Auction Day In Tisdale

FTLComm - Tisdale - Monday, August 26, 2002

Throughout the year Bruce Schapansky holds a series of auction sales and with the way folks have been retreating from their farms in the last few years there has been no shortage of things to sell. Tomorrow (Tuesday, August 27) is another sale day and this one includes the household affects of two complete estates. This is not an advertisement for Schapansky Auctions but rather a story to tell you about what is being sold. Most sales are farm implements and stuff people would just like to trade for a dollar or two.

What struck about this sale was the large amount of both quality items but also of the amount of antiques and collectors items. At other times Schapanskys have held antique auctions but this is just a dispersal sale and it just happens that there are some interesting items. I thought those old cupboards seen in the second picture were pretty rare things but then I came across the phonograph records. Not just this box of 78s but boxes of vinyl, really a huge collection.

Mr. and Mrs. Schapansky explained to me that they have found that when they have held antique sales the buyers are mostly collecting items for resale and were unwilling to pay full value for items. Where as regular folks who see something they want will pay what its worth to get it. These pictures were taken Sunday morning and Bruce had just got off the phone discussing an "R" John Deere tractor with a fellow in Toronto.

He said that he would expect the "R" to bring something around $1,500 while the "44" Massey, because of the huge numbers of them only bring between $400 and $600. This sale does not have the huge selection of farm equipment at the larger spring and summer auction but there is still a fair selection of the usual combines tractors, grain trucks and a couple cars. A row of running computers are on the block and lots of fridges, stoves, a freezer or two and even a three wheel Honda ATV.

Bruce was hoping for rain. With harvest, albeit a small one underway, if it rained more folks would hope in their pick up trucks and go to the auction sale. This sale like the last one includes a rather large amount of trees, shrubs and plants. The atmosphere at these sales varies with the items for sale and the weather but besides the obvious bargain hunting the auction sale is a social occasion where knots of people come together to agree and disagree or sort out the weather.