Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Oct 10/05) - Selling and buying stuff can be a mundane thing to do, except when it's done as an auction, that is.

Then it becomes a social event, a competition among buyers and just plain fun.

"It's entertainment," says Robert Bouchard, the owner of Expert Auctioneering Ltd. in Hay River.

Bouchard says auctions are an experience often shared by friends who sometimes bid against each other.

However, he notes they also chat so much the public address system has to be turned up to get their attention.

In mid-September, Expert Auctioneering Ltd. conducted a sale of equipment at the closed Treminco Mine (formerly the Ptarmigan Mine), about 20km outside Yellowknife.

Bouchard was helped at the auction by Hay River's Wally Schumann Sr., who has been an auctioneer in various parts of Western Canada for about 30 years.

He has auctioned everything from antiques to homes, from cattle to a $500,000 boat.

These days, the retiree also helps out at about 10 charity auctions a year.

Schumann says auctioning mining equipment is like selling anything else, noting he has sold lots of equipment from various industries over the years.

Auctioneers have to know the general value of each item, he says, noting they don't try to sell a $300 refrigerator for $3,000.

Auctioneers work on a percentage, he says, meaning the higher the price an item fetches, the more money an auction company makes.

However, Schumann says the final purchase price is always up to the buyers. "They'll stop when they want to stop."

Hands-free selling

His biggest piece of advice to buyers is to take advantage of the viewing period before an auction to learn more about the items. "Go look it over beforehand."

Bouchard has been in the auctioneering business In Hay River for about eight years.

"I always liked the local auctions," he says, adding he saw an opportunity for a business venture.

Bouchard says his company has done a couple of auctions in Yellowknife and hopes to do more.

His company also occasionally conducts private and government auctions in Fort Smith and Fort Simpson.

Bouchard says many people like to turn things over to an auction company because it handles everything from advertising to sales. "It's basically hands-free."