Auction Fans Enjoy Lively Event at La Floresta

by Arleen Bier, La Floresta

E ach year, an auction is held at La Floresta Park in Mercedes. Some parks have park sales to get rid of unwanted stuff. We have an auction! Throughout the year, residents collect items to donate to the auction. We have really good stuff. The sale includes furniture, electrical appliances, printers, decorative pieces, dishes, golf clubs, golf balls, and more. One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

A member of the committee explained the procedures for the auction: “Everyone donates stuff and then buys it back. You also make desserts and then buy those back.” It is a good fundraiser for the Park. Proceeds are used to fund Park activities.

Rickey Henderson, our resident auctioneer, is entertaining, as well as very animated when getting people to bid on items. Normally he starts out with a relatively low price to attract a large number of bidders. He begins with, “Two-anda-half? Two-and-a-half? It is surely worth two-and-a-half! Now five? Five? Five? Five? I got five! Now seven-and-a-half? Seven-and-ahalf? SOLD for seven-and-a-half!”

Multiple groups of smaller items are put together. Rickey said, “It looks good, but I don’t know what it is! Come on! Two-and-a-half? I got two-and-a-half. Now five? Now 10? Now 15? Sold!”

We had three griddles. “The cords are even with them!” exclaimed Rickey. “Next up is a box of craft items. Could be gold in there!”

As the bidding begins, it goes quickly. Bidders need to pay attention because if they don’t keep their card number raised, the auctioneer says, “Sorry. You missed out on a bargain!”