The STORY OF THE WEEK
(The STEW)
is some long, dumb story involving some short dumb guy...
| Tuesday, June 21st, 2005 ~ 11:16 PM |
GOING ONCE...
So, today I heard people talk faster than Tracie and Melissa. I know.. hard to believe, so let's start at the beginning of the story shall we?
So, this story isn't gross, terribly funny, or quite possibily even interesting, but I'm goin to tell it anyway b/c it was an experience.
Electronic supplies store Ovation closed it's Lafayette area store this past Saturday. Instead of the typical, store closing sale, they decided to auction off the remaining merchandise. An interesting approach, but a good way to get stuff really freakin' cheap.
So, my dad and I go in Friday, the day before the auction to scout out stuff that we'd like to bid on. It was weird looking at stuff, and, instead the products having price tags, they had "lot" numbers. A total of 600 something to be exact.
My dad and I choose some stuff, go home and check the prices on the internet. (You never want to pay more than the actual price at an auction!) The next day, we roll into ovation at 12:30 ready to start our first auction experience.
Well, if you have never been into the store before, it's quite small. And, well, there were a ton of people there. But no one was talking, and the only sound that could be heard was a motor running. Well, turns out this motor was a mouth of the auctioneer rambling off prices and bids. My dad and I looked at each other immediately.. how could we bid on something if we didn't know what the price was?
Our first item that we wanted to bid on was item 127. We walk in and, well, they're only on like 80 something. We were told to expect an item to be sold each minute. So, we just walk around and listen to the auctioneer ramble off prices with his megaphone. We got used to him and could eventually understand him. One thing though.. none of the auctioneers throughout the day said "Going once, going tice".. they just repeat the current bid over and over, but they give you ample time to make another bid.
This wasn't the traditional podium type of auction. It traveled around the store. The auctioneer guy stood on a ladder with a megaphone-type thing. People held up numbered cards to bid. It was really a strange atmoshpere.
Well, in all honesty, my dad only planned on buying a pair of small speakers. Regular price was $225, so we were hoping for about half off. Problem.. that item was number 300 something, meaning we had almost three hours until it was probably going to be auctioned off.
We ate lunch at Quiznos (the Mmm.. toasty place). I LOVE QUIZNOS. We used to eat there all of the time when we went to Indy for tennis tournaments. Quiznos = BETTER THAN SUBWAY. And the turkey sandwhich meal I get is UNDER $5.. can't beat that.. it's over $5 at Subway. Try them.. they have creepy, weird commericals, but you will like them!
Back to the story, my dad and I spent a lot of time at the auction.. more than I really cared for, but it was a really fun atmosphere. Finally, 4:00 rolls around and the speakers are up for bidding. The speakers were in a seperate room, the size of a living room and about 100 people were smashed in there, shoulder to shoulder. You could feel the heat and the horrible stench hit you as you walked into the room. How gross.
For some reason, I was really nervous. I think my dad was, too. They start the bidding on the speakers...
auctioneer-style - 500? can i get a 500.. 300? 200? fifty?.. fifteen?.. allright 15..30.. 50.. 60.. 70 (that was my dads).. then 80.. 90.. (uh-oh it's getting high).. 100.. (now it's between my dad and another guy).. 110?.. (other guy pauses..) yes.. 120?.. (my dad looks at me.. I tell him go for it.. we didn't wait around 5 hours not wanting to go this far).. 130?.. (the other guys takes a long time to think while the auctioneer is rattling really really super fast all of these things I don't understand or care to hear.).. SOLD to number (whatever my dad's number was). We both smiled. We did it.
After we left the room, there was a small, 15 inch LCD television being auctioned off. it was a $700 TV, and the current bid was $150, so my dad and I jumped in on that one. We got the $700 TV for $200.. not a bad deal at all. In the box and everything.
All in all it was a long day, but a day I won't forget. The tension and atmosphere at an auction are unmatched by most things, so I may just have to go to another one later...
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