Besides community and church bingo games, the second most popular form of indoor entertainment (sometimes outdoors) in Maine is going to a country auction.
Have you ever wondered where antique dealers go to get their goods? In Maine, often called the "Attic of America", one of their best-kept secrets is the Burnham Auction (Houston-Brooks).
This auction, which claims to "buy junk and sell antiques", is a primary recipient from all those Maine attics and barns. The sheer variety of items found here will leave you scratching your head. It requires that you get up very early, as it starts promptly at 7 AM almost every Sunday of the year, be it rain, sleet, snow or freezing weather.
Operated by Dan and Pam Brooks and many associates, this auction has been a scene to behold for over 36 years. You will need to master the art of saying " yup" -- and be fast -- as many items go for less than $10.00.
CAUTION: Guard against getting auction "fever". A worse-case scenario of this ailment was when, in the heat of battle -- and only the auctioneer recognized, and called out the fact to the crowd -- that I was bidding against my wife on the other side of the room for the very same item. Embarrassing, but true...
They have a website for coming events and the items which will be featured at: www.houstonbrooks.com.
Some other Maine auctions where we have found some good buys and had some good fun:
Thomaston Place Auction Galleries (Thomaston) www.thomastonauction.com
Robert Foster Auction Gallery (Newcastle) www.fosterauctions.com
Brooder House Auction Service (Union) www.brooderhouse.com
Chesley's Auction Gallery (Corinth) www.chesleyauction.com
Gamage Antiques (Rockland) www.gamageantiques.com
Farrins Country Auction (Augusta) www.farrinsauctions.com
Andrews & Andrews Auctioneers (Northport) www.andrewsandandrews.com
Kennebec River Auction (Bath) www.maine-antiques.com
Cyr Auction Company (Gray) www.cyrauction.com
James D. Julia (Fairfield) www.juliaauctions.com
No comments:
Post a Comment