This past year was a welcomed return to normalcy in some regards. The country opened up, businesses unlocked their doors, and mandates were lifted. But for a world constantly in change and in flux, the auction industry largely remains unscathed.
This stability leads to a steady flow of auctions, which means there are always unique and interesting auctions to come across. They say you never know what you’ll find at an auction, which is why we like to compile an annual list of our favorite and most memorable events. You can also take a look at our recap of the most interesting items auctioned off in 2021.
Each year, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes branch in Oklahoma holds a fundraiser full of sports memorabilia and sports packages to buy.
This year, the most popular item bid on was an NFL experience for the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Redskins game in Virginia. The package included four club level seats, flights, and a hotel stay. There was also a package for the annual Oklahoma-Texas game at the Cotton Bowl. The high bidder received four tickets and a hotel package.
This is also one of our favorite events of the year as there is always historic memorabilia auctioned off for a good cause.
The 2021 version featured many Major League Baseball items, including a bat from Babe Ruth from the 1920s, a Jackie Robinson rookie card and a signed baseball by Joe DiMaggio.
For local fans, there were several Oklahoma Sooner items such as a 1985 football national championship clock and an OU autographed football by 1978 Heisman Trophy winner Billy Sims.
Last September, we listed a unique mansion tucked away on Lake Overholser in Oklahoma City. The seven-bedroom, 11.5-bathroom house was quite the sight to see. It amassed more than 16,000 square feet with seven living areas, three offices, a full gym with a sauna, a chapel, and a five-car attached garage.
It can be hard to find true luxury cars at an auction. Yes, you can find good deals on used cars at an auction, but most of them tend to be cars in need of maintenance or a face lift.
During the past year, we auctioned off a 2017 Mercedes Benz GLE 350, a 1975 MG Midget convertible, and a 2012 Acura TL autographed by Beatles legend Paul McCartney. It was originally bought at a benefit auction and had just 200 miles on it.
Estate auctions always turn up antique jewelry and other high-end finds. This estate auction didn’t disappoint. One of the most popular items was a 1 ½-carat 18K yellow gold ring. The auction also included dozens of firearms and dozens of pieces of artwork.
Workout equipment is expensive to buy for your home, so it makes sense that so many people would jump at an opportunity to score discounted items. That’s what happened when we auctioned off an Anytime Fitness. The auction featured machines, cardio equipment, free weights and other workout accessories.
In an auction full of bulldozers, trucks, and power tools, a customer consigned Disney ornaments during our fall heavy equipment auction. There were several dozen Christman ornaments in the lot, including characters such as Simba, Aladdin, Donald Duck, and Pocahontas. They are nearly 30 years old, as many of the ornaments were manufactured during the early 1990s.
What would you do with more than 1,650 pairs of cowboy boots? A complete new inventory of boots, along with thousands of other clothing and merchandise items, sold for one price at $25,250. That’s a bargain considering it was valued at $236,000. Other notable items included a buffalo head that sold for $1,000.
Restaurant auctions are truly one of the more versatile auctions out there for buyers. Yes, there is commercial cooking equipment, like the massive smoker that can fit hundreds of pounds of meat in it. But even home cooks can find something at restaurant auctions, be it pots and pans or a stand mixer. Restaurants also typically have office furniture to get rid of, which makes them even more diverse.
This year, we auctioned off entire restaurants in various cuisines. The list included an Outback Steakhouse, a Taco Bueno, a Western Sizzlin’, a Rib Crib, a pizza place, a bakery, a salad bar, and an Asian restaurant.
Our quarterly heavy equipment auctions are always our most attended events, and this year was no different. The March 2021 installment sold several hundred thousand dollars worth of equipment, including a $43,000 tub grinder.
If you have any unique or interesting items to sell, reach out to us today using this contact form or call us directly at (405) 266-2709. View our upcoming auction schedule to see when our next auction takes place.