BEGINNERS GUIDE TO AUCTIONS

SUPERIOR AUCTION & APPRAISAL, LLC 

Nellie Beland, Licensed Auctioneer/Certified Appraiser & Estate Specialist 

Gene Beland, Certified Appraiser 

1107 Thirteenth Street Menominee, MI. 49858 

Phone: (906) 864-2942                     

Website: www.superiorauction.net 

BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO AUCTIONS 

Watch & observe before bidding.   You will quickly get a feel for the auctioneers'  rhythm.  You will  find that they are not hard to understand.
Feel free to ask questions.  People are friendly and willing to help, even other auction-goers.  Purple shirts work for the auction and are there to help.

At the Freward & Alk Antique Auction the Terms & Conditions are as follows:
Payments accepted: Cash, Good Check with picture ID, Visa/Mastercard/Discover.
10% Buyers Fee.
Everything sold as is, where is with no warrantees expressed or implied.
All sales are final.
Announcements on sale date take precedence over printed matter.
WI Sales tax applies without resale exemption certificate.

Most auctions have a preview time for customers to inspect the items to be sold. The preview time for the F & A auction will be from 8:30 in the morning until the auction start time at 10:00.  Take advantage of this time to carefully inspect the items you are interested in.   Items are sold as is, so know what you are bidding on ahead of time. Ask questions. Let the auctioneer know if this is the first auction you will be bidding at - we’re very happy to help you feel comfortable!

It’s a good idea to make a list of the items you’re interested in, along with the amount you would be willing to pay. This will help prevent you from getting “caught up in the excitement of the auction” and spending more than planned. (Although it IS okay to get carried away once in awhile as long as your checkbook supports it!)


AUCTION DAY:

Arrive early so you can secure a good viewing spot. Most auctions require a bid ticket to purchase. This is obtained from the cashier & usually requires a photo ID (driver’s license) and other basic information. Once this numbered card is issued to you, DON’T LOSE IT! You are responsible for the items purchased with that number. Once the auction starts, be sure to pull the bid ticket out of your pocket or purse & have it readily available to show the auctioneer when you buy something.

Make it obvious to the auctioneer when you are bidding on something - don’t be shy! Ring people, who help the auctioneer spot bids, are usually used during a large auction.  Be sure the ring person nearest to you knows when you want to bid.

Listen carefully once the auctioneer starts calling bids. When sets of something are being sold, the auctioneer may decide to sell “so much each & times the money.” This means that you are bidding on one piece of the set but are buying the entire set times the quantity in the set. (6 piece chair set = final bid price of one chair times 6). Sometimes the auctioneer will sell “choice” which means that the successful bidder may take one or more of the items being bid on, times the money.
If you are unclear, ask before the bidding starts.

Feel free to get up and move around at an auction - they’re wonderful social events and meeting and visiting with friends is very acceptable. It’s important to remember to be courteous when visiting - talk away from other bidders and away from the auctioneer. Try not to obstruct another customer’s view. If at an outdoor auction you are using an umbrella, stand to the rear of the crowd, etc.

If you can’t attend an auction, but would like to bid on an item, most auction companies will take an absentee (proxy) bid. Also available is Internet bidding prior to the auction. Someone from the auction company will take care of your bidding & notify you if you are the lucky winner. Call in advance of the auction & find out what that auctioneer’s specific policies are for proxy bids or bid through our website at www.superiorauction.net.

If you need to leave the auction early, you can ask to have items put up for bidding early.  Just let a purple shirt know which items you would like to bid on.  There is a $10 minimum bid for this service.

It’s a good idea to keep track of your purchases during an auction. Most people write the item & successful bid amount on their bid ticket. Come prepared to move your items the same day as the auction. If you plan on buying furniture, make sure you have a vehicle to move it. Occasionally, items can be moved at a later date, but unfortunately, that will not be possible for this auction.

Remember that all sales are final at an auction. Once the auctioneer recognizes you as the successful bidder, a legally binding contract has been established. You cannot change your mind even though you have not yet paid for your purchases.

Before leaving the premises, all items must be paid for in full with the cashier. Auctions are operated the same way as any other business, and most auctioneers are very serious about collecting bad debts or collecting from buyers who have left without paying for their purchases.

Restrooms and food will be available.

Most of all, HAVE FUN! Feel comfortable asking questions, visiting with other customers - you’ll be surprised at how much you will learn!

Glass Negatives: Wisconsin History

To go directly to the auction site: SuperiorAuction.com.

We have a large collection of glass negatives that appear to be from the the early 20th century (early 1900s-1930s) depicting Wisconsin people, places, and history.

Specific areas of interest are circus / Vaudville, sharpshooters, Wild West Show, street views, portraits, logging, camping, fishing... the list goes on.

My job was to take photos of some negatives,  then to digitally reverse a few, but I found myself becoming more and more curious about who, when, and where.

The photographic glass negatives were bought locally, and the images looked like Wisconsin, but I couldn't be sure.

One big clue came on an envelope from Kodak.  Could John A. Schulz of Clintonville, Wisconsin be our photographer?

There were more clues on the other side... handwritten notes, perhaps the subjects of the photographs: Schultz - Bill + J / Mosquito Hill.

Mosquito Hill is near New London.   Another reference to New London appears in the following negative:

 

If we zoom in on the box:

The box is from Western States Envelope Co. in Milwaukee, Wis.  The handwriting on the box says (illegible) / The Press / New London / Wis.

Harding is also a Wisconsin town.  Is it someone + Lou?  Hud? 

Logging and Lumber are a common theme:

 

There was a railway accident, that if identified would give us a time and place. 

You can read on the train cars Chicago and North Western and Frisco.

This interesting scene features a sign that says "New London".  

And there are many local people and places that could be potentially be identified by the right person.

Central House:

I'm convinced that many, if not most, of these photos were taken in Wisconsin, many in the New London area.   Local historians and genealogists may recognize some of these people and places.  I'd be grateful for any help I can get.

Do any of these places look familiar?  Does anyone know anything about John Schulz or other Schultz family in the area, possibly a Bill Shultz?  

I'll be selling these soon, and I may never know who our mystery photographer is, or his connection to the sharpshooters Lou and Dell and the other performers depicted in these negatives and lanterns slides.

Lou and Dell will be the topic of my next blog.  In the meantime, here is preview: