How much did the old Harley bring?

It wasn't fit for man or beast on Saturday the 12th, but that didn't stop die hard auction attendees from coming out to the country for a great farm auction.

We had rain, wind, lightning, and even a little hail--but everyone was in a cheerful mood when they were at the trailer window.  Bidders gathered inside the auction trailer to keep their checks and cash dry while paying for their treasures.

This was a great old time farm auction with everything from soup to nuts for the bidders.  There was one star of the auction that generated a lot of attention:

1937 Harley Davidson UL Flat Head Motorcycle. 

We found it in the barn, parked behind a John Deere tractor.  Just propped up on a barn beam, layered in 40 years of dust, waiting to be found.  Wayne couldn't believe his eyes and was at a loss for words ( when he found them again, they were unable to be printed here). 

The phone began ringing as soon as the photos posted to the website and it didn't stop ringing until Tuesday after the auction. 

There were a lot of absentee bidders as well as bidders on the phone.  A gentleman flew in from California and another drove from Louisiana to see this rare sight.  In the end, a bidder from Wisconsin took home the Harley for $38,000!  It was a great day despite the weather!

Stay tuned for more "Views from the Auction Trailer" in upcoming weeks!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...Do I Hear Two Thousand?

Heidi Strauss started working for Wayne in 2006. He needed some help both in the office and clerking that day. After working part time in the office for about a year, Wayne asked her to become one of his first full time employees. Since then, Heidi has helped Wayne to use computers for the basic clerking and checking in and out of customers. That first move to computers has helped the auction company immensely in becoming more efficient. Instead of the customers having to wait for the clerk to get the recorded lots of sale back to the office, it is instantly transferred wirelessly. The computer correctly adds up the customer's bill and figures in the tax and buyer's fee.

Heidi photographing toys for auction.  The set-up is minimal, but the results are awesome!!

Since then, Heidi helped Wayne with the idea of not to hold up the lots of sale. With so many people handling the lots, there was a great risk of it being dropped and broken before and during sale. So instead of holding up each lot, Heidi took pictures of each lot so that it could be put up on video screen. While doing that, they made a catalog as well. Now bidders can hold a catalog with a description of each lot, sell them in order of the catalog, view the picture, and also view the lot when it is handed to them by one of the workers. Heidi takes several pictures of each lot from different angles and uploads them onto our internet catalog so that viewers at home can view each and every lot as if they are at the auction holding it in their hands. Viewers can also now bid on the lots live with the auction from the comfort of their own homes.

In addition to taking pictures, Heidi is also the cashier on auction day and the office manager during the week. When asked what her favorite part of the job is, she will tell you it is taking the pictures.

Heidi is happily married to her husband Mike and the mother of 4 girls, 2 of which work at the auction center ( more about them later).  In her spare time, she likes to travel and of course take pictures.  She has won numerous awards for her photography and was recently featured in the book "Capture Wisconsin: Wisconsin through the eyes of Wisconsin Photographers."   While her life may seem hectic to the outside world, she still enjoys some free time.  Her labrador, Deah, makes sure that she stops and smells the roses along life's path.

It's Not an Auction without an Auctioneer

This year is our ten year anniversary and what an amazing decade it has been! Here are just a few of some of the amazing items we have had the pleasure to sell here at our auction company.

Pier Point Puffy Lamp for $20,000

Andrew Clemmens Sand Bottles for $24,000

Aeronaut Occupational Shaving Mug for $45,000 which still holds the world record

Pedal Airplane for $10,000

Ambulance Occupational Shaving Mug for $29,000

 Howard Astronomer Clock for $115,500 which also holds the world record

 Pig Flask for $22,000

Pedal Fire Truck for $20,000

Redwing Director's Jug for $55,000

Wayne Yoder started his auctioneer business in April of 2002. Since then he has held thousands of many different types of auctions. Some of them are toy auctions, horse auctions, occupational shaving mug auctions, coin auctions, estate auctions, gun auctions, and car auctions just to name a few. When asked why he became an auctioneer, he will tell you it is because he enjoys the many different types people he meets across the country that come to the auctions and the action each auction provides.

In 2008, Wayne Yoder became the Wisconsin Auctioneer State Champion when he participated in the competition held every year at the Wisconsin State Fair located in Milwaukee, WI. "It was a wonderful experience that I will never forget." He had participated in the competition three times before but did not achieve his goal of state champion. Every year he learned from his mistakes and bettered himself. His hard work shows through in every auction that he has.

Currently, Wayne Yoder strives to have the most professional and technologically advanced auction company in Wisconsin that gets the highest bid amount for his consignors. On the first wednesday of every month, he has his radio show on WOSH where he talks about plenty of things about auctions. He takes phone calls during his show and answers any questions you may have about things that you have at your home that you might look to sell or answer questions you have about bidding.

He looks forward to seeing you at our next auction here in Wautoma, WI on February 25th. We will be selling toys, guns, marbles items, a reverse painted lamp and many more! See You There!

Bid High, Bid Often!

Welcome!

Welcome to W. Yoder Auctions Blog Site! Here we would like to inform you of some of our upcoming auctions, share some little known facts about our auction company, explain how our auction company operates, answer some of the frequently asked questions, and share some neat facts of unusual items we have sold here.

Pictured from left to right are Heidi Strauss, Ralph Schimelpfenig, Rae Adkison, Rudy Herschberger, Wayne Yoder, Sterling Strathe, Barbie Doering, Bob Wedell, Tanya Adkison, and Sabrina Adkison.

We thank you for following our blog and look forward to seeing you at our next auction!