SOLD!

By CARL E. FEATHER - Staff Writer - cfeather@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

June 06, 2009 10:10 pm

— The price of admission is cheap and even if the jokes are little corny, the consignment auction at Kathryn Rose Party Center is one of the few ways to have fun in Ashtabula County on a Tuesday night without breaking the bank — unless you raise your hand too much.
The auction is run by Gary Heaven and Doug Bowers, who have separate auctioneer businesses but team up for the consignment sales, which began in March. The sales are held every Tuesday evening at 6 p.m.
“We try to run it like a good, old-fashioned auction,” Heaven says. “You come in, have fun and leave with a bargain.”
And a full tummy. Party center owner Kathryn Stewart offers a variety of economically priced dinners starting at 4 p.m. The menu includes chicken and meatloaf dinners for $5 each and a variety of desserts, snacks and beverages. Tables are set up at the rear of the auction hall for convenient, casual dining with friends; if you prefer, you can camp out at one of the tables during the entire auction.
There’s admission fee and you can park yourself in a chair and enjoy the air-conditioned comfort of the party center all evening without spending a dime, although it’s much more fun to get a number and bid on items.
“We try to get out here every week,” said antiques enthusiast John Carpenter. “We get something to eat and chat with our friends, and every now and then we’ll buy something.”
Carpenter and his wife Tina watched as a circa-1880 dresser with a high level of craftsmanship went for just $50 last week. “Somebody got a real bargain on that,” he said.
Heaven agrees that there are “jaw-dropping” bargains some nights, as well as some head-scratchers when the crowd gets into hot competition over a sleeper. A lot of it depends on who’s in the crowd that evening.
“We have a diverse crowd of collectors, as well as eBayers, flea marketers. We got them all,” Heaven says.
They arrive an hour or more before the auction to walk the aisles of tables and examine the merchandise consigned for that evening. Heaven says it’s their policy to mix up lots so they aren’t selling the same kind of merchandise for an hour straight.
“We like to have a good selection for everybody,” Bowers says.
“They know that at every auction we have, even if it’s just a household sale, there will be antiques mixed in,” Heave says.
Because it is a consignment auction, Bowers and Heaven never know what will show up next. The offerings last week ran from a canoe and Tiny Town toy gasoline truck to a 1930 Dart yearbook and floral designs.
Heaven says they were a little concerned about getting enough stuff to sell every week, but so far they’ve not had to cancel because of a paucity of consignments.
“It never ends,” Gary says.
“There are a lot of houses out there, and they are all full of stuff,” Bowers says.
The consignments come from a variety of sources. Sometimes, Bowers and Heaven buy out an entire estate and take their chances on being able to auction it at a profit. Other times an estate will be consigned to them to sell for a commission.
Heaven and Bowers say they often get calls from people who have just had a garage or estate sale and want them to take what’s left for the auction. Although that’s a service they provide, they say it’s much better if the seller skips having the sale themselves and allows them to handle the whole job of packing, moving and auctioning off the lot.
“Once you’ve signed the contract and agree to the terms, you don’t have to do anything else but point to what goes (to the auction),” Heaven says.
The auction is also for businesses with an excess inventory or homeowners who want to turn all that clutter in their attics, basement, garage or storage unit into cash.
Consignments are accepted from walk-ins from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays. Heaven says they can usually get the items on the block within a week or two.
The auctioneers also do on-site auctions when the volume of goods to be sold justify it. They actually prefer doing those types of sales, the old-fashioned household auction.
“It’s less work for with the onsite sales,” Heaven says. “Any auctioneer just loves an onsite sale versus an indoor sale because you get the hype of the auction.”
Indoor sales offer controled environment, convenience and parking, as well as seating comfort for the audience and better sound. Accordingly, Heaven started using the Kathryn Rose Center for his antique auctions several years ago. He, Bowers and Stewart decided to try a regular consignment auction as a way to generate income for both their services and Stewart’s business on an otherwise slow night.
“I think it’s worked out real well,” said Stewart, who even offers alcoholic beverages before and after the auction at the party center’s lounge.
“It helps out all of us,” Bowers says. “Her food is really good and people come in for supper and watch the auction.”
The party center is clean, large, bright and smoke-free. The auction is run professionally with the goal of selling 100 lots of merchandise per hour. Even so, the auctioneers still take the time to toss in a joke or two.
“They come mostly from other auctioneers,” Heaven says of his joke source.
“And our customers will come up to us and say, ‘I got a new one for you,’” Bowers adds.
Because the party center is used for many other purposes, the auctioneers must clear out whatever is consigned for that night. That means that at the end of the evening, there usually will be a big pile of unsold box lots offered for choice, and then as a lot. They have a dozen or so buyers who wait until the end just for those bargains.
“We sell it until it’s gone,” Heaven says. “It usually takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours. We’re here until the building is empty, it all has to be sold out.”
They say the recession has, overall, been good for business. People are looking for bargains, especially in appliances and upholstered furniture, which has resulted in higher prices.
“One of the things that has changed is the value of stuffed, upholstered furniture,” Heaven says. “People are getting used to the idea t hey can steam clean it and have a nice piece of furniture. An item that sold for $25 a year ago, is getting $150 today.”
In addition to furniture and appliances, the auctioneers can usually count on getting a good price for clean, collectible glassware and figurines, tools, old toys and fishing equipment and lures. Topping the list of tough stuff to sell are bowling balls.
“A good auctioneer can sell a bowling bowl,” Heaven says.
The consignment auction is held every Tuesday starting at 6 p.m. Listings of what will be offered can be found at auctionzip.com and hookedonauctions.com. The auctioneers also have a mailing for upcoming antiques and on-site auctions. The next antiques auction is June 27 at Kathryn Rose.
There is a buyer’s premium of 10 percent on all sales, and sales tax is charged when the auction is held at Kathryn Rose. Cash, checks with identification are the only accepted forms of payment.
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a number to bid
The consignment auction is held every Tuesday starting at 6 p.m. Listings of what will be offered can be found at auctionzip.com and hookedonauctions .com. The auctioneers also have a mailing for upcoming auctions. The next antiques auction is 5 p.m. June 27 at Kathryn Rose Party Center, 3116 N. Bend Road, Saybrook.
There is a buyer’s premium of 10 percent on all sales, and sales tax is charged. Cash, checks with identification are the only accepted forms of payment.

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