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Imagine if Sci-Fi writer William Gibson had penned "The Waltons."
That might help you picture the events last Sunday in the bucolic setting of Hubbardston, Massachusetts, when the entire contents from the Wheeler Brothers' General Store were auctioned off to the public. Not only were several hundred people jammed elbow-to-elbow in the auction hall of the Gardner Colonial Hotel, but hundreds more looked on via computer, hoping to snag a treasure from days gone by.
Wheeler Brothers' business was one of America's last true general stores. Established in 1845, Wheeler Brothers' carried everything the local community could need, from dry good groceries to boots, shoes, crockery, hardware, silk stockings and sporting goods. In 1968, Cyrus Wheeler - son of one of the founding brothers - became ill. The store on the corner of Main Street closed its doors and stood like a time capsule, with its entire stock sealed inside.
The auction generated intense interest from collectors, eager to view vintage and antique items, many in mint condition and in original boxes. Some items dated back to the 1800s, including old advertising signs, tins, toys and clothes. The buildings and a 1937 Chevy Pickup, used to deliver goods to customers, were also included in the sale.
What gave this important auction an even more fascinating twist was the fact that collectors from all over the world could view and bid on the auction live over the Internet through eBay Live Auctions and its partner, iCollector.com.
Simond Hill & Associates handled the floor auction and divided it into 843 separate lots. Along with the floor bidding, Internet bidders could view pictures of the current lot being auctioned, and could also track the bidding activity in "real time" on their screen. If an Internet bidder was registered to participate in the auction, they could click on a button that contained the current bid amount. A system was in place so the auctioneer could see all Internet bids as he auctioned off each lot.
According to Mark Hill, Director of Live Auctions for iCollector.com, 642 approved bidders viewed the auction through the Internet. Eighty percent of the lots received an Internet bid, and nearly 25% of the lots sold to Internet bidders. The interest generated through the Internet broadcast significantly boosted the prices realized at the Wheeler Brothers' auction.
"I was interested in some of the tin and porcelain signs, but they went for more money than they could have been resold for," said Gary Sohmers, an avid collector, appraiser, and owner of WexRex Collectibles in Framingham, Massachusetts. "The auction buyers were paying top dollar, and that left me out as a reseller."
For home viewers with fast computers and a fast Internet connection, watching the Wheeler Brothers' auction was the next best thing to being there. The interest in live auctions has doubled, according to iCollector.com.
iCollector has been involved in over 150 live auctions since January, when it began working with eBay Live Auctions. "The lots sold at live auctions to Internet bidders have doubled," stated Hill. "More auctioneers are interested in using the technology, and user penetration has increased."
These are the same auctioneers who once viewed online auctions as the "competition." Slowly, they are starting to embrace the technology. "I don't know why they wouldn't," said Jay Beard, president of Simond Hill & Associates. "We're definitely seeing higher prices being realized at our auctions because of the live Internet aspect. It means another 30% difference to our bottom line."
Which means that in all likelihood, a hybrid of live and online interaction is the direction that auctions are headed. "I think it has to," continued Mr. Beard. "It's a high-speed train. If you don't get on board, it's going to pass you by."
A lot has changed since 1968 when Mr. Wheeler shuttered the doors to his family's general store. Bread is no longer 25 cents a loaf, and the pace of our lifestyles has increased. One thing has proven constant, however - the love of things old - even in the age of the Internet.
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