Prologue…..
Narrator:It started innocently enough, like so many cheesy pulp novels..............
“He was an inquisitive child. Always investigating, and so curious. They say that curiosity killed the cat, now, don't they? Just right! Who could have know? We never suspected that he would come to this. Who could have predicted?”
“Did you know his parents?”
“Yes. His mother, bless her soul, tried everything to help the child develop normally. We all did, you know. It’s a small town, we understand each other to a certain degree….without being nosey, mind you; and it does ‘take a village,’ as they say.”
“His father?”
“The patience of Job, that one! No. There was no predicting what eventually happened,” the ancient neighbor woman recalled our protagonist in his younger days.
“I wonder if we contributed to the circumstances? Heaven knows we tried. He was a handful, that boy. Still, I wonder if things would have been different if.....”
Narrator: “As so commonly happens, what started out as a curious hobby grew into an obsession. Leading young Patrick into a tangled world of complex deals, and uncountable pickups and deliveries of merchandise in unconventional ways. A secret world, clearly visible to the naked eye, but whose culture of clever body language and vernacular kept it well hidden within shadows; while on the surface, normal life and shady characters, mixed with ubiquitous ease. These stories are as old as time itself. Impressionable young lad, exposed at a vulnerable age, and thus imprinted for life. Cést la vi.”
#####
“Hello, my name is Patrick. I’ve been clean for 30 days. I used to be an addict; but with Sister Ann’s help, and a limited budget, I’ve found a new way to live.”
“So, how do you feel today, Patrick?”
“Bored, yet free!”
“That isn’t a feeling, Patrick. Use your list; it will help.”
“Well, I guess, ughhh, I feel relieved; and happy to be past my addiction. Comforted to know that I can live with myself now, and I won’t hide in shame anymore.”
“Those aren’t part of the 12 steps, Patrick.”
“Ahhh, to hell with the 12 steps! You guys are nuts. Garage saling is fun. I enjoy it! I find all kinds of cool stuff, and I make money at it if I want to sell it later!
“Patrick give me back your 30 day token! You don’t deserve it. You have fallen, yet again.”
“Baah, humbug! I’m just standing up for myself. This isn’t an addiction; it’s a way of life. I was born this way. It must be genetic; it’s not ‘a lifestyle,’ it’s an orientation. I got the genes!”
“The what? You aren’t wearing jeans, you have khakis on!”
“The designer genes, silly. Some people paint, do sculpture, design bridges and buildings, or play football. I am a garage sale artiste! That’s it! That’s who I am, and I’m proud of it!” and he broke into song: “I’m coming out…..”
“Security? Someone call security! It’s an emergency. We’ve had another relapse!” the panicked therapist rasped through her com phone. Patrick ran for the door.
#####
The man sipped his Latte, and listened intently to his companion’s story. The Café was full of people, so he had to maintain a selective ear.
“Yes, I barely escaped with my life,” Patrick commented. I think it was one of those entry points to a cult. They called it ‘reparative therapy;’ to unlearn unhealthy behaviors that made me into thinking that I loved nasty old stuff, instead of new shiny things. They said it was unnatural that I’d rather spend my life amongst the detritus of society; instead of the light, fresh beauty of a well order and manicured suburban life…where everything is ‘Grr Animals,’ and ‘design by numbers and color tags’ at Target, Wal-Mart, Ikea, Pottery Barn, and Restoration Hardware.”
“It’s not natural, though, Patrick. Don’t you guys do weird things together?”
“You mean, like?
“Wellll,” he said, visibly uncomfortable with the shift in the conversation; and struggling for words.
Patrick, sensing his discomfort, jumped ahead.
“Oh, ok. I get it. This takes you to a ‘place’ that you are not comfortable discussing. It’s just too intimate and personal to discuss.”
“Yes, that’s it exactly. I can’t talk about negotiations! It makes me self-conscious, like having to speak in public. I feel so exposed, vulnerable, and anyway my thoughts are mine….private….and should always stay that way. No one should know what I really think. It scares me. What if people laughed at the size of my budget?”
“Its ok, John, no one will laugh at you. While size does matter, it’s not how big it is, it’s how efficiently you use it. You’ll be amazed…..even if you do normal business, and figure out that you aren’t orientated towards negotiations. Relax. Everybody has their own comfort level. That’s cool. The idea is to not judge others because they have to express themselves through the trade of give and take. It’s natural for us, but not regular guys like you. Its ok, you can still do it….at a level that you feel comfortable. I know you feel safer buying things with known price tags on them; because that’s society’s rules, and you are part of the majority. Or, you could be a bi-lateral negotiator?”
“I don’t believe in bi, Patrick. You either are, or you are not; that’s it. You are, I am not.”
“Oh, well.”
“Its ok, Patrick. I’m happy with who I am. And, I’m happy you are who you are. I love to hear your stories though. Why don’t you tell me some?”
“Like?”
“Here, I ‘ll give you a list:
1) Why do you do it? What’s the benefit?
2) What was your best find?
3) Isn’t it too much work for the benefit?
4)Are there other reasons to go Garage Saling?
And so the story starts……Patrick tells his story:
Why Do I do it?
Well, when I was young I saw a big cultural shift occurring. People wanted new everything; and anything not store bought was considered “old trash.” It was the early 1970’s. Like Europe is experiencing now, people wanted new and shiny things….things that everyone else had, or didn’t, so that people could rank themselves against each other. As a result? Everything old was going into the dumps and landfills, and new retail was the rage. Downtown withered, and malls sprang up. Sole proprietor candy stores, shoe stores, soda shops, hardware stores, and bakeries were dismantled. I saw beautiful old houses demolished; stained glass windows intact, and carved woodwork galore. And old furniture that needed refinishing or rebuilding thrown away. It was a terrible waste.
Since I had pretty deluxe tastes and a tight budget, it made sense to pick up stuff that people no longer wanted; and fix it up. While in high school I bought and sold so much stuff that I was asked to handle small estates. Someone would die, leaving a house full of stuff; and it had to be liquidated. Ordinarily an auction would be held; but when there wasn’t enough to justify an auction, yard sales were the way to go. Also, the family farms were going; so farm auctions happened almost every weekend in summer. After my brother moved to Wisconsin, I visited him and ‘happened into’ real farm auctions. Thus starting my ‘traveling’ purchases. The fist time I came home with all of this in a small Ford Maverick:
1) A rope bed
2) Many antique crocks
3) An antique potbellied stove
4) A couple plank bottom chairs
I think I spent $20 total for it all :-)
I’ve always love antiques. The furniture, because I enjoy working with wood; and can see the quality in construction/craftsmanship in older pieces. The glassware, clocks, and decorative items due to their intrinsic beauty. So, generally, I bought only quality stuff. Then if I got stuck with something, I didn’t care.
In my sophomore year of high school, I went to an estate auction. An old spinster school teacher had died, and left a 3 story house (with basement and attic) full of two generation’s of family things….and no heirs. Like a seasoned purchaser, I arrived very early….bought some great bargains….went home for lunch, and to empty the station wagon….and stayed till the end of the auction. By the end of the day, everyone was beat and tons of stuff had been sold. There were three ‘buyers’ left. Myself, and two women that I had met during the day. We had become fast friends. Eventually we got to the attic of the house. One woman only wanted some paper dolls she had seen up there; the other woman a doll. The auctioneer was wiped out.
“It’s the end of the day, folks. We are going to sell the attic as one lot. One price, buyer takes all. Do I hear a bid for the lot?”
The women and I looked at each other, puzzled. Neither wanted to spend a bunch of money on sight unseen stuff; nor to clean it out. I was game for anything; young and eager.
“Do I hear a bid? Will someone give me a crisp $100 bill, and have it all?” he started to yell louder. Yet none of us wanted to bid against each other.
“If I get it, I’ll sell you what you want cheap; ok?” I asked them quietly.
“Sounds good to me,” one said. The other nodded assent.
“Ten dollars,” I said to the auctioneer, holding my arm up high so he could see me.
I had bought a lot that day, and he knew me by sight.
“I have ten, anybody give me $50? Do I hear $50?”
No one bid. He looked us all in the face, and we remained impassive.
“Ah hell, you bought a lot today; and I’m dead on my feet. Gone! $10 to number 168!”
I had bought the whole attic full for $10 (all the money I had left, btw ;-)
The ladies gave me $5 each for the doll and the paper dolls, and I got the rest.
It took me 5 loads in the station wagon to get it all home. In it?
1) A Green Depression glass punch bowl set, complee with cups, ladle, and all...still in its original box from the depression.
2) Boxes of lacey and super fancy Victorian Valentine cards, in mint condition, from the 1800’s on.(those amazing antique pop-up ones you never find) Her mother had been a teacher too, and they saved all the valentines the sweethearts and kids had given them. 100’s of them!
3) Boxes of postcards from the late 1800’s and early 1900’s from everywhere in the world. Thankful past students again; mint condition, and great old photos.
4) Old photos of family, etc.
5) Antique holiday decorations
6) Cast iron bank collection,
7) And oddles of stuff.
It took me three garages sales to sell it all. I made over $1,500.00 on it. To a high school kid in the 70’s that was a fortune, and solidified my ‘business’ in my parents and neighbors eyes.
Not long after, a Woolworth’s 5 and 10 cent store went out of business. They auctioned off everything left in the store. By the end of the day? Everyone nearly gone, I bought a set of counters that went from one end of the store to the other….hundreds of feet long, and everything on top. The price? $5.
“Dad, I bought something big, can you come help me bring it home?” I told him over the phone.
My dad being the patient saint that he is, came and helped me - without a single complaint. The huge thing separated into 4’ x 8’ units that had been screwed together. All were solid maple. I brought home a bunch of them, and broke down the rest for the excellent wood. I redid the basement with that wood.
I have many stories, but those as a kid were the most fun. One auction, while in college, I bought a huge walnut antique organ for $25. My friend who came with me that day asked me how I was going to get it home. I said: “I dunno, lets just see.”
Later in the day, a woman offered my $150 for it. I took the money.
“Damn, you didn’t even have to move it!” my friend exclaimed. How can you tell what to buy?”
“Always buy quality, and you never can go wrong.”
At auction, you size things up before they go under the gavel, set a price limit you are willing to spend; and when the price rises above that, stop bidding. Don’t get caught up in all the emotion of it.
“I have to have that,” is silly. We don’t Have to have anything.
My sister? I can’t take her to an auction. She gets all excited, loses her head, and will overpay every time. She gets convinced about something, it shows in her face, and she falls victim to the shill or another emotional person. You have to always be willing to walk away, once your limit is hit. I learned that lesson at Auctions, and use it in every aspect of my life….thankfully.
So why do I do it? At first to make money, and recycle great stuff. Then, as I got into it; the people, and for fun. A hobby that pays for itself….mostly ;-)
Now, as a poor aspiring writer and recovering from a terrible divorce, I use garage saling and bargain hunting to fix up my house. Its my biggest ‘Garage sale project’ ever. (See picture)
I bought a 1970’s two-story built into a hill. It looks like a ranch style from the front, and a big box from the back. The floors, plumbing, and basic construction were really good….it just lacked character. I gutted it, and refashioned it into a Country French home. I changed the orientation, making the back of the house the new front; adding dormers for height and architecture.
The 14 foot palladium windows came from a church that was remodeling, the oak doors from France…via an Atlanta antique dealer going out of business. The brick from the neighboring houses that were torn down for the subdivision being built around me. The marble and granite floor on the first level is from a wholesaler of polished sheets of rock. Their outside storage yard was full of broken pieces, and the county wanted them to clean up the mess. I offered them $100 for every 4’x 4’ cubed crate they could fill up. They delivered ten cubes; which covered 2,500 square feet (about $2.50 per square foot; cheaper than carpet, and much cheaper than the $40 p/sq foot Home Depot charges.) The kitchen cupboards? Reconstructed solid pecan cupboards. The downstairs kitchen cupboards? Various antique carved pieces all ‘married’ together, and painted white to unify the ‘old world’ look (one, btw, is an old organ case….as a joke. When I brought that home, from a barn that was being torn down, they laughed at me. “What the hell will you ever do with that thing, Patrick? You are so crazy.” “I don’t know, something will come to mind.” ;-)
The furnishings are mostly French, or similar; and bought at garage sales, Goodwill, or on trips.
So, while it’s a lot of work; it’s a good hobby and keeps me doing productive stuff while getting this writing career off the blocks. It’s good to do physically ‘transforming’ things. There is a tremendous sense of accomplishment, good thrift, and gratification of something visibly done. I imagine sewing, landscape work, working on classic cars, cooking interesting meals, and making dolls can be fun for other people. It doesn’t really matter what it is; just that you are doing something productive and enjoyable.
In closing, I’d like to say the best part of all of it is the people. The sincere ones are great, and very supportive:
“I’m not sure what to do with that, but I bet you’ll think of something.”
And the naysayers? Its kind of fun to have them eat crow:
“I thought that was a pile of junk; and you made it into something great. You are sooo lucky to find those things.”
Clue-less to the end, eh? Luck has nothing to do with it.
1) Persistence,
2) A desire to enjoy people and the negotiating process without obsessiveness, bitterness, anger, or greed.
3) An eye for quality and value (based upon the intrinsic value of the thing without being influenced by the bias of others…..i.e. one man’s junk really can be another man’s treasure. Just know your stuff. Be selective. It’s harder to find quality furniture to refinish, since so much isn’t built to last, but still possible); and,
4) A lot of hard work, with a dash of: ‘Oh, what the hell!’ creativity.
After all, what do you have to lose? A little bit of time, a little bit of money, and storage space. Any which way, no one is hurt; and all thrive and learn. And in today’s world, isn’t it better to focus on quality and durability, leading to multiple ‘lives’ for things; rather than to waste so much in disposability.
ps: my kids helped with the biggest garage sale project, the house. "Life as a House," eh? ;-)
pss: I've included a bunch of pictures. It was a pain to upload them all, but want you to see what you can do....trash to treasures! If I did, YOU CAN DO IT TOO!
:-)
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Comments: 48
I think its great! Vindication! After years of doing this, and getting tons of misunderstanding and grief; here comes this guy and writes a wonderful book. In times like these, I think its very important that people not feel crappy about doing the thrift shop thing. Things are a changing in our world; and we have been wasteful in too many ways......its time for re-use to be cool.
Enjoy! I welcome any suggestions for corrections. Like I said, I ran through it and published a first draft writing.....something that can be deadly on a writer's blog, eh? So don't hang me on grammar .....I totally ignored the vibrant blue colored violations in WORD, to get the 'word' out ;-)
c u,
happy reading and then "garage saling" as Bruce has coined it!
:-)
:-)
It takes a certain creative spark to see the beauty in castoffs. That same spark shows in your writing.
Give her my email, or send her here.....
This is all for fun, eh? No heavy burdens anymore.....
:-)
Example: Our Goodwill is in a rich area. They sell between 17,000 and 25,000 items A WEEK! The line to donate is always long; on weekends especially. Anyway, I saw pretty well off college and high school boys going through the racks of shirts. When we were kids we shopped Goodwill just before Halloween for costume stuff....we never would buy clothes there. Well, thats changing. Anyway, I checked out the shirt rack and found lots of designer shirts. Brooks bros, Kenneth Cole, Armani, etc.. ALL shirts are $4.75 each.....regardless of condition. After a few weeks on the rack, they are 1/2 prices.....usually picked over by then. Anyway, for a designer shirt thats a steal.....but migrant workers and day labor folks dont really want those kind of clothes, eh? So on really limited income, shirts are $4.75.....that's Target on super sale day, eh? But used. So, anyway, I wonder what you think.
The only reason I don't mind paying more at Goodwill is because they use the profits to train mentally handycapped people for jobs and run a homeless shelter here.
Good for you for not joining the disposable society. It is a tough battle.
I guess the 'bargains' work as great advertising to get folks in! Werks for me! :-)
Hey, Jerry....thanks for stopping by!
All my favorite stuff is like that.
You might consider shortening your title. It's like the title that never ends.... Succinct just isn't you, though, is it? :)
Checked out your pictures, too. You do have an eye for quality stuff and have done some excellent work on your home. I have to agree with your ex- on that clock though. In my house, that would end up in a box in the basement. :P Seeing it's beauty must be a "guy" thing. Thanks for sharing.
"Leading young Patrick into a tangled world of complex deals, and uncountable pickups."
I suspect that has always been so?
Thanks 4 the cudos; you always 'get it'! :-) As for the title? I wanted it to be obtuse, gues that werked. Its hard to write something like this without sounding braggy/know-it-all. So, I wanted to have some fun with it....and my older sister...much older sister ;-)....visited at Christmas with my dad. It was her first time at the house; and since I have been on tight fixed income for so long, I think she dreaded visiting me....thinking the place would be a trash hoard (and you know, some women think all men are helpless. Its only 80% or so that are that way ;-)
ANYWAY, I do digress.....and yes, have trouble being 'sound-byte-ish'.....sometimes I think my lonnng writing is a protest to that (or just verbose? ;-)
Sooo, my sister....
She said: "I like the way you have really embraced re-use, and lack of waste. Recycling everything!"
I had never set it as a priority, per se.....but its sort of the way I grew up:
"Waste not, want not."
(My parents, relatives, and mentors were all Depression era people. Surviving the depression teaches you things, eh? My 'grandfather-ly' neighbor taught me how to refinish furniture. I never developed his patience for caning, but 'got' his love of fine woods and roses :-)
Your pieces sound great. I've been trying to find a red lacquer accent piece for my bedroom. That has been hard, but generally...if I had any extra cash....ancient Chinese pieces are THE best value in antique shops right now. People can't even conceive how old they are, and so they price them like other 'quirky pieces.' When you can buy a 300 yr old chair, in excellent condition for $200 thats a steal deal.
I'd keep up on collecting that.....especially if you can become an expert buyer in porcelains (an even HUGE-R steal right now)
After the 2008 Olympics they will all be hot, hot items.......at least triple your money. If I had any, thats what I would invest in these daiz.
I hear you about those gas prices....whew, it hit $3.32 here last week! Now we can sorta see why the Europeans have such gr8 mass transit; they've been dealing with higher prices for 20 years (tho its hard to carry stuff on the train ;-)
Thanks for the compliments! :-)
As for the "uncountable pick-ups?"....please, I'm married now. I outgrew that....sorta ;-o
Thanks for your positive comments :-)
Yeah, Salvation Army stores are great for a few things. Couches is one. They get so many, they can't even process most of them. You can find great antique ones that you can recover.....most from estates of little old ladies, so they are tattered but 'clean.' Our Salvation Army has daily auctions in central Atlanta; they have so many. Its a tradition at Georgia Tech for frats to go there at the begining of every year and buy furniture. They use/trash it all year long, then leave it curbside at the end of the year for the Univeristy to pick up. You wouldnt believe the beautiful furniture those guys 'use' and abuse....most bought for less than $20. I've often wished I'd gotten some b4 they did ;-)
As for books? I filled out my library with tons of great books from the local library "Annual Book Sale." The best deals are the first few hours(for 1st editions, but you'll be fighting with dealers who carry bar code readers and scan the newer books for resale 'values.' Kid you not) AND then the last day, first couple hours. Then, its $10 a box (no matter how big the box ;-).
Every city library has these sales at least once a year. I get tons of books, and then give them away (i.e. the leather bound, 32 volume set of Agatha Christie novels in French to my daughter's AP resource room; and brand new hardcovers of Tom Wolfe's book: "A Man in Full" to ten family members out of the area. Hint: They always have too many donations of current best selling hardcovers for the shelves they have, so you can get great books for nothing. Also, anything 'unique' never sells; so you can get lots on "bag/box day" (i.e. I used to get lots of 1st edition Science Fiction this way; they look like cheap paperbacks....cuz they were ;-)
That can be fun, eh? Its like going to the zoo sometimes.....just get some snacky 'food' and people watch!
You should try the big one they have just north of Montreal....its incredible....tons of French antiques, and ambience. The French pewter oil lamp, converted to electric, in the kitchen pic is from that flea market....($10).....AND, it was a beautiful weekend, wonderful experience. You are close to it, eh? :-)
On the clock.....
Check this out: http://antiqueclocks.com/figuralsd.htm
you have to scroll down a bit, but you will find the same clock (with slightly different figures) for $3,200.00!!
I know, Jamie...."Sell it Patrick!". Its tempting, but I am still looking for authentic works for it that won't cost me $500! And since its not perfect, I might only get $2,000 out of it.....or less.
And its sentimental....my ex hated it soooo much.....that alone is worth $2k ;-)
Well, its back....hopefully for good ;-)
Below are the comments for May 22nd, re-posted so we can delete the other article.
Sorry for any mixups...
:-)
Funny! Jamie hated the clock and I loved it.
(Jamie, I would go down in your basement and get it.)
Wish you had a bigger picture of it, Patrick.
BTW, what happened to the original post? No icons here.
Barbara L., May 21, 2007, 5:24pm ET
first off, have you ever written a book?! you're on your way, for sure.
the thing i love about garage saling is that no one does laugh at the size of your budget. people with $1 are just as worthy as people with $100. i really enjoyed reading this... and am drooling over the rope bed, the cast iron bank collection, and the lot of victorian valentines... amazing. and, i must say, i like your auction style... it reminds me that the early bird may get the worm, but it is the bird who endures that gets the cheapest leftovers! great article!!!
Bruce Littlefield, May 21, 2007, 5:35pm ET
.
:-)
And Barbara? I'll post a pic of the clock. I took one, just didn't have time to get it up there. And Bruce, once you see the kitchen pic you will die....
patrick m., May 21, 2007, 5:56pm ET delete
I had no idea. Of course I don't have room in my tiny house for one more thing. I do have some nice older pieces though - and yeah, they were really inexpensive. $125 for a Qing Dynasty vase table. Stuff like that.
I just made my first substantial investment in a thing - well a thing that isn't a house or a car - ever. I bought a piece of contemporary Chinese art. If you go to moronokiang.com, look for the work by Hong He - the Political Map of the world. It's a print so was something that though I couldnt afford, I could justify.
The library paintings I am just in love with, but they require a lot more money and a lot more wall space than I have.
Lisa F., May 21, 2007, 6:01pm ET
.
just saw your other question. The other post? A 'technical gather problem' I suspect. I sent emails in for a correction; I think it will be fixed. Until then, please re-vote here, and have others return as well. Thanks :-)
And, Bruce?
I'm on my 4th book right now. Totally different stuff.....Tibet & India/Nepal, each 350+ pages, one on Poetry, and this next one? Charleston. They are Michener-esque books...covering hundreds of years. My "niche" is cultural preservation as a revitalization of mankind....a 'return to the land' in a different way. Mine are sooo serious, thats why yours is so fun to me :-)
patrick m., May 21, 2007, 6:04pm ET delete
I love bargains, and have a flair for decorating (don't say it Patrick!)
;-)
Nitpicky things:
"Like Europe is experiencing now, people wanted new and shiny things…". - I don't get the "Like Europe is experiencing now" reference.
"I was game for anything; young and eager." - hmmmmmmmm Freudian slip??? I think this MIGHT read better - "Young and eager, I was game for anything."
Stephen P., May 21, 2007, 7:28pm ET
.
Maybe, I'm a bit dramatic here.
Maybe, over stating things a bit.
I think the article is well written and funny in many ways. Good job on this but don't hold it against me if I scream "I HATE GARAGE SALES".
;)
all for $20.00 ten percent of value.
in my house we have a running joke: "I bought it using the 10% rule".....somtimes, if lucky, we hit the 5% of value 'rule.'
So, keep up the great work!
Dolphi,
you are so clev-ar.....Hmmm, what shall I do 4 u? Will think on that ;-)
Spartan,
you sound like my ex-wife (hint: thats why she's my ex wife, couldn't handle the garage sales.....well, 'wheeling dealing' as she put it! ;-) And, I do have too much sh*t! Need to have another sale to 'de-materialize.' Its a Buddhist thing.....I divest myself of things I care about the most ....so I won't get too attached to anything. I usually give the best stuff away to friends/family ...incentive to be nice, eh? ;-)
Thanks folks, for 'participating' in a simply fun activity. Sometimes the world's problems get to be tiring, eh? So thanks for playing with me....
:-)
Will check into those books.
Audrey.....a woman after my own heart. Me and limonges are on very close terms :-)
Thanks for stopping by ,Liz.....will be 'talking' to you more next week when this sale is over....big job helping out on this one.....will take pics (lots of crystal/silver/and vintage 1950's furniture...)
As a fellow garage sale-er, and flea marketer, your article makes me feel like a good romance novel must make a woman feel!
Seriously, I do appreciate all the nice comments.
I wrote this for the 'contest' to gain the right to officially review Bruce Littlefield's book: "Garage Sale America" Clcik below to see that....great book! :-)
Bruce Littlefields book: Garage Sale America, official review, and Videos of Bruce on The Today Show May 26th, and July 28th
I'm into auctions, myself. Of course, that makes sense, because I'm also an auctioneer.
One bit of caution, though. You openly admitted an infraction of the Sherman Act in your story.
Quote:
"If I get it, I'll sell you what you want cheap; ok?" I asked them quietly.
"Sounds good to me," one said. The other nodded assent.
To "conspire" or "make agreements" not to bid against another, in an effort to keep the price down, is called collusion and is a felony under the Sherman Act Anti-Trust Laws.
The reference to shill is also a misunderstood term by many buyers in the auction industry. In most states, if it is disclosed that the "seller reserves the right to bid" or the "auctioneer may bid on behalf of reserves", then it is not shilling. It is a legally accepted method for the auctioneer to bid on behalf of a reserved minimum price, until the minimum is met or bidders stop bidding. If the bidding stops before reaching the minimum, then the item is "passed" or may be sold back to a "consignor number", in which case, often the consignor may still have to pay a commission, since the auctioneer's time and efforts were expended in trying to sell the item. Keep in mind, in every state, an auction is always considered to be an "auction with reserves" unless it is specifically stated that it is an "absolute" auction. At an auction, there can be no items with reserves and if the auctioneer or their staff or a seller's representative bids on an item, then it is considered "shilling".
Always read the Terms & Conditions and it's best to be there at the beginning of the auction for any terms that the auctioneer may have to amend by oral statements (as they are allowed to do). You will normally find that there is a disclosure at most auctions that the auctioneer is allowed to bid on behalf of any reserves. Of course, if this statement isn't in the Printed terms, AND the auctioneer didn't make the "statement" at the beginning, then if would also be considered shilling and is not only unethical, but illegal. You'll find most auctioneers are very honest, but it's up to the bidders to understand ALL of the terms of the auction, prior to bidding.