At the Auction…
It’s thrilling to win in a competition—even when victory is sealed sheerly because one offers to pay more money for an object than the next guy. That’s precisely the victory I experienced many years ago at an auction house near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In fact, I don’t even remember what I “won” the right to purchase. What I do recall is the feeling I got when the auctioneer pointed at me with his gavel and said, “SOLD! To the sharpest dressed man in the room.” I felt a popcorn popper rush of energy, a surge of adrenaline like back in my high school sports playing days.
Local auctions didn’t always get my heart pumping. But the PBS television series Antiques Roadshow put a light on the possibilities of discovering rare and unique items at neighborhood estate and garage sales. The show’s appraisers became rock stars; when they stood onstage, I listened.
I even visited a Roadshow taping, traveling five hours with some dusty old wares to Hartford, Connecticut. Though my items were essentially worthless—family heirlooms I should continue to treasure, as I was told—I did find my way on camera…accidentally. My father and I were caught on tape as we wandered around the Roadshow set aimlessly, searching for the collectibles appraiser. Though not an ideal television debut, as I sat and watched my image on plasma, my heart did begin to race. You could say I felt an auction house high.
Leave a Reply