Photo courtesy of Joe Bower, right, on top of a ladder, calls the bids during an auction earlier this year while his family attends and rings the auction house. Bower Auctions has been in operation since 2006.
RR Brannström
rbranstrom@dailypress.net
Editor’s note: The Daily Press will feature a series of articles about local businesses, highlighting their history and what makes them unique. This series will be serialized regularly in the Daily Press.
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EUSTIS — In the village west of Schaefer, once home to a Soo Line railroad station, one Centennial Farm rack (recognized in Michigan as having been continuously worked by the same family for more than a century) is another business. is supporting.
Bower Auctions began operations 18 years ago, serving families clearing out real estate and similar style sales to businesses, organizations, schools, banks, and other parties with products for sale. .
Joe and Mary Bower are the partners who run the LLC, but many more people will contribute on the day of the live auction. The couple’s four children (Josie, Jackson, Mason and Christina), as well as their son-in-law and Joe’s four brothers, are all helping.
Although it’s a demanding job, Joe says he enjoys working with his family. He was the youngest of six children, all of whom grew up working together on the family farm that began in 1891.
Joe explained that during his childhood, in the 70s and 80s, farm auctions were common. He found them intriguing.
“We grew up on a farm and going to auctions with our dad.” Joe said. “I always wanted to do it. We talked about it here and there, but I think I was in my mid-30s or so when I said… ‘Let’s go to auction school.’ .”
So Joe and one of his brothers, Bob, began attending the Continental Auctioneers School in Mankato, Minnesota. Although no certification is required to become an auctioneer in Michigan, Bowers found the course helpful.
Bower Auctions is also part of the Michigan Auctioneers Association, which provides more information. Bowers attends meetings and conferences and appreciates the guidance the association provides, Joe said.
Bowers started live auctions in 2006, and in 2010 the business was officially registered as an LLC.
When a customer interested in holding a live auction calls Bower Auctions, Bower Auctions evaluates the size and value of the item being sold, sets a commission (usually a percentage), and creates a contract. .
It takes a lot of time to organize all the items, divide them into lots, and make sure that the items to be sold are not mixed with items that the family should keep.
“There’s a lot going on. It has to be treated… We give it attention and understanding. Because when we walk into a house, we realize that this was your home and we treat it with respect.” Because it is treated as such.” Joe said. “I don’t just look at it as an item.”
Once things are sorted and the lot is established, there should be enough time to generate interest until the scheduled auction date. This is often done through advertisements that highlight larger items.
The number of participants is usually between 100 and 200. But it fluctuates.
“There are many factors.” Mary explained.“Weather, other happenings in the area, products on sale.”
Cobas Electric’s recent auction featured 3,000 lots, but larger auctions attract more numbers and more enthusiasm. Bowers travels to hold auctions for people throughout the UP.
Joe explains that having a whole team means they can share the workload and rotate tasks, so someone doesn’t have to use up their voice as auctioneer for six hours straight. That means there is no. Auctions often last a long time.
“It’s fun. We enjoy working together. There may be 12 of us working at a live sale.” Joe said. “They help set up and then they’re there all day long… One of us is on the phone and, you know, Mason will ring and he’ll say, ‘Okay. You say, ‘Okay, bowl,’ and you sell the bowl. And somebody else picks up another one, and—’I’ll sell you this.’ They’re called ringmen. And you go below that line. You can get through it faster that way. ”
One of the things that helped Bower Auctions make a name for itself in the early days was its benefit auctions. This type of event occurs when a group trying to raise money for something collects donations and auctions them off as a fundraiser.
Towards the end of 2019, Bowers is also considering introducing online sales to offer people low-priced items that are unlikely to draw a large physical audience but may be of interest online. I was doing it.
Online sales allow customers to liquidate their items through the hands of experts without having to navigate other platforms themselves, which can be frustrating and wasteful. If a single party doesn’t have enough merchandise to make up an entire auction, Bower suggests bringing the merchandise to the farm during consignment sales. Such sales are held during the winter season and consist of lots from various sellers.
Bower Auctions first held an online sale in the spring of 2020, just before the coronavirus outbreak. Although disruption and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic ultimately led to an extension of its duration, Bowers’ online auctions have since become so popular that they are now held more frequently than live auctions. and follow the routines that people expect.
Photos of items are typically posted online about a week before bidding begins. The auction begins on Monday and ends nine days later.
“Now you can adjust accordingly.” Joe said, “But we want to maintain the pattern because our patrons want that pattern. And we want to keep the pattern going because our patrons want that pattern. We have a lot of customers.”
He said it will be interesting to see how many people shift to online shopping. Elderly people who previously participated in live auctions now enjoy bidding from the comfort of their armchairs.
Sellers benefit because their products reach markets that were previously unavailable and their products are shipped across the country.
Bower Auctions also partners with a platform called Auction Time, which helps connect professionals with people selling large items such as vehicles.
Bower Auctions’ exclusive online sales are conducted through HiBid. HiBid and Auction Time are both owned by Sandhills Global.
Information about past and future sales by Bower Auctions is available on the Bower Auctions.com website. The next auction will be to support the removal of the old gun barn in Iron River. Bids will be accepted from December 2 to 11, and the online catalog is available for viewing now.
