The past year in auctions was fantastic — just ask longtime auctioneer Bill Rackley. From safety deposit boxes and steakhouses to bus equipment and sports apparel and memorabilia, it was a busy 2019 for Dakil Auctioneers, Inc.
In total, we held approximately 150 auctions in 2019. As a way to look back on a successful year, we compiled a list of our favorite and memorable auctions. While you’re at it, check out our recap of the most interesting items auctioned off in 2019.
Do you ever wonder what happens to abandoned or unclaimed safety deposit boxes sitting idle in your local bank? Every so often, they end up at auctions.
Over the past 20-plus years, we’ve helped the Oklahoma State Treasurer auction off unclaimed property. The latest one, held this past summer, was our favorite auction of 2019. We auctioned off 625 safety deposit boxes with items ranging from gold Olympic coins to diamond rings and everything in between.
In Oklahoma, property that is unaccounted for after five years goes to the treasurer department where it’s stored. The Oklahoma State Treasurer held the auction to clear out space in its vault.
“It’s a fantastic auction. You have gold, diamonds, coins, and baseball cards. You can find anywhere between $10,000 in value in a box down to a nickel,” said Rackley, a longtime auctioneer, appraiser, and consultant with Dakil. “There’s no telling what you’ll find in the safety deposit boxes.”
This time around, customers found value in Saint Gaudens $20 gold coins, Native American pottery, coin collections, stamp collections, watches, silverware, and perfume bottles. The Olympic coins were from 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992. Some safety deposit boxes even had sports memorabilia from NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young.
As for one of the more unique items? One box had a doctor’s bag from the late 1800s/early 1900s with OB-GYN tools to deliver a baby.
We’ve mentioned before how auctions can help your business, and this next auction is one that benefited all parties involved.
Western Sizzlin, a national steakhouse chain, closed a franchise in Enid after 37 years when its owner retired. Swadley’s World Famous Bar-B-Q purchased the property, and we assisted with a restaurant auction last winter as part of the transition.
While the sheer size and scope of the auction wasn’t the largest of 2019, it served as a way to assist in closing one chapter and opening another for a local, Oklahoma-based business. The auction featured restaurant tables, chairs, refrigerators, freezers, flat top grills, meat grinders and slicers, and other kitchen accessories.
We conduct plenty of estate gun sales, but this two-day auction for a Texas-based store that closed its doors in 2019 was a memorable one.
From guns, ammunition, holsters, sights, silencers, and targets, we auctioned off thousands of items. Two of Rackley’s favorite guns showed up in the sale, too. He likes the Kimber 1911 .45 ACP (automatic colt pistol) and the .338 Lapua Magnum military sniper rifle. The Lapua is responsible for the second-longest confirmed kill. In 2009, a British sniper shot a Taliban soldier from 8,120 feet away.
This local bus company on Reno Avenue in Oklahoma City closed its doors after more than a half-century in business. The auction featured many 1940 and 1950 model bus parts, chassis, and frames. Additionally, we sold two active running buses and a motor home.
“The auction method is always great because we can transfer and get your money faster than liquidating it one piece at a time. We can liquidate the whole 60-year business in one day,” Rackley said.
Here’s another case of a local owner retiring and looking to offload the company goods. Located in Del City, Keas Stainless Steel manufactured and shipped vent hoods across the world. While there were some vent hoods and restaurant equipment, a majority of the products sold dealt with the day-to-day production. This included press brakes, welders, sheers, forklifts, and trucks and trailers to build, deliver, and install the vent hoods.
Serving as one of our largest auctions of 2019, the event featured hundreds of thousands of items sold. Based in Norman, Champions On Display was a local and online sports retailer. They sold collegiate and sports apparel and collectibles.
The auction had hats, jackets, scarves, key chains, and T-shirts of various teams and franchises. Rackley noted how the auction featured 700 or 800 lots with some lots having thousands of items in them. One item of note was a framed 2001 BCS National Championship photo from when Oklahoma beat Florida State in the Orange Bowl.
Each quarter, we hold a heavy equipment auction that showcases anything from cars to industrial machinery. In 2019, some of our notable items included antique cars and police cruisers from the Oklahoma City Police Department fleet. We also sold equipment and vehicles for Oklahoma Gas & Electric and Oklahoma Natural Gas.
We auctioned off numerous ranches, farms, and houses as part of our real estate auctions. One of the biggest sales came in northwest Oklahoma City, where we helped owners who downsized sell a beautiful 5,000-square-foot brick house.
It was another busy year for oil and gas auctions, especially in Kingfisher County and Grady County. We also sold oil and gas rights and interests in Arkansas, Kansas, and Texas.
To see more of our other top Dakil auctions throughout the years, here’s a recap of our memorable moments from 2018. Get in touch with us today using this contact form or call us directly at (405) 751-6179 so we can help you set up your next auction. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to speed with the latest trends in the auction industry. To see when our next auction takes place, view our upcoming auctions schedule page.
