The day dawned cool and bright – perfect for the accelerated marketing event (some know it as an auction) of an historic church property belonging to the gifted artist and my friend, Tatiana. As the temperature slowly climbed and the sun shone through the tall trees surrounding the buildings, people gathered for the 11:00 a.m. event. The auctioneers from Auction Brokers set up a tent and had music playing while people wandered the grounds and explored the church building, modern addition, and kiln building.
Then it was time to start. People stood around, some in the sun, some in the shade under the apple and pear trees along the driveway. After making the official announcement about the terms of the sale, Paul had me say a few words to the crowd. Really. A few words – he told me to keep it brief. And when I did, he made some crack about never having heard me say so little before. The nerve!
Then the auction started in earnest. Paul has a wonderful voice, and his classic auctioneer song rang over the speaker system as his assistants kept in close touch with the group of serious bidders. When it appeared the bidding was just about over, he called a brief recess so we could phone Tatiana in New Mexico for approval of the price. Then one more short bidding opportunity, and it was done. Sold!
Settlement was October 20. Tatiana was satisfied with the price, the new owner knows the neighborhood and has a sense of the history that goes along with his purchase, and I felt the auction was a success.
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