An unlikely auction buyer, 40 years later

Richlands, NC resident Chris Peacock never imagined that he would have the opportunity to buy a bedroom suite from his childhood home.  However, after seeing an online auction based in GA that became a reality.

When Chris's parents sold the home years ago, they sold the late 1800s oak bedroom suite with the house.  Chris remembered that if there was anything that he would like to have had from the home, that would have been it.  Chris was alerted that the current owners of the home were retiring to the beach and that they had chosen to sell the personal property contents at auction.  He knew that was his chance.  Being an online auction, he was able to bid from his current home 370 miles away.  As the auction closed, Chris was the winning bidder on the three pieces that he longed for and made plans to drive down and pick them up.

But there were two more items that grabbed his attention as well.  Two street signs, Lewis and Church.  You see, in a moment of youthful indiscretion, (we'll just call it boys being boys) Chris and his two older brothers stole those street signs that sat on the corner where the house was located.  They stashed them in an old shed out back and that's where they stayed for 40+ years.  When preparing the auction, I dug them out thinking that selling them separately would make a few more dollars for my sellers.  You can imagine Chris's surprise when he saw them in the catalog.  He recognized them immediately and he bought them!

The happiness was evident when Chris came to pick up his items.  Check out the video below:


This is a great example of why I love my career.  No two days are the same.  The people and the stories are absolute treasures.  I had the chance to meet almost the entire Peacock family that day.  The memories they shared and the stories they told were special.  Now, they have a bedroom suit and some hot street signs to accompany the memories.

Alex Grovenstein
912-657-1831
alex@southauctiongroup.com
GA Auctioneer License #4105
SC Auctioneer License #4534
GA Real Estate License #366186
#AuctionAlex

Serving Statesboro, Savannah, and all areas of southeast Georgia and southern South Carolina with open, honest and efficient auction solutions.

Looking Back

February 28, 2014 was the day that I set up a tent on the Coosa River and started an adventure that changed my (and my family's) life forever.  #AuctionAlex had not been born yet, but the seeds were planted that day.  The day before, I had cleaned out my office at Georgia Southern University and auction school was on the horizon.  (I blogged the adventure HERE)  To say that I have learned a lot over the last four years is an understatement.  Four things in particular immediately come to mind.

Competition is not a bad thing.
I think that competition, particularly in business, is something that most folks naturally fear.  I was that way when I began.  How will I be viewed by other auctioneers in my area?  How will they treat me?  What will they say about me?  What I came to learn is that competition raises the bar for all of us.  It keeps everyone honest and hard-working.  In reality, there is enough work for all of us.  There are sometimes that we overlap, but generally everyone has a niche.  There are even opportunities to work together.  We refer to each other.  We bid with each other.  We help each other identify things.  When we pitch for business we sometimes go against each other without even knowing it.  That's okay.  It makes us all better.  I appreciate those folks and I believe that they appreciate me too.

Trade time for money or money for time.
It's a mantra for those who are self employed or have strange hours.  If you need money, you trade time to stack cash.  If you need time, you sacrifice money.  This has probably been the hardest transition for me.  I got well accustomed to that paycheck being deposited in my account at the end of each month!  I do have amazing flexibility now though.  If I want to plan a camping trip with my boys and their Scout groups, I can now schedule auctions around the trip instead of scheduling trips around work.  However..... I've sometimes had to do the opposite because the opportunity was too good.  The biggest difference is that now I have the option.  That's priceless.  Profitably managing that paradox is one of the things that I'll be working on in 2018.

Auctions Work!
I've written extensively about the merits of the auction method.  You can see that HERE.  In my part of the country the auction method is still sometimes viewed as the method of last resort.  But....... that's changing.  With every land auction that exceeds expectations, every estate auction that pops stellar results and every business liquidation that sometimes yields near retail prices, people are noticing.  When done properly by an honest auction professional, it works.  Every time.

People are generally good.
Despite what we see daily on TV and online, most folks are good people just trying to do the same things.  They work, earn money, take care of their families and enjoy their communities.  That doesn't make the news.  I've encountered legions of people in every part of my career, but in the auction business most everyone seems happy.  Sellers, but almost always bidders.  People like to bid!  It's fun!  Benefit auctions are many times my favorite events.  People like to give.  I believe God wired us that way.  The excitement when a generous bidder "overpays" for an item at a charity auction is exhilarating for both the audience, bidder and the bid caller alike.  Don't believe me?  Try it sometime.

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the sellers and bidders who have done business with me over the last four years.  It's also owed to the "teachers" who educated me about the business and life in general.  I know nearly every one by name.  They are ultimately the people who helped me succeed in the auction business.  They allowed me to feed my family, buy new baseball cleats and pay for scouting events.

I'm excited to see what the next four years hold.  If they're anything like the first four, I'm in for an amazing ride!

Alex Grovenstein
912-657-1831
alex@southauctiongroup.com
GA Auctioneer License #4105
SC Auctioneer License #4534
GA Real Estate License #366186
#AuctionAlex

Serving Statesboro, Savannah, and all areas of southeast Georgia and southern South Carolina with open, honest and efficient auction solutions.