From The Auction Block:

FROM THE AUCTION BLOCK: THE AUCTIONEER

ARTICLE BY NIK KLUTCH

I was sitting at a restaurant table with a small group of friends when a group began to gather in our section for a casual corporate meeting. A man walked in among the crowd and immediately thought I recognized him. He was obviously part of the event, but was standing or sitting alone for most of the time. Eventually, after about an hour, I walked over to him…

Me: “Excuse me, I don’t mean to be weird, but I think I know you. I thought I recognized you when you walked in. Is your name Paul?”

Stranger: “Yes.” Me: “Are you an Auctioneer?” Stranger: “Yes…”

Nik Klutch & Paul Ramirez

©Nik Klutch

Every once in a while, your life is touched by strangers. Sometimes they can be positive and brighten our day or week… sometimes they can create special moments that you remember for the rest of your life.

Auction day is always a big day in 4-H and FFA livestock projects. The 4-H kids have an opportunity to auction off their livestock they have raised and worked with all year if they have met certain criteria. In the auction ring, the 4-H’er walks around a small fenced pen with wood chips on the ground and displays the animals to the bidders seated in the stands on three sides of the pen. The auctioneer is on the fourth side and tries to get potential buyers involved to support the kids and have a good price on the auction. An auctioneer can make or break the price for a year’s worth of work in a 4-H livestock project.

Nik & Mellissa

©Nik Klutch

My youngest sister Melissa was born with Down’s Syndrome. In April of 2004, she was auctioning at the county fair for the first time… a chicken. The main auctioneer who had been handing the bidding for most of the morning swapped out a few kids before Melissa was set to enter the ring. He had heckled the bidding audience and enticed higher bids for the livestock all morning, and livestock was selling for great prices. The new auctioneer who took over, seemed new at the trade and didn’t have the consistent flow and banter that experienced auctioneers… like the one who was now on break, usually have. The bid prices that had been holding all morning began to drop as the new seller tried to find his groove. Looks of disappointment were seen on some faces as bids were not solicited as enthusiastically, and sales were finalized much more quickly. A bit of dread began to settle as Melissa’s turn came for her to enter the ring.

Ringmen/Bid Taker Dean Fish

©U Can Bid

The inexperience that the new auctioneer may have had and the possibility of lower bid numbers was not a concern for Melissa. She entered the ring with a beaming smile on her face and began to circle the edge of the ring waving the chicken’s wing for display. The bidding began, but as feared, soon began to slow down. The new auctioneer began his ending routine for Melissa and was about to close the sale when something happened.

Pima County Fair Auction

The auctioneer who had stopped to take a break, stepped in and took the microphone from the hand of his replacement. His unexpected interruption into the situation brought a shot of adrenaline into the atmosphere that was unmistakable. He encouraged bidders to drive up the price, and they began to follow. An auction that had nearly been ended, quickly became a frenzied competition for the audience who was now outbidding each other almost as quickly as the previous bids could be placed. Nearly everyone in the stands were on their feet, clapping to the spectacle and cheering for Melissa. The bid takers were climbing the fence to the auction pen and waving their arms frantically with each new bid.

In years since, the only way that can do any sense of justice to what happened, is to describe that auction as a “Rocky” moment. At the end of the first Rocky movie, the celebration of an event so unlikely and unexpected, but yet so collectively emotional and moving to a crowd of strangers was surpassed by the electric atmosphere that surrounded the auction pen that day. Melissa was beaming, and the audience was cheering with tearing eyes.

Melissa makes a point to talk to that auctioneer at the fair every year since that day, even though it has been several years since she has been young enough to compete. That same auctioneer still goes back to the fair every year to sell the livestock of 4-H and FFA kids. I saw him during the auction from a distance this year during my first visit to the fair in around 12 years.

The auctioneer didn’t have to twist the lid back onto his bottle of water and take over the auction. The bidders didn’t have to drive up the price of Melissa’s chicken to nearly double any other price that had been seen that day. The winning buyer didn’t have to give Melissa her chicken back, after they had fought so hard to have the highest bid.

We all have the ability to make a difference in the lives of those around us. The people at work, other customers at the store, kids at the fair, or strangers we meet by chance in restaurant. Every once in a while, your life is touched by strangers… sometimes they can create special moments that you remember for the rest of your life. Today I met Paul. The Auctioneer.