Published: October 12, 2007 10:54 am Going Once, Going Twice
Duo hopes people will answer their call BY CAROL ROEHM DANVILLE — Don Crist is probably best known as Vermilion County’s supervisor of assessments. But he’s also a colonel. So is Paul Sermersheim, Danville’s community improvement coordinator. Crist and Sermersheim were named colonels when they graduated from Missouri Auction School in 1991. Auctioneers are referred to as colonel because of a practice from Civil War times when the colonel or another high-ranking military official of the winning army was called upon to auction off the “spoils of warfare.” Crist and Sermersheim have been exercising their
auction- calling skills for several years at property auctions conducted on-site and at charity auctions. Now they will call auctions year-round at Crist & Associates’ new climate-controlled indoor gallery in Danville. “I can sell the real estate and sign the contracts, while Paul starts the personal property sales,” Crist said of auctioneer duo. “It’s funny how things have come full circle,” he said, referring to their time together in auction school and now as business partners. For Sermersheim, getting to call an auction professionally is exciting. “I’ve done charity auctions, but never auctions for hire,” he said. “I’ve done enough charity auctions to keep my chant.” Crist has been an auctioneer for 15 years. “In 1999-2000, I started my own business, but I never had an auction gallery of my own until now,” he said. “This auction gallery is in addition to our auction firm,” Crist said. “We already do on-site selling on premises. We wanted another arrow in our quiver. “We feel comfortable about the local market place,” he said. Crist & Associates Auction & Realty opens the doors of its new gallery at 10 a.m. Saturday at 147 N. Walnut St., which was the former Butternut bread thrift store. Saturday’s auction features items from three partial estates, including a vintage jack-in-the-box, Chevrolet clock, NAPA Auto Parts thermometer, model railroad items, antique crocks, a china cabinet and other furniture, yarn and crocheting craft items, lanterns and kerosene lamps and a 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster. “We’ve got a little bit of everything,” Crist said. Before opening the auction house to the public, Crist made some renovations to the old bread store, which also had been a car dealership many years ago and still has an old elevator large enough to move a car. “We painted, lowered the ceilings and went at our own speed,” he said. “We’ve been using the office space that fronts Walnut for two and a half years,” he said. Crist said he expects to hold one “quality” auction a month, selling estate items from family members, attorneys, banks, executors, collectors and consignors. On auction day, visitors can park in the city parking deck and enter the gallery through the portico at the corner of Harrison and Walnut streets. Buyers then register in the lobby and receive a bidder number. “We also have a concession area where they can buy popcorn, ice cream or a cold drink,” Crist said. Two sets of movie theater seats add to the bidders’ comfort. “We have comfortable theater seats — something you won’t mind sitting on for hours,” he said. “We provide a clean, non-smoking, comfortable environment.” Through his Web site, Crist also hopes to educate and inform people who are new to auctions. “The ‘help’ section has common and not-so-common terms and lingo,” Crist said. “I talked to a lady recently who’s never been to an auction.” Sermersheim agreed. “They don’t know when to raise their hand.” Crist, however, said “auctions are fun.” “It’s a nice way to spend a day,” he said. GALLERY HOURS Crist & Associates Auction & Realty, 148 N. Walnut St., will conduct its first auction in its new gallery at 10 a.m. Saturday. For more information, call Don Crist at 446-5220 or check his Web site at http://www.Crist-Associates.com.