the auctioneer’s operating account, the seller has his money, the buyer has the property, and the auctioneer is stuck in the middle. More often than not, the money that comes out of your account has no relationship to the transaction giving rise to the chargeback.

While the volume of chargebacks may vary, it brings to mind a statement made years ago by United States Senator Everett Dirkson (R. Ill.), who said, in an unrelated context, “a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you’re talking real money.” While we may not be talking about billions of dollars in this context, it is fair to paraphrase Senator Dirkson that – a chargeback here, a chargeback there, pretty soon you’re talking about real money.

While chargebacks are inconvenient, time consuming, and costly, you should keep in mind that, a chargeback does NOT ultimately determine the rights of the parties in the underlying transaction. In particular, a chargeback does not mean that the buyer is not obligated to pay for the property.

It only affects how he pays. In other words, even if a buyer is successful with a chargeback, you can still proceed against the buyer to recover what he owes. In this regard, your bidder terms and conditions are very important, and should provide that your auction transactions are governed by the law of the state in which you are located, and that all bidders and buyers agree to be subject to jurisdiction in the county and state where you are located, which should be the exclusive venue for dispute resolution. You should also include an attorneys’ fees clause providing that you will be entitled to attorneys’ fees incurred in collecting monies owed. In this way, notwithstanding the chargeback, you may be able to get a judgment locally that you can, then transfer, to the jurisdiction where the buyer is; you may, then, be able to secure a lien against property that he owns.

In an effort to avoid chargebacks in the first instance, however, your bidder terms and conditions should have a No Chargebacks Provision. As a condition to registration and bidding, you want your bidders to agree that they will not, under

any circumstances, initiate a chargeback, and that they are waiving any such rights that may exist under the agreement between the bidder and the bidder’s credit card company.

This statement should be identified as an “inducement” for you to allow the bidder to register and bid. You also want to include a statement that the bidders agree that, should a chargeback be

initiated, the bidder terms and conditions will be conclusive 28

evidence of the bidder’s waiver of any chargeback rights.

Finally, you want to reiterate that even if a chargeback is successful, the buyer remains liable for the purchase price, plus costs of collection, including attorneys’ fees. You may also want to include a statement on your credit card slips that says “ALL SALES FINAL. NO REFUNDS OR RETURNS”.

Chargebacks should also be addressed in your seller’s contract, and you may want to include a statement to the effect that the Seller bears the risk of any chargebacks. Whether you ultimately pass that cost onto the seller, you are taking credit card payments for the ultimate benefit of your seller, and, so, it doesn’t seem inappropriate to allocate the risk that way.

As an additional protection, you should probably avoid tying credit card processing to your escrow account because you don’t want to expose funds held in trust (typically from other transactions) to a chargeback.

There are no guarantees with respect to any of this stuff, but the best you can do is the best you can do, and the more clarity in your contract terms, the more you have to rely on.

This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is intended or inferred with any reader of this article.

George has a dedicated auction law practice, regularly representing auctioneers and auction companies on all legal aspects affecting the auction industry, including: contracts; litigation; administrative law; licensing and disciplinary matters; online auctions; intellectual property; business purchases and sales; land use; real estate; environmental issues; oil, gas, and mineral rights; federal and state restrictions on the sale of certain property (including taxidermy and firearms); sales tax; Uniform Commercial Code; succession planning; ethics; best practices; and risk management.

Recognizing the significant impact of technology on the auction industry (and on the law as it relates to the auction industry) George monitors technological and legal developments affecting the industry. George also helps auctioneers and auction companies identify, manage, and reduce risk while educating sellers and buyers and protecting commissions, premiums, and fees.

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From the Editor

LastPass is the Right Password Manager

By Cissy Tabor, BAS, PRI

I

n the 1st Quarter newsletter of this year, I shared with you an article from CAA Member, Aaron Traffas in regard to the program, LastPass. Aaron is many times my “go-to” technology wizard for when I have questions, no matter how far out there they might be, in which he is always so kind to help me out! “Thank you Aaron!” Sometimes the answer is as simple as, “he doesn’t know.” But that’s not what this follow-up mention is about.

I’m going to call myself out to you on the fact that after all of the “homework” that I sometimes do, I did NOT follow-up on the article that I shared with you about this program even though I was REALLY intrigued by the knowledge Aaron had shared. You see, I have a pretty darn good memory, an excel spreadsheet that I maintain with log-in information for back-up, not to mention that my Macbook will store or “key” the log-in information on my computer added with my Apple Time Machine Backup to help me keep everything stored. However, “Shame On Me!” Do I get a reprieve if I say to you that, “I had kept this information in the back of my mind to look into, but simply had not or really even tried it out?” I hope not!

I will admit that, after I was working with a good friend of mine who is a social media services professional (whom I am hoping to be an exhibitor at our convention) and quickly saw that she was using the program, I had to admit to myself “I failed on my follow-through.” I asked her if she liked and she said, “she loved it!”

Well, wipe the egg off my face and this past month, I registered & downloaded the program on my computer! And….. let’s just say that, “I love it!” As I keep expanding my workload for clients, companies and in managing my household AND my parents household accounts, WELL….my log-in accounts that I work with continue to grow and grow. So, this was a perfect time to “practice what I’ve shared with you that I have deemed important.” And the fact is, it was as easy as 1-2-3! Once I registered and downloaded the program, it automatically requests each time I’ve logged in to a new site whether or not I want to “Add” the login now or….”Not Now.” And Voila’! I am using the FREE version and I couldn’t be happier with adding this technolgy to help me out!

So, give it a try! Check it out and see if it will help make your busy day a little bit easier.

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How To Automatically Generate Captions On Your Facebook Videos

BY GEOFF DESREUMAUX • JANUARY 5, 2017 • we are social media • www.wersm.com Last February, Facebook introduced a new tool to automatically create captions for video ads. Now, the platform is extending the feature to all videos published by Pages.

Research has shown that when sound starts playing unexpectedly, 80% of Facebook users will react negatively, and scroll past your video. This is the main reason why silent videos tend to perform better on the platform.

But it can be very difficult to make sense of a video without sound. And it’s equally as difficult for marketers to communicate their message. This is why getting captions on your videos is so important.

You could always import an SRT file to do this, but since October, Facebook started rolling out its auto-captioning feature to more and more Pages. Today most have it. (Do you have it on your page?)

The tool is powered by Facebook’s voice-recognition software. In most cases, it gets it perfectly right. And you can of course review and edit the auto-generated captions before publishing your video. Note that you can also add auto-captions to videos that you have already published.

To start adding auto-captions to your video, head over to your video library, select the video you want to edit and click on “Captions.”

If your page has the feature activated, the “Generate” button should be right there.

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Remember When...

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COLORADO AUCTIONEERS ASSOCIATION

2018 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL MEMBER INFORMATION

January 1, 2018 - December 31,2018

NAME __________________________________________________________DATE______________________ COMPANY _________________________________________________________________________________ MAILING ADDRESS __________________________________________________________________________ CITY / STATE / ZIP ___________________________________________________________________________ PHONE (home/work) _______________________________ (cell) ____________________________________ EMAIL __________________________________________ WEB SITE ________________________________ PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATIONS: ____________________________

NAA MEMBER

YES

NO (CIRCLE)

LIST MEMBERSHIP IN OTHER STATE AUCTIONEER ASSN ____________________________________________

MEMBERSHIP TYPE AND OPTIONS

AMOUNT

Active Member (annual). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DUES “any person who is actively engaged in directly facilitating the auction method of marketing for profit” This includes bid-calling auctioneers and auction business owners.

$100.00

Membership includes unlimited posting of Auctions on the CAA website.

Associate Member. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DUES

“any person who is engaged in supporting the auction method of marketing” This includes auction staff members and auction-related businesses, including vendors.

Does not include unlimited posting of Auctions on the CAA website.

$ 35.00

By completing and submitting this form, I hereby renew membership in the Colorado Auctioneers Association, Inc. I will abide by its Bylaws, support its objectives, comply with the CAA’s Code of Ethics and pay the established dues.

Signature ______________________________________________________________________________________________

PAYMENT INFORMATION Check # _____________________

Total Amount Paid $________________

MC _____ VISA ____ Discover ____

Credit Card # ____________________________________________Total $ ___________ Card Exp: _____________CSV:______ Name on Card ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Address of Card Holder _____________________________________________________________________________________

COMPLETE FORM AND RETURN WITH PAYMENT Mail: CAA , 1685 South Colorado Blvd., Unit S #160, Denver, CO 80222 ~ Email: admin@coauctioneers.com ~ Credit Card Information: 303-729-1195 or Cissy Tabor at 970-985-8228

For Questions Contact: Cissy Tabor, CAA Administrator @ 303-729-1195 * Email: admin@coauctioneers.com www.coloradoauctioneers.org www.coauctioneers.org THIRD QUARTER • 2017

thecoloradoauctioneer Tax deductible contributions or gifts should be made payable to the Colorado Auctioneers Association Foundation 501(c)(3).

Colorado Auctioneers Association, Inc. 1685 S. Colorado Blvd., Unit S-160 Denver, CO 80222 • 303-729-1195 www.coauctioneers.org

A Colorado Auction Company

H.L. (Butch) Hagelstrom, Jr. 140 Denver Ave., Ste. F Ft. Lupton, CO 80621

Office: 303-857-2399 Mobile: 303-827-5157 buckhornauctions@earthlink.net www.buckhornauctions.com

CALENDAR

October 24-25, 2017

Benefit Auctioneer Specialist Course (BAS), Kansas City, MO

December 1, 2017

Hall of Fame Nomination Deadline Contact Walt Partridge

December 10-16, 2017

Designation Academy

January 4-7, 2018

2018 CAA 60th Anniversary Annual Convention

January 9-11, 2018

Auction Marketing Management Course (AMM) Richmond, VA

January 11-13, 2018 USPAP 15 & 7 Hour

Cowan’s Auctions www.cowanauctions.com

(See NAA Calendar of Events) January 23-25, 2018

Auction Marketing Management Course (AMM) - Wichita, KS

March 1, 2018

CAA Scholarship Deadline Contact Doug Carpenter

www.coauctioneers.org THIRD QUARTER • 2017 thecoloradoauctioneer