I have enjoyed being an auctioneer over my lifetime. It all began in 1951 when Colby Johnson sold at auction the contents of my grandmother Potvin's estate. I was inspired in seeing this man's talent. At the same time Leroy Van Dyke's Auctioneer song further got me going.Then while living in Scituate it was a church auction each June that lasted 10 years. Then in 1981 I attended Missouri Auction School in Kansas City for two weeks with sons Ben & Josh.My adventure was real. I had to learn a chant, a unique style and was made aware of product knowledge. An auctioneer is business man. You gain confidence by researching the product.. be it antiques, land or automobiles,etc. You build a team being bid spotters, ring person in addition to cashiers. My background with a 13 year with Aetna as a claim administrator helped. An auctioneer is a promoter. My experience grew when I did foreclosure auctions for the North Brookfield Savings Bank and others. I have done antique auctions, land auctions, rare coin auctions and the like. My career saw me do 6 to 9 auctions a year. My self-confidence was good as standing in front of 150 potential buyers required being alert... and yes.. being honest! My further education saw me at the Certified Auctioneer's Institute at Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.An auctioneer can be a fund-raiser. You are constantly looking for an "auction situation be it old coins, stamps, clocks, watches or autographs.Missouri Auction School is the Harvard of school and I encourage young readers to this adventure to "Just do it!"
ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN
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