Missouri Auctioneer Wins International Ringman Championship

Posted on 16 July 2009 | by Aaron Traffas, CAI, ATS, CES | Leave a comment

This release came across the wire. It’s our position that the best ringperson stays out of the way and simply reports bids to the auctioneer in the case that the auctioneer doesn’t see the bids. We recognize that there are some parts of the country where it’s expected that the ringstaff be more affable and “in the faces” of prospective bidders and while we’ll never understand it, we’ll respect it. Congratulations to Mr. Younger on a job well done.

July 15, 2009, Overland Park, Kan. – Mark Younger of Maryville, Missouri was awarded the title of International Ringman Champion this evening at the 60th International Auctioneers Conference and Show in Overland Park, Kansas.  This year was the third year for the competition and fifteen ringmen participated. The event is presented in partnership with the Professional Ringmen’s Institute.

A second generation auctioneer, Mr. Younger started in the auction business at 14 and has been in the business for over 33 years. Younger owns and operates Younger Land & Auction LLC with his sister Anitta.  The auction firm specializes in antique, real estate and farm machinery auctions.  In addition to competing in the International Ringman Championship competition, Mark will also compete Friday in the International Auctioneer Championship competition.

Emmette Barron, CCIM of Decatur, Alabama was awarded first runner-up in the competition, followed second runner-up, Sam “The Hitman” Grasso of Baltimore, Maryland.

Mark displayed his talents and bid spotting skills and was judged along with his fellow competitors on his ability to interact with the audience and communicate bids to the auctioneer.  As the 2009 International Ringman Champion, Mark will receive a championship ring, $5,000 in prize money, and a trophy.

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Three Young Auctioneers Fast-Talk Their Way into IJAC Finals

Posted on 16 July 2009 | by Aaron Traffas, CAI, ATS, CES | Leave a comment

July 15, 2009, Overland Park, Kan. – Three young auctioneers were selected to advance to the finals of the National Auctioneer Association’s third annual International Junior Auctioneers Championship (IJAC) competition.  The three finalists will compete for the coveted title at 8 a.m., Friday, July 17 at the Overland Park Convention Center in Overland Park, Kan. The competition is sponsored by the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) and occurs during the 60th International Auctioneers Conference and Show.

Justin Schultis, 18
Fairbury, Nebraska
Schultis & Son, Inc.

Issac Schultz, 18
Upsala, Minnesota
Schultz Auctioneers

Paige Sullivan, 18
Prague, Oklahoma
Spitler-Sullivan Auction & Realty

The IJAC is open to youth between the ages of 12 and 18. The winner receives a $1,000 cash prize, trophy, and complimentary registration into the adult division of the International Auctioneer Championship (IAC) when he or she meets the minimum age requirement.  The first runner-up will receive a $500 cash prize and the second runner-up will receive a $250 cash prize.  All participants receive a medallion and most importantly, an invaluable learning experience competing against other elite junior level auctioneers.

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60th International Auctioneers Conference and Show

Posted on 14 July 2009 | by Aaron Traffas, CAI, ATS, CES | Leave a comment

We’re settled in at the Overland Park Convention Center, ready to officially kick off the festivities tonight. The unofficial kick-off held last night with the Aaron Traffas Band at the Mayo Auction Center went very well. We’re going to drop a little of the formalities over the next few days with perhaps more frequent updates, using I instead of the shielded we, and perhaps even throw in some video if I can find someone to hold the camera.

I’ll be updating my TwitPic photostream regularly, so head over there for the pictures. Here’s the NAA’s press release I picked up from PRWEB.

Auctioneers ‘Sold’ on Kansas City
60th International Auctioneers Conference & Show – July 13-18, Overland Park, Kan.

Overland Park, Kan. (Vocus/PRWEB ) July 11, 2009 — Auctioneers from the across the world will travel to Overland Park, Kan. for the 60th International Auctioneers Conference & Show next week. This year’s conference will take place July 13-18 at the Overland Park Convention Center. This year’s event will feature over a thousand auctioneers celebrating one of the world’s fastest growing and oldest industries. The conference is coordinated by the National Auctioneers Association (NAA). Headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., the NAA is the nation’s largest association dedicated to the auction profession and industry.

The NAA and its members will be celebrating six decades of service at this year’s conference. Highlights of the conference include over 40 educational seminars ranging from technology in the auction industry, to growth in the real estate auction market. One of the major highlights of this annual event is its competitions. Each year the NAA crowns the world’s top male and female auctioneers at its conference. Auctioneers from across the world will compete for the coveted International Auctioneer Championship (IAC) title. In addition to the IAC competition, conference attendees will enjoy the International Ringman Championship (IRC) and the International Junior Auctioneer Championship (IJAC). Conference attendees will also be provided with one of the largest trade shows in the history of the event.

To learn more about Conference & Show, visit: auctioneers.org/conference2009.

In 2008, the live auction industry sold $268.4 billion in goods and services in the United States. The fastest growing sectors of the auction industry in 2008 were residential real estate and agricultural machinery and equipment auctions. With over $83 billion in gross sales, automobile auctions continue to lead the industry. The auction industry is vast and diverse with auctioneers specializing in a variety of markets, such as art/antiques, automobiles, machinery, real estate, personal property, and charity.

About the NAA
Headquartered in Overland Park, Kan., the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) represents the interests of approximately 4,400 auctioneers in the United States, Canada, and across the world. Founded in 1949, the mission of the NAA is to promote the auction method of marketing and enhancing the professionalism of its members through education and technology. To learn more about Auctioneers or to find an auctioneer, visit: www.auctioneers.org.

Contact:
Chris Longly
(913) 541-8084 ext. 31

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Google announces Chrome OS

Posted on 8 July 2009 | by Aaron Traffas, CAI, ATS, CES | Leave a comment

Yesterday, Google finally announced what many were expecting – a full-on operating system to compete directly with Microsoft Windows. What is somewhat less expected is that they are using their Chrome product instead of their Android platform as many anticipated.

The Chrome OS will be the Chrome browser on top of a Linux core. The operating system will boot to the browser and do little else. The Internet becomes the operating system.

The benefit for consumers will be a mainstream operating system that doesn’t have Microsoft Windows or Microsoft Office. The downside is that we already have Linux for that purpose. We already have a netbook remix of Ubuntu Linux that is very fast and yet robust.

Google’s Chrome browser was over-hyped and feature-poor, and it’s still slow more often than it’s fast. Chrome doesn’t have the beauty of Safari, the legacy of IE, the applications of Firefox nor the completeness of Opera. In the same way, Chrome OS won’t have the beauty of OS X, the robustness of Linux nor the install base of Windows. Google is again trying to force its way into a market space by inserting a product that is trying to compete with established players by surpassing none of them on the merits.

Smart money is that Google’s Chrome OS will be as slow and feature-poor as its browser still is, but its tough to immagine how this play from Google isn’t going to shake up the netbook and low-budget PC market.

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Aaron Traffas Band to perform before NAA Conference and Show

Posted on 7 July 2009 | by Aaron Traffas, CAI, ATS, CES | Leave a comment

Aaron Traffas Band

Aaron Traffas Band to play Monday, July 13, at Mayo Auction Center

We’re finally back from the combine after a month away from auctions, technology and blogging, and we bring late-breaking news of an event that can’t be missed.

Robert Mayo of Mayo Auction and Realty has graciously offered to host a social event the day before NAA Conference and Show at his auction center in Kansas City. As if that wasn’t enough, he’s also hired the Aaron Traffas Band for entertainment.

The Aaron Traffas Band, fronted by this author, recently reformed with a new sound and new personel. It will be our first show with the new line-up and set list and we’re really excited to make our debut for our auctioneer friends the day before the world’s largest gathering of auctioneers commences in Overland Park, Kansas.

For those of you who are unable to make it to the convention or at least to the pre-convention social event, we’re planning on making a live stream available at multiple locations including, but not limited to, www.auctioneertech.com and www.aarontraffas.com. Tune in to either site at 6:30 p.m. CDT on Monday to catch the action. Follow @traffas on Twitter for more details.

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