At the auction

I recently had the pleasant experience of attending a local auction.Stepping into the recently opened Rodney Paul Auction Center on Ford's Corner Road in Jackson Township, you're greeted by an unusual collection of goods, neatly displayed and ready for the highest bidder's taking. According to auctioneer Rod Paul, auction items come from a variety of sources: estates, where often the contents of an entire household are auctioned off; on consignment from private individuals who haven't the desire or time to sell their items/wares; or as surplus goods from retail stores, such as food, toys or produce. If the auctioneer is willing to sell it..almost anything can be sold to the highest bidder.

On this night, some of the items up for bids include hand tools, garden tools, vintage housewares, handcrafted Victorian dolls, a motorcycle, and many other items too numerous to mention. "JUNK!" you might say...only to the untrained and inexperienced eye...everything old is new again, and almost everything old is collectable and in some respects very valuable. With the emergence and enormous popularity of on-line auction sites, the competition to win by the highest bid,the possession of some of these old collectable items can be fierce and the bidding can get fast and furious. One man's junk is another man's treasure is the theme!

The crowd that has assembled is as diverse as the merchandise...babies carried in the arms of parents, young children, married couples, senior citizens, an antiques dealer or two and the collector hoping to find that extra special "little something" to complete a collection. Some are there to simply observe the action and some are there in hopes of winning the bid on that "Too-good-to-pass-up treasure." Once the sale begins, Rod Paul's chanting auctioneer's cadence keeps the action and the bidding going strong and employees known as "runners" deliver the goods to the winning bidders.

Rodney Paul Auctions is a family affair, with wife Gwen and sons Nicholas and Shawn doing their part to make the sale run smoothly...they unpack and set up the merchandise, register bidders and collect money from the successful buyers.

And what would an auction be without food?...Malany Benyack's cozy food corner comes stocked with the usual auction fare; hot dogs and burgers, but with a twist...with the help of her mother, Bernice, Malany is able to serve up some home-made goodies like fruit and cream pies, cakes, Gobs, cookies, and candy, all to be washed down with fresh hot coffee and cold soft drinks.

Belsano native Rod paul has been in the auction trade as an apprentice or licensed auctioneer since 1996, and hopefully, with the support of his family and the public ,his new auction business will be a long-term success. (To see profile, click here.)

Auctions are held every Saturday evening, starting at 5 p.m. Grab the kiddos and head for the auction center for a fun night out, a bit of nostalgia, and you just might come across "that little something you just can't live without"! ...Now what am I going to do with that "little something" I accidentally bought when I raised my hand to sctatch my ear? ...Hmmmm...

Judy Rose

Notes to God

A parochial school teacher asked her class to write notes to God. Here are some of the notes the children handed in:

Dear God: I think about you sometimes, even when I'm not praying.

Dear God: Of all the people who work for you I like Noah and David the best.

—Sent by Sallie Covolo

Thought for today

The Heart has reasons that the Reason does not know.

—Blaise Pascal
Sent by Bud MacFarlane, Catholicity

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