SANDY SMITH FULFILLING DREAM
By SACHA CHAMPION
SEMO News Service, February, 2003

For Sandy Smith of Puxico, it all began when he was a little boy. Hearing the distinguished call of the auctioneer kept him enthralled. He then began practicing, dreaming of the day he would perfect a call of his own.  And now, after nearly six years of being an auctioneer, Smith, the owner of Sandy Smith Auction Company, is finally fulfilling a dream.  "As a child, I went to lots of sales," Smith said. "My grandfather traded horses and that's probably the first auction I ever attended."

Smith said he made his first sale at an auction at age 13. He then worked at a local livestock auction during his teenage years driving stock. "I've just always been fascinated with the auction method," said Smith. "The auctioneer's chant really - that's where it all started."

Smith watched many auctioneers and soon found himself mimicking their speaking as he tried to perfect his own call.
He said that by watching other auctioneers, you can find aspects that you like - and more importantly the aspects you don't like - and teach yourself how to become an auctioneer. "In all practicality, you can teach yourself how to be an auctioneer," said Smith. "At a young age, I would just go to the sales and try to mock or just listen to what the auctioneers were saying and then practice. Just practice. If you listen to enough auctioneers, you can pick out something they say or do that will be beneficial for you and you can also see their faults and see something you don't want to do."

However, Smith cautions that changing times make for changing methods. "But, the auction business has changed so much that now-a-days I feel that the best thing to do is to find an accredited school to attend," said Smith. "They not only help you with the calling but they help you with the business side to it all." Luckily, Smith has help from his wife of 30 years, Delitha, and his 23-year-old son Shaun. Shaun Smith recently graduated from the World Wide College of Auctioneering.

Sandy Smith worked in auctioneering part-tine from the age of 18 to the age of 22. He then owned a western wear manufacturing company, making western jackets, hats, etc. When he began to see a decline in the demand for western wear, Smith knew he needed to take action. "There are peaks and valleys. In 1997 we were coming off a really high peak and it was crashing fast," Smith explained. "More and more western stores were going out of business and I would buy them and then liquidate them privately, I wasn't actually auctioneering. The first store that we liquidated publicly was Ferrell's Western Wear in Sikeston," Smith continued. "We have now liquidated approximately 400 western wear and tack shops. That is how I got started back into auctioneering."

Smith's business is not only limited to western stores. He now holds auctions for households, antiques and collectibles, farm sales and real estate and he also works two large horse auctions a year. "We have really built up on the antique and collectibles auctions," said Smith. "We have a saying that we sell anything from bobby pins to bulldozers and from rabbits to real estate. And actually, we have sold all of those items at auction," Smith said with a chuckle. "I remember one livestock sale I was asked to sit in on because the auctioneer got sick and for the first three hours we sold rabbits and chickens."

Smith conducts approximately 70 auctions per year and is licensed in both Missouri and Arkansas. He has sold items in Illinois, Arkansas, Missouri and Indiana. He is a member of the Missouri Professional Auctioneers Association, where he is currently on the board of directors. He is also a member of the Arkansas Auctioneers Association and the National Auctioneers Association and a life member of the Who's Who National Registry.

Smith said that there is one thing he feels has set him apart from other auctioneers. "We put everything on computer," said Smith. "No matter what size the item is, it goes into the computer. You make less mistakes that way and things go much faster for both the buyer and the seller. We also have a website where people can get a little more information about our company, look at our auction calendar and we have a complete listing of each auction's items," Smith continued. "I think this has helped us more than any one thing we have done."

Smith is also one of the only auctioneers in the area who accepts credit card at the auction site. Smith said that Discover, MasterCard and Visa are all welcome. Another distinguishing feature about Smith is that he prefers to set up his own auction. "I want to be able to have control about when certain items are sold," said Smith. His reasoning for this is that when auctioneers save the best items for last, sometimes they don't bring the best price. "The one dollar and five dollar boxes will bring the same whether you do them first or last," said Smith. "But people are in such a hurry these days. If you pick the items that people want and have a desire for and bring those out earlier it really sets the momentum for the sale."

Smith went on to explain that this also helps for those special collectors who are traveling from out of state. "If you have a designated time to sell something, it lets the buyers know they need to be there on time," said Smith. "People are not going to sit around and wait for the good items."

For those considering an auction, Smith offered one piece of advice. Don't throw anything away.  "My advice to the general public is don't throw anything away until the auctioneer gets there," said Smith. Recently, a woman who contracted him for an auction was giving away many collectible items she considered "junk." "People should also pick an auctioneer they are comfortable with and can talk with," urged Smith. "Find someone who has your best interests at heart."

Anyone wishing to contact Smith about an auction may do so by calling 573-222-3900, by e-mail at sandee@sheltonbbs.com  or by visiting the website at www.sandysmithauctionco.com .