By Jolene Farley
No sale is too big or small for Elbers Auction Service. Keith Elbers, Hills, and Clark Ahders, Rock Rapids, provide complete auction services to their customers.
Elbers attended the Continental School of Auctioneers, Mankato, in 1989. He enrolled in the week-long course at the suggestion of his boss at the Sioux Falls Stockyards. As head feeder salesman, he auctioneers at the stockyards three sales a day, three days a week.
He received the "best auctioneer award" for his class. Of the 40 students who began class with Elbers, only 14 remained at graduation. Elbers said many found out it just "wasnÕt their cup of tea."
His personal auctioneer business just "kind of grew," says Elbers. He started out doing small sales and after meeting Ahders, the business grew even more.
Auctioneers list the items to sell, help determine advertising needs and help organize items for auction.
Because sales can be held outside, summer is usually the busiest time of year for Elbers.
Elbers Auction Service also has four machinery consignment sales every year.
The most unusual item Elbers sold on auction was a coffin. Other items that come to mind are a box of laundry soap and fabric clings from a general store that closed down. The items had been sitting for years before they were put on auction, and Elbers said they "brought more than new."
A number of antique dealers attend sales faithfully, making antiques the best sellers on most auctions. This increases the sale prices for the casual auction-goer but is good for the seller.
"You are always working for the people you are selling for, not the buyers," said Elbers.
"People buy anything," said Elbers. "Don't throw anything away." People sometimes buy boxes and leave the items they do not want. Those items always seem to be picked up by other auction-goers, according to Elbers.
Some bidders are very competitive, according to Elbers. "They just don't want the other guy to have it."
Elbers' job has enabled him to meet many people, and he has made some good friends. Auctioning is just something he loves to do, he said.
Elbers' wife, Annette, and her sister, Coleen Martens, close sales and do the bookwork for the auction service.
Elbers Auction Service has a community consignment sale in Hills on Thursday, May 17, and they hope everyone plans to attend.