SOLD! ...To the Highest Bidder

This time of year in our neck of the woods we're on the cusp of something grand -- Auction Season! In our county there are land and real estate auctions year round, but Weldon and I neither have the pocketbook for nor interest in such large-scale purchases. However, our interest abounds in treasures untold, stuff that has a story, and...let's be honest...a good bargain. Spring fever has started to perk but we're not quite ready to get caught up in the great outdoors. Instead, we've begun eyeing the newspaper for sales and can feel in our bones that Auction Season, like spring, is about to unfurl in a glorious array before our very eyes. From now until autumn the affairs are frequent and the variety of goods available exponentially increases. So much for Sotheby's -- we're off to a good country auction where the mono-syllabic babbling is peppered with jokes about cornbread and the concession stand is graciously goopy! Just last night we bought a passel of new and nearly-new tools that will come in handy for homestead construction projects in the coming years. We also chalked up the outing as our celebration of Weldon's birthday (which he gladly shouldered). We gained MUCH more than we spent in the evening and had a blast. What a win-win!

Spoils from last night!

We don't attend auctions religiously; in fact, up until now, we've hardly made it to any during our married life.  Trips selling product in Nashville and an excess of tasks on the farm have conflicted with most all the major events in our area. But not this year! Now that our schedule is a bit more flexible, we're making up for lost time. Anything we purchase will help provide for our household, farming, and homestead needs at a fraction of the cost from the store (if we know what we're doing). From tools and kitchen equipment to antiques and home decor, we're happiest using items on our homestead that may be gently used, fairly priced, better-made, and were acquired with a flash of pizzaz.

One might assume from my suburban roots that I'm a neophyte when it comes to auctions, but I've actually attended quite a few thanks to my mother, uncle, and grandfather before them. In the days of my youth we'd search one out while on vacation in Vermont or away on a day-trip somewhere nearer the country than we lived. The boon to living in Kentucky is that the sales are practically in my backyard and it doesn't have to be a special occasion for me to get wind of one. However, I admit that it wasn't until moving here as an adult that I actually bid on anything myself. Talk about a rush! I did my best to mimic the greats with a calm, disinterested air and a nod or half-hearted flick of my number. Most important of all, I decided BEFORE I started bidding what my max price would be. Our rule of thumb is to pay no more than 50% of what it's worth new at the store...just in case you get a lemon. The reality is it's impossible to know exactly what everything is worth. Likewise, one can't really gauge what a neat antique cabinet is worth in a store. In all cases I stick to my frugal guns, pick a price that it's worth to me, and give it a whirl. Sometimes I walk away with a steal (like a brand-new outdoor chandelier that I purchased for $12.50 and afterward noticed the sticker on the box reading $179.99). Other times I walk away "empty-handed". In those moments I'm just as satisfied to hold onto my hard-earned money.

I can't help but be a bit more frivolous when the words "benefit" and "auction" are slurred together. These are awfully fun and usually quite rewarding on all fronts. Cakes and sweets made by local ladies can sell for $100.00 or more, handmade quilts go for in the thousands, and auto-mechanic services can go for many times their worth. All this from a population where the average household income is nearly half the national average. I've been to a dozen or so of these occasions where families I know, schools, and organizations were overwhelmed by the generosity and sensitivity of their neighbors. Individuals and local businesses donate scores of items and usually a mass of supportive faces clusters together to do their charitable best. I'm proud to live in this community...where medical and physical needs can be aided with a local effort for the common good. Now that's bolstering a local community and economy!

Whether for a cause or just because, I'm a relatively cheap date. A good auction is as perfect an outing for me as any. It certainly helps that our plans to begin building a house are nearer than ever. I'm envisioning the materials to-be used, the items inside, and the many dollars we'll save with our unconventional purchasing methods. While I'm supremely contented in the nest we have now, many women will vouch that there's nothing like you're own four-walls where you intend to remain and make a life. Our intention is that those four walls will have a unique story. It'll be quite a while yet, but I relish the process as much as the outcome. Don't for a second assume that I'll quit going to auctions once we're settled into the new place...nah, what's the fun in that!?! Who could pass up another "budda be, budda bob...got here a skillet, nice new 'un, said they loaded it in the truck 'n cud smell th' cornbread the whole way heeere...budda,who'll give me fifteen, botta bob, botta bob, fifteen now, budda be, budda bob...?"