AUCTIONEERS ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND, INC. SEPTEMBER 2007

NEWSLETTER

EDITION 3

Sam “The Hitman” Grasso, Ringman Finalist

Denise Shearin, IAC Champion

September 30th is the Bid Calling Contest and Fundraising Auction. Shown is last year’s Champion, J.D. Cox. Jane Campbell-Chambliss, NAA President Award of Distinction

Celebrating 50 Years 1957 – 2007 Mail all inquiries to: Auctioneers Association of Maryland, Inc. 9801 Hansonville Road • Frederick, Maryland 21702 301.898.9899 • Fax 301.898.3596 • www.mdauctioneers.org

2 WELCOME

AUCTIONEERS ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND, INC. 9801 Hansonville Road • Frederick, Maryland 21702 301.898.9899 • Fax 301.898.3596 • www.mdauctioneers.org

Table of Contents

Calendar of Events

AAM President’s Letter ............................................................3 NAA President’s Letter..............................................................4 Frank Feather’s Carvings..........................................................5 Festival of Trees ........................................................................7 50th Anniversary Picnic Highlights ........................................8 Bid Calling Contest & Fundraising Auction ............................9 Out and About to a 4-H Auction ............................................10 “You Can’t Stop the Auction!”................................................11 June Meeting Highlights ........................................................14 NAA Conference Coverage ....................................................19 “Sharing Our AAM History” ..................................................20 Quick Tips – Helpful Research Books ....................................23 Editor’s Note ..........................................................................26 2008 Winter Conference ........................................................27

Event details posted on AAM Website and in this newsletter.

September 13, 2007 Quarterly Meeting at Annapolis Elk’s Lodge at 6:00 pm

September 30, 2007 Fundraising Auction and Bid Calling Contest

November 23-25, 2007 Festival of Trees

December 5, 2007 Annual Elections and Quarterly Meeting at Ceresville Mansion

January 10-13, 2008

Full & Half Page Advertisements Antique Week . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 The Frederick News-Post . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 AuctionZip.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Antiques & Auction News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 The Daily Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Lancaster Farming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 The Baltimore Sun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 The Aegis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 John R. Huey & Sons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

AAM Winter Conference & 50th Anniversary Celebration in Cambridge, Maryland

Newsletter Deadline DECEMBER 2007 ISSUE: November 19, 2007

2007 AAM Officers President:

Clair Martin

301-797-4428

[email protected]

President-Elect:

Paul Metzger

410-538-5309

[email protected]

Vice-President:

Glenn Freeman

410-838-3000

[email protected]

Director:

Jay Ruby

877-631-0650

[email protected]

Director:

Lynne Zink

410-852-6925

[email protected]

Gladys Ridge

301-898-9899

[email protected]

Exec. Secretary/Treasurer

LETTER 3

Past Presidents 1957-1961

Michael Fox*

1962 & 1963

John M. Miller*

1964 & 1965

Abraham J. Billig*

1966

Sam W. Rae*

1967 & 1968

Barr Harris

1969

Lea Zalis*

1970 & 1971

Robert C. Burkheimer

1972 & 1973

Sam Rae*

1974

Grant Harding, CAI

1975 & 1976

Joseph Cooper

1977 & 1978

William Z. Fox, CAI

1979

B. Ross Rhodes

1980 & 1981

Larry Makoswki, CAI

1982 & 1983

Raymond Nichols

1984 & 1985

Daniel Billig, CAI

1986 & 1987

James G. Trout

1988 & 1989

Robert H. Campbell II CAI, AARE

1990

Andy Stafford

1991 & 1992

Lester Dement

1993 & 1994

Jay Edwards

1995 & 1996

Norman Hunter, CAI

1997 & 1998

Jane Campbell-Chambliss CAI, AARE, GPPA

1999 & 2000

George Hunt

2001

Norman O’Neal

2002 & 2003

Thomas Weschler

2004 & 2005

Dennis Warfield

* Deceased members

From the President 50th ANNIVERSARY (1957-2007) Dear Members: CONGRATULATIONS to Denise Shearin of Brandywine, MD for winning the 2007 Women’s Division International Auctioneer Championship. The Auctioneers Association of Maryland won Best State Associations – State Association Website by the hard work of Lynne Zink. Josh Ruby of Wolfe Auctions, Inc. won Best Auction Printed Materials, Multi-color, C&I Mach. & Equip., and Jay Ruby of Global Force Auction Group won Best Catalog, C&I Mach. & Equip. I understand that Sam Grasso did very well in the ringman championship, making it to the finals round. Congratulations to these members. Mark your calendar for the 2007 Bid Calling Contest and fun auction to raise money for the 2008 Winter Conference and Make-A-Wish to be held at Chesapeake Auction House in St. Leonard, MD. Lawrence Forman called me and said he would like to host the auction at his facilities this year. On August 4, I drove down to St. Leonard, MD to meet with Mr. & Mrs. Forman. Even though I had never met them before, they made me feel right at home when I got there. They showed me all around their auction house, and I am excited about going down there for the auction. They are also very excited about the Association coming to their part of the state for the Auction and Bid Calling Contest. They have a very nice auction house and flea market where you can come and spend the day. More details will be coming soon. Let’s make this year the best ever and show the people in this part of the state what the Auctioneers Association of Maryland is all about. We are going to have a very good time. Jay Ruby is working on the 2008 Winter Conference to be held in Easton, MD on January 11-13, 2008. More details will be coming soon. Mark your calendars! We will be celebrating our 50th Anniversary this year and are looking to have a great time. A 50th Anniversary only happens once! Elections will be coming up soon. Please make your intentions known to George Hunt or Tom Weschler. Also mark your calendar for the next quarterly meeting on September 13th @ 6:00 P.M. at the Annapolis ELK’s Lodge #622. We’ll see you there! The Board of Directors is working hard to better the Association and is always looking for feedback. Contact a board member with any concerns. Thank you, Clair L. Martin, President

4 LETTER

LETTER FROM THE NAA PRESIDENT

NAA’s Purpose Is To Serve The States And Hence The Membership Thomas L. Williams, CAI

For any individual or organization, the key to success is to clearly understand and define its purpose.

The sole purpose for NAA’s existence is to serve the membership; when we lose sight of that purpose our existence is in jeopardy. In my opinion, the number one way to achieve our goal is to strengthen every state auctioneer association. You have heard it stated many times all government is local; I feel that statement applies equally to associations. We must build the organization from the individual member up. Fulfilling their needs makes them better and more profitable Auctioneers individually and hence better representatives of the auction industry and NAA. We do this best by providing a menu of services and educational opportunities for the membership to chose from and utilize. NAA should not dictate a particular course of action, but let the individual Auctioneer shine his or her light as they see best. It is the uniqueness every Auctioneer brings to the marketplace that will be the key to their success or failure. The higher the level of professionalism of the Auctioneer, the better they represent their state association, national association and the industry as a whole. The single most important event for achieving the above goals happens in Kansas City at the annual State Leadership Forum scheduled for October 21-23, 2007. NAA invites the president of every state auctioneer association to participate in the Forum. The sharing of ideas and concerns proves mutually beneficial to all. Through this exchange, NAA has a roadmap of how to provide the best services needed by the membership and state organizations.

It is imperative that your leader attend. The lines of communication cannot be opened without the free flow of information from your members through your president, back and forth through NAA. If by chance your president is unable to attend, be sure you send the highest ranking officer possible. We all lose when you aren’t represented. We need your input and feel confident your representative will gain valuable insights from open discussions with their peers. This program was started four years ago and has been hailed as the most important service NAA offers. Facilitating the exchange of current ideas state-to-state, member-tomember working through NAA gives all the wealth of information needed to provide the best service possible to the membership. I anxiously look forward to meeting and visiting with your state leader at the State Leadership Forum.

Bid Calling Champions 1993 Lester Dement 1994 Martha Strawsburg 1995 George Hunt 1996 Dennis Warfield 1997 Norman Hunter, CAI 1998 Howard Parzow 1999 Jim Cochran 2000 Paul Sobwick, CAI, AARE 2001 Larry Makowski, CAI 2002 Mike Catrino 2003 Derek Hopkins, CAI 2004 Sheri Odom Bachmann, CAGA 2005 Lynne Zink, CAI, CES 2006 Jay Ruby 2007 JD Cox

NEWS 5

Frank Feather’s Carved Walking Stick Brings $12,300.00 Submitted by Clair L. Martin Dale Martin of Clair L. Martin Auctioneers of Maugansville, MD, recently sold a Frank Feather’s carved walking stick for $12,300.00. The walking stick had the word Feather carved at the bottom, and I was told that there were very few that were carved that way. In 2005, I sold my father’s wall rack that Frank Feather made dated April 27, 1912 for $8,000.00. My father bought it at his uncle’s auction for $17.50 and the people said he paid too much for it. Frank Feather was a tramp and gave the walking stick to Mr. Lewis Martin for a place to sleep and some food to eat. He would never sleep in your house. He would make his bed in the hayloft or the chicken house. Frank would sometimes stay for just a day and other times he would stay for weeks.

He would sell you a carved walking stick for about $5.00, and you could not tell him what you wanted carved on a walking stick. If you did not have the money for the stick or said something was wrong with it, he would break it up in front of you. I have sold a lot of Feather’s items. One estate, I sold approx. 20 pieces of Frank Feather carved items. Some of the items he carved were canes, spoons, paper racks, comb cases, hatchets, Bibles, gun stocks, machetes and wall sconces. In 1970, I was selling his walking stick for about $200.00 to $500.00. Over the years, the prices have went higher. Keep your eyes open. It is hard to tell where you might see one. Frank’s signature carvings were often a horse head, acorn, daisy, horseshoe, or the words victory, love, joy, peace, hope, faith and charity. If you think you might have one of these items in your auction and are not sure, I would be glad to look at it.

6

NEWS 7

Festival of Trees Kennedy Kreiger Institute Submitted by Vickie Freeman Christmas is fast approaching and we will be getting into the holiday spirit by creating a Christmas tree to benefit the Kennedy Kreiger Institute at the Festival of Trees. The Festival will be held on Friday, November 23rd through Sunday, November 25th in the Cow Palace at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium. The Kennedy Kreiger Institute is a comprehensive resource for children with disorders of the brain. This event is now in its 18th year and many people consider it a holiday tradition, with approximately 25,000 people attending last year. Not only will we be helping the children of Kennedy Kreiger but we will also be spotlighting the 50th anniversary of the Auctioneers Association of Maryland to the general public. Our 71⁄2” foot tree will feature many items associated with auctioning, such as miniature bidders cards & gavels, a representation of the many items that are auctioned, such as houses, equipment, furniture, jewelry, automobiles, livestock, etc., and lots of gold for our 50th year. A large lighted logo will be our tree topper and under the tree, we will have wrapped packages with the business cards of our members as nametags. Our name will be included in the commemorative program and will be prominently displayed beside our tree. This event is open to the public and we hope that many of our members attend this festival. You will be enchanted with the display of over 300 Christmas trees. Bring your children or grandchildren; there is a lot for them to see and do-crafts, a train garden, a gingerbread village and of course Santa. There is also live entertainment, a silent auction, and holiday shopping. Speaking of shopping, one of the ways Kennedy Kreiger raises funds is by pricing and selling all the trees that the many individuals and organizations create. So, if you would like a very special tree for your home or business featuring the auction profession, just come on by and pick up our price tag. Hope to see you at the Festival!

8 50TH ANNIVERSARY

50th Anniversary Picnic Picnic attendees enjoyed this informal gathering with no scheduled speaker or agenda or formal wear. Auctioneers enjoyed great food, games, and conversation in a very relaxing environment. A very special “Thank You” to Paul Metzger for organizing this event and to Derek Hopkins for preparing and providing the musical entertainment (and to think it was his birthday and he chose to spend it at this event and “work” the musical entertainment). Do we have dedicated members or what????

BID CALLING

AND

FUNDRAISING 9

10 OUT

AND

ABOUT

Out and About

Submitted by Lynne Zink

A Visit to the Harford County Farm Fair 4-H Auction On July 28th the crowd was enjoying the entertainment of active ringmen and auctioneers working their magic with prospective buyers and anxious parents at the annual Harford County 4-H Auction. Derek Hopkins, Ben Rigdon, and a few other Harford County auctioneers were giving back to their community on this day, helping the 4-H program achieve high results for the sale of their goats, pigs, cows, chickens, and more. One memorable moment occurred when a young girl of about 9 years old brought the goat she had raised into the auction ring. As the auctioneer was asking for bids, the young girl was crying. She knew that this was the moment she had been preparing for all year but didn’t expect to become so attached to her goat. As her tears fell, several bidders got in on the action and the goat ending up selling for more than the rest. Immediately after the auctioneer said, “SOLD!”

the high bidder donated the goat back to the little girl. The crowd cheered and a teary eyed girl went to the gentleman to thank him. There were several times when the excitement levels got really high. One instance occurred when a young boy entered the auction ring with his pig. The average pig had been selling for $2.00 to $2.25 per pound. Bidding started at $2.00 per pound and was quickly climbing as the auctioneer’s chant kept up with the ringmens’ shouts from the floor. By the time the bidding got to $10.00 per pound, the crowd was in on it cheering the bidders on. The cheering was almost deafening after the auctioneer said, “SOLD for $15.00 per pound!” For those of you who do not care to do the math, the pig was around 240 pounds and at $15 per pound, that pig sold for approximately $3,600.00. Four years ago was the first time I had ever attended a 4-H auction and I have been going to them every year since then. I guess you can see why.

COLUMN 11

You Can’t Stop The Auction! John Stephen Proffitt III Q. – I was at an auction where the auctioneer was repeatedly rude to both the crowd and his helpers. He was particularly agitated because prices weren’t as high as he wanted, and he berated the crowd for wasting his time in even trying to sell to us. Before he was halfway through the items, he stopped the auction and told us to leave. I think this was illegal, wrong, and unprofessional. Do you agree? Mad in the Midwest. There are two issues here: 1. The auctioneer’s decision to stop the sale. 2. The auctioneer’s actions from the standpoint of professionalism. 1. The auctioneer’s decision to stop the sale I used to think that an auctioneer stopping a sale was a rare event. But over the years, I’ve received enough mail complaining about such occurrences to convince me otherwise. Whether it’s wrong for an auctioneer to stop a sale can be answered by looking at three gauges of conduct: (1) legal; (2) ethical; and (3) public relations.

Law. It’s important to first understand what an “auction” is. If an auctioneer intends to conduct a sale in which he will offer 500 lots, he’s not going to conduct one auction - he’s going to conduct 500 auctions. This is because the offering of each lot is a separate “auction.” So to be precise, we would never use the singular “auction” to describe a sale where more than one lot will be offered. We’d instead use the plural “auctions” for such an event. This legal rule appears in article two of the Uniform Commercial Code (the law in every state, except Louisiana). So what’s the significance of an auctioneer conducting one auction versus many? Well, it’s the answer to this legal issue. Unless it’s a forced sale (i.e., foreclosure, lien, or court-ordered), the law won’t make a person involuntarily sell anything. Sellers who choose to go to auction do so voluntarily. If an auction isn’t begun (i.e., lot opened to bidding), there’s no requirement in a voluntary auction setting to force someone to sell assets. (Continued to page 12

12 COLUMN (Continued from page 11)

Understanding that each lot is the subject of a separate auction, we can see how an auctioneer might offer 50 lots out of 250, and then stop the sale. The auctioneer hasn’t stopped “the auction.” He’s already conducted 50 auctions. The auctioneer has simply decided, for whatever reason, not to conduct the next 200 auctions. Legally there’s no violation and the auctioneer has acted within his authority. Here, it’s pretty obvious the auctioneer owned the merchandise. Where that’s not the case, there’s an important caveat to know. While an auctioneer has the power to stop a sale between lots, he should have authority from the seller before doing so - or at least sound reasons to justify that his decision was in the seller’s best interest. As the agent of the seller, the auctioneer is selling the seller’s assets, for the seller’s benefit, and always under the seller’s control and direction. If the seller wants to proceed, absent extraordinary circumstances (i.e., threat to life, health, or safety), the auctioneer should conduct the sale. Ethics. Did the auctioneer commit an ethical violation? Forget how he acted, that’s not the issue. For now, we just want to determine whether his decision to stop the sale was unethical Ethics are about morally doing right versus wrong. The National Auctioneers Association and various state

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associations have codes of ethics. These codes were designed to keep auctioneers on the correct path. But there’s a golden compass that will always keep you on course, too: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Here, there’s no evidence that the auctioneer did anything illegal, or that he lied, cheated, or tricked anyone. He didn’t like the selling prices for the lots, so he stopped the sale. There’s no ethical violation under these facts. Public relations bomb. While the auctioneer avoided any legal or ethical misstep, when he stopped the sale he stepped on a public relations bomb. It went off and shattered his reputation with this crowd. The decision to stop an auction sale shouldn’t be made lightly. Bidders have invested time and money to come and patronize the sale. They didn’t do this to have it stopped midway, so they will naturally be very unhappy if it is. This doesn’t mean what the auctioneer did here was wrong. That judgment could only be made on the basis of many other facts that we don’t know. But there will always be a price for a decision that’s unpopular with a crowd and, right or wrong, this auctioneer made such a decision. 2. The auctioneers actions from the standpoint of professionalism. What did this auctioneer accomplish by allowing his frustration and lack of discipline to turn into the mistreatment of those around him? First, he let his emotions override his business demeanor. Second, he probably offended everyone in the audience. Third, he diverted his efforts from working positively on the sale, to negative complaining. How could the auctioneer or his seller benefit from this? They couldn’t, so what he did wasn’t just wrong, it was self-defeating. It was also very unprofessional. Have you ever heard anyone say, “Yep, that auctioneer is one rude and crude guy, but boy ... what a professional!” Huh? Do you see anything wrong with that statement? Rude and crude may be commonplace in society today, but that’s no justification for such boorish conduct, and particularly not when it comes from a public figure like an auctioneer. And those adjectives are certainly incompatible with any standard of professionalism. Auctioneers professionals? Auctioneers like to be considered professionals, and many are. But they’re not professionals because they’re auctioneers, or because they hold some state license. Titles and licenses (Continued to page 16)

13

Serving Auctioneers In and Around Maryland for

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Antiques & Auction News Is Published Weekly and Circulated Throughout The East ANTIQUES & AUCTION NEWS IS A PROUD MEMBER OF AAM Write: P.O. Box 500, Mount Joy, PA 17552 E-mail: [email protected]; or Visit Us On The Web At: www.antiquesandauctionnews.net

14 JUNE AAM MEETING

June AAM Meeting

Jeanie Vincenti and decoys

The June Meeting was held at the Bayou Restaurant in Havre de Grace, Maryland with featured speaker, Jeanie Vincenti of Vincenti Decoys. Her husband, Pat, is one of the most respected authorities in decoys in the entire east coast region. Members brought decoys to have appraised and Jeanie offered many entertaining, educational details and stories about decoys. In addition, Jane Campbell-Chambliss brought quilts that were designed by children of St. Jude’s Hospital for AAM Members to sell at upcoming auctions. All monies raised will benefit St. Jude’s Hospital.

Joe Guay, Dick Lowry, Doug Hornberger

Jane Campbell-Chambliss

Irv & Debbie Sass

Rebecca Snyder from The Daily Record

Jay Edwards

Bob Gatchel

JUNE AAM MEETING 15

Wayne Flanagan & Linda Bedwell Jim & Peggy Peeling

Prospective member Joshua Rakers

Clair Martin

Paul Metzger

Robert & Sheri Bachmann with their daughter, Connie

Katrina & Derek Hopkins

DON’T MISS SEPTEMBER’S MEETING! September 13, 2007 at 6:00 PM Quarterly Meeting at Annapolis Elk’s Lodge

16 COLUMN (Continued from page 12)

never made anyone a professional, unless you go back a few hundred years to the classical definition of professions. If you do, you’ll find auctioneers didn’t qualify. Back then there were only three professions: physicians, attorneys, and the clergy. Modern times have brought a much broader definition to professions and professionals. Now, just about any human activity involving commerce gives rise to another group of “professionals.” We tag as professionals those who engage in anything from agriculture to zoology. But occupational labels alone are grossly insufficient to identify real professionals. Professionalism.

eers, and to group auctioneers with lawyers and physicians? When you consider it’s the standard of conduct that the modern definition measures, the answer is yes. While no occupation can make a person a professional, one can achieve professional status through consistently high performance, no matter the field. A couple of years ago, I was teaching a seminar at the West Virginia Auctioneers Association’s convention in Charleston. I walked into the audience and asked whether auctioneers are professionals. Scanning the crowd for a response, my eyes met Al Thompson’s. Thompson is a legendary auctioneer and he had a quick answer. “Well, I am!”

I’ve been a lawyer for 26 years and am often referred to as a professional. I believe I’ve earned that label from my conduct. I’m certainly not due it merely because I’m an attorney or hold a license to practice law. Just consider – is an intoxicated, unprepared, and incompetent lawyer a professional? Never in my book, and I hope not in yours.

And Thompson is - but not because he’s an auctioneer. Thompson is a professional because he’s devoted his career to being the best, and that’s the level he operates at – not sometimes, but all the time.

Once I was wrestling with a big case nearing trial. I was frightened. I wasn’t afraid to try the case. I feared the prospect of maybe losing and what that would mean for my client’s family. I represented the estate of a man who had been killed in a tragic wreck with a commercial truck. He was survived by a widow and four children.

So why aren’t all auctioneers professionals? Because they can’t, or don’t, produce the consistently high performance that is the hallmark of a professional. The same reason that all athletes, doctors, lawyers, businesspeople, and you name it aren’t real professionals. Professionalism separates the best from the rest.

A substantial settlement offer had been made, but it was far below my appraisal of the case’s value. I had advised my client to reject the offer and it had followed my advice. Now we were approaching high noon at the courthouse. I went to my mentor and discussed the case and my fear. He said he was always frightened in such cases, too, but he gave me some words of encouragement. “Steve, any lawyer could settle this case. It takes a really good one to try it, and you’re a really good lawyer.” I quietly repeated that encouragement to myself throughout the trial. When the jury went out, I knew I had tried a good case. When they came back, they brought the largest verdict I had won to that point in my career. Flushed with relief, I telephoned my mentor from the courthouse to tell him the news. “Congratulations!” he said. “You did a great job and that’s the mark of a professional.” He couldn’t have given me a higher compliment and I’ve never forgotten that moment. Performance – not occupation. Considering the modern interpretation of a professional, is it proper to place exotic dancers on the same level as auction-

Conclusion.

Auctioneering is blessed with many good, hard-working men and women who are true professionals. They’re the ones who exhibit a steady and positive demeanor, possess a high level of competence, use sound judgment, and conduct themselves appropriately - always! These auctioneers have earned the right to be called professionals. Do you make the grade? Steve Proffitt is general counsel of J. P. King Auction Company, Inc. (www.jpking.com) in Gadsden, AL. He is also an auctioneer and instructor at both Reppert School of Auctioneering in Auburn, IN and Mendenhall School of Auctioneering in High Point, NC. This information does not represent legal advice or the formation of an attorney-client relationship and readers should seek the advice of their own attorneys on all legal issues. Mr. Proffitt may be contacted by email at [email protected].

17

18 NEWS

In Memoriam We are sad to announce the recent deaths of:

Ms. Kathleen Weschler, Mother of Tommy Weschler and

Mr. Eston Hoffman, Father of Eddie Hoffman If you wish to send a card to Tommy or Eddie, their addresses are under the members section of the AAM website: www.mdauctioneers.org

Have you seen one of these before? Take a guess and if you’re lucky enough, you’ll win a nice prize: a polo shirt with the AAM Logo. Last winner was Col. Ross Rhodes. Will you win the prize this time? Email your guess to lynne@jayedwards auction.com and if you’re correct, you’ll be added to a drawing to win the prize. If you don’t have email access, you can call Lynne Zink with your guess at 410-569-4125.

2007 AAM Committees Bid Calling Championship . . . . . . . . . . . .J.D. Cox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jay Ruby Charity Effort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .George Hunt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tom Weschler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Roy Gregory Ethics & Grievance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jay Edwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jack Billig Internet & Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lynne Zink Media Relations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Clair Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Wayne Flanagan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Campbell, III Membership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ira Drury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .James Massey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Virginia Drury NAA Liaison/Education . . . . . . . . .Glenn Freeman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Denny Stouffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Jane Campbell-Chambliss Newsletter Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lynne Zink Nominating Committee . . . . . . . . . .Tom Weschler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .George Hunt Political Affairs . . . . . . . . . .Robert H. Campbell, II Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sheri Odom Bachmann Special Events/Winter Seminar . . . . . . . . .Jay Ruby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Derek Hopkins Parliamentarian . . . . . . . . . . . .Robert Campbell, II

AUCTIONEERS CONFERENCE 19

The 58th International Auctioneers Conference & Show was held in San Diego, CA this year. Here are a few highlights:

Jane Campbell-Chambliss received the NAA President’s Award of Distinction

Denise Shearin, this year’s International Auctioneer Champion Classes

L - R: Joe Koval, Lynne Zink, Steve Johnson The AAM Website was awarded 1st place in the Marketing Competition Association Web Sites. Thanks AuctionZip, Lynne Zink, and David Lowry.

Ron Evans finally caught a fish at the Deep Sea Fishing Excursion

L to R: Grant Harding, Carol & Norman Hunter at the Opening Night Luau

Tom Bikle and his son, Josh, bidding at the Ringman Competition

Sam Grasso, Ringman finalist, kept the crowd energized with his active, enthusiastic style

Cochran Crew

Banquets

20 NEWS

Sharing Our AAM History Submitted by Gladys Ridge The other day I received a phone call from Austin Bohn, an auctioneer in Frederick, MD. He had two things to talk about. First, he wanted to congratulate us on the beautiful newsletter. He said it really is very good. Secondly, he wanted to give us some history of the Association. He joined in 1967, and was the only member from Frederick County. Homer Snyder was the only member from Carroll County. Braden King was the only member from Washington County. He thinks Ira Nelson was the only member from the Eastern Shore. He isn’t sure whether or not Col. Ross Rhodes was a member at that time. Robert H. Campbell was already a member.

Hall of Fame 1994

Robert H. Campbell

1995

James G. Trout

1996

A.J. Billig Alex Cooper Michael Fox

1997

Robert H. Campbell II, CAI, AARE

1998

B. Ross Rhodes

1999

George Hunt Larry Makowski, CAI

2000

Norman Hunter, CAI

2002

John O’Neill

2003

Phil Gregory

2005

Tommy Weschler

In 1974, Austin was Vice President. This was under Grant Harding. For personal reasons, he decided not to run for President. At that time, he attended every quarterly meeting. Most were held in Baltimore City at Chiparellis in Little Italy. All of you may remember Austin from our December meetings at Ceresville Mansion. He is now semi-retired. He has served long and well. Thank you Austin for your contributions to the Auctioneers Association of Maryland. Thanks also for your reminiscences. As we plan our 50th Anniversary Celebration to take place in January of 2008, please contact us with your stories. We want to keep the AAM and auction history alive. Your memories are everyone’s treasure. 9409 Old Marlboro Pike Upper Marlboro, MD20772

J.D. COX (301) 599-6285 Fax (301) 599-1127 Cell (301) 367-7314

Horse • Stock • Utility Cargo • Steel • Aluminum • FRP Parts • Supplies • Leasing • Financing

To submit articles, photos or news events, please contact: Lynne Zink, CAI, CES at 410-852-6925 or [email protected]

21

22

or email [email protected]

QUICK TIPS 23

QUICK TIPS Submitted by Vickie Freeman, Bel Air Auction Gallery, Bel Air, MD In the last newsletter, I shared with you some of our favorite web sites; this month I would like to share with you some of my favorite research books. Most of these books are small enough to put into a briefcase and take with you to appraisals.

of furniture. This paperback book is priced around twenty dollars and published by Henry Holt & Co.

Another paperback book I find very informative is the “Blue Book” Dolls & Values by Jan Foulke. This book covers antique and modern dolls, listing alphabetically manufacturers, their marks, and values. There are over 500 colored photographs and is very reader friendly. Hobby House Press in Grantsville, Maryland publishes it. The price for this book is around twenty dollars.

general book. Both of these books are published by Krause Publications and cost about twenty-five dollars each.

In this area we all come across working decoys. A wonderful book to identify these decoys is “Decoys of the Mid-Atlantic Region”. This book is for We hold six coin auctions a year and many of the clients identification not valuation. There are multiple pictures on we do personal property appraisals for have coins, so a good each page, the maker’s name, and other information is listed book on coins is essential. My dog-eared paperback below each picture. Henry Fleckenstein, Jr. from Harford book titled “North American Coins & Prices” is one of County, now living on the Eastern Shore, is the author. my favorites. It is a guide to U. S., Canadian and Mexican A good general book on glass, covering more than two coins that includes a grading guide, values of coins from hundred types, is “Warman’s Value & Identification Colonial to modern day coins, coin terminology, etc. This Glass Guide”. History of manufacturers and many referbook is edited by David C. Harper and published by ences are included in this large paperback Also, “Warman’s Krause Publications. Well worth the sixteen dollars! Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide” is a very good

“Field Guide to American Antique Furniture” by Joseph T. Butler is another very informative book. The author calls it a “unique visual system for identifying the style of virtually any piece of American antique furniture” and indeed, it is. This book covers American furniture from the seventeenth century to the early twentieth century, with so much mind boggling information, you should never again have the problem of dating and identifying a piece

606 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 206 Towson, Maryland 21204-4056 www.tidewaterauctions.com

410.825.2900 Stephen L. Wilcoxson 410.825.2050 Facsimile 410.456.4949 Cell [email protected]

Last time I wrote about David Doty’s website on carnival glass. His book mirrors the website and is easily transportable. There are about 1700 beautiful photographs where you will find the many makers, shapes, and patterns of carnival glass. Published by Antique Publishers, this 6”x 9” paperback cost about twenty dollars. Also, you will not be disappointed with any of the books by Harry L. Rinker or Judith and Martin Miller. They both have many books published on all types of antiques and collectibles. Remember, you can always check on Amazon.com for good used copies of these and many other books!

24 WORD FIND PUZZLE

Real Estate

Auctioneer of the Year

Submitted by Vickie Freeman, Bel Air Auction Gallery R N Z GM Y X O NG S D K I K Y P U S S A Z Y O I C T P L F MO S CX XNNAL K X B TT V VWER NW S J V O EG SQ I M E ZU T P N XC C P T KE E C L YR P S P CT S U S LR N E E GH I X Y TR

OQM DQ X KX U ON G S C H B I E B L M TQ B TN D S T N AC C MC V VM T KW I OT E I M Z E S K E A A J G H E P O

ABSOLUTE ACREAGE CLOSING COMMISSION CONTRACT

B H C X M R Y M G M I Z Q U P A G N C R

E R VMS ZN AG T K F TO S N A WH Q E E J WE F F Y MS H U R VO E D Z Y A CM N I F WU H A TM Z OX EM OZ Q L L F V CC A B S OL TW J Q U X T Y I E MH A C J M R MUW I VU O Z T JW A R C E L ZW T T N I H UG Q A R KW Y F AXWZ L V S CE E L D S L P S P B Q RK

EASEMENT ESCROW INSPECTION LIEN MORTGAGE PARCEL

E R N S L U A I O U X X F V P H T O K T

I L V I GL I C LN VK P F D I B L T E TD QM Z F I U R L GT I I L V XN GT

G G L P M G K U Y I V I Y R D B V A V F

PROPERTY SETTLEMENT TAXES TITLE ZONING

JAY EDWARDS & ASSOCIATES Auctioneers & Appraisers Real Estate Specialists 1310 E. Churchville Road • Bel Air, MD 21014

Website: www.jayedwardsauction.com Email: [email protected] Office: 800-992-9045 Cell: 410-852-6925

Lynne Zink, CAI, CES 2005 Auctioneer of the Year & Bid Calling Champion

LLC

1994

Robert H. Campbell II, CAI, AARE

1995

George Hunt

1996

Larry Makowski, CAI

1997

Janice Hull, CAI

1998

Phil Gregory

1999

Paul Sobwick, CAI, AARE

2000

Clair Martin

2002

Ira Drury Jay Edwards

2003

Paul Metzger, CAI, AARE, CES

2004

Thomas Weschler

2005

Roxane Casto Lynne Zink, CAI, CES

2006

James Cochran

25

with

SPECIAL PAGES dedicated to your AUCTION needs!

To place an ad in The Aegis Auction section, please contact Mary Rosenthal at 410.879.9592 x158.

A U T O M O T I V E • J E W E L R Y • E S T A T E • F U R N I T U R E • R E A L E S TAT E • L A N D • J E W E L RY

A U T O M O T I V E • J E W E L RY • E S TAT E • F U R N I T U R E • R E A L E S TAT E • L A N D

A U T O M O T I V E • J E W E L R Y • E S T A T E • F U R N I T U R E • R E A L E S TAT E • L A N D • J E W E L RY

A U T O M O T I V E • J E W E L RY • E S TAT E • F U R N I T U R E • R E A L E S TAT E • L A N D

26 EDITOR’S NOTE

Editor’s Note I always begin working on each issue with the concern that I might not have enough material to fill the newsletter. I am proud to admit that each time, my concern is proven wrong and I end up with more than enough. It’s because of how active our members are in this Lynne Zink association and in our communities. It’s also because we have many successful members who are continually rewarded for their talents and efforts in the auction profession. Our Maryland Association is growing with members and with continually being in the spotlight. Thanks to all of you who work so hard to make a difference. Also, thanks so much to the members who have been contributing to our association newsletter. Your submissions are what make each issue a success. Ambition without knowledge is like a boat on dry land. – Mark Lee Lynne Zink, CAI, CES 410-852-6925 [email protected]

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50TH ANNIVERSARY 27

AUCTIONEERS ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND, INC. 9801 Hansonville Road Frederick, MD 21702

Inside this issue ✓ “You Can’t Stop the Auction!” ✓ “Sharing Our AAM History” ✓ Bid Calling Competition ✓ Fundraising Auction ✓ Visit to a 4-H Auction

Look For Our Next Newsletter in December 2007!

NAA Conference in San Diego, CA.

See page 19 for more.