A Day in The Heartland, KHAS TV
with Dennis Kellogg

Kansas Auctioneers Association, Inc.
Bid Call Contest Champion
http://www.kansasauctioneers.com/events/bid2005.php

The Kansas Auctioneers Association, Inc. Bid Call Contest was held at the Hutchinson State Fair on September 14, 2005, at the Farm Bureau Arena. Prior to the chanting contest, each contestant was interviewed by five judges. The interview portion counts as one third of the total point system.

All proceeds received at the Bid Call Contest Auction are given to the benefit of the 4-H Encampment Building at the State Fairgrounds and to the Mennonite Relief Fund. The judges and the audience enjoyed a great competition given by the nineteen contestants. The contestants are judged on appearance, presentation, chant and effective selling. They had a tough one to decide this year from a great group of auctioneers. The auctioneers must be a member of the Kansas Auctioneers Association, conduct business in Kansas and accept the code of ethics of the KAA.

The judges for the contest were auctioneer and past KAA Director, Richard Garvin of Topeka, past KAA president, Vern Gannon of Manhattan; Mac Frederick, Livestock Barn owner of Hutchinson, Dr. Paul Williams, Olathe and Steve Ritter of Excelsior Springs, MO. The Bid Call Champion will represent Kansas in the International Auctioneer Contest to be held in Orlando, FL. Larry Gilmore, KAA Bid Call Contest Chairman of Wellington, presented the 2005 Champion Belt Buckle and Plaque to Rusty Rhynalds of Upland, NE as the Kansas Champion Auctioneer for 2005. The 1st Runnerup plaque was presented to Robert Haley, Valley Center. If, for some reason, Rusty is unable to fulfill his obligations to the KAA, Robert will assume his position. Eric Blomquist of Assaria was presented the 2nd Runner-up plaque; other finalists included Lance Fullerton, ElDorado and Aaron McKee, Manhattan. The contestants ranged from being in the auction business six months to twenty plus years. Regardless of the experience of the auctioneers, they all say the competition is the one auction opportunity that makes them nervous.

The auctioneers enter not only for the title but for the dedication to a profession they are proud of and believe in. The auction method of selling has been in existence for years and still proves to help you receive the best market price on the day of your auction. The Champion, upon winning the title, makes a commitment to the Kansas Auctioneers Association for at least three years of active involvement in the competition and other annual activities.
 

Auctioneer seeing country one bid at a time
By JOE DUGGAN / Lincoln Journal Star

MINDEN — The business card says he's vice president of Auction Company of America in Miami. The deed for his acreage near Minden says he's the owner. And his driver's license says he's 21.

While his classmates from high school are either finishing college or 40-hour work weeks, Rusty Rhynalds spends his days selling luxury homes from Florida to California.

And not your typical single-family dwellings that list double-car garages and hot tubs as features. Think more along the lines of private helicopter pads and snorkeling out the front door.

Earlier this year, for example, Rhynalds said he helped auction an oceanfront mansion on Key Largo for $3.7 million. Last year, he was involved with the sale of an 11,000-square-foot estate in Loganville, Ga., that was once owned by Burt Reynolds.

His position with the Miami company has allowed him to conduct auctions in more than a dozen states, selling not only real estate but also fine jewelry, original art and expensive antiques.

"We're kind of a traveling Sotheby's," he said.

At the same time, he feels comfortable selling old farm houses, John Deeres and Grandma's collectible plates at auctions in rural Nebraska. In fact, he has already started his own company — Rhynalds Auction Services — toward his long-term goal of working in Nebraska year-round.

"This is where my family is and this is where I want to raise a family," said Rhynalds, who has a mother and younger siblings in the Minden area and a father in Lincoln.

He had no family ties to the business when he attended a week-long auctioneering school in Mason City 16. Shortly after he returned home to Hartwell, a small community northeast of Minden, he was working at his first auction.

Rhynalds continued learning the business and developing his auction chant by helping at estate and livestock auctions around Nebraska, earning $50 to $150 per event. After he graduated from high school in 2001, he entered an auctioneering contest in Kansas. He performed well enough to get three job offers on the spot, he said.

Rhynalds accepted a job with an auction company near Wichita, Kan. When he turned 19, he obtained his real estate license, which opened more doors, eventually allowing him to meet Jim Gall, president of the Miami auction company. Rhynalds brokered the sale of a home in Topeka for Gall's company in 2004, a successful transaction that led to his present job.

Since then, he's racked up the frequent flyer miles, spending weeks at a time in Florida or California or Georgia or New Jersey or where ever the job requires. Most trips allow little free time, but tries to do a little sightseeing everywhere he goes.

While it's fun to travel, it's always nice to come back home, Rhynalds said. He makes Minden his home base because the job allows it — most of the work leading up to a sale is done over the phone and computer.

Rhynalds is one of the youngest, if not the youngest members of the Nebraska Auctioneers Association, said association President Duane Wellensiek of Cook. While there's a good number of auctioneers in their 20s in Nebraska, most work for other companies and few travel across the country like Rhynalds.

Jack Nitz, an auctioneer from Fremont with 44 years of experience, said it's a tough, competitive business. Only those willing to work hard and carefully develop a solid reputation survive in the long run.

"He's a good young bid caller," Nitz said. "He's very talented. Very aggressive he will make it in the auction business. He will. He will be a survivor."

Perhaps one reason Rhynalds has succeeded at such a young age is because he can relate to people well, regardless of their age, social status or wealth. He projects an easy-going personality that makes him seem older than 21.

His social skills and the circles he works in have allowed him to meet celebrities including Terrell Owens, Kelly Price and Paris Hilton. While it's a novelty to meet the rich and famous, that's not what got Rhynalds into the business and he knows that's not what will keep him in it.

"It's all about the people," he said. "I love the auction business. I'd do it no matter if I was selling pots and pans or selling million-dollar real estate."

Reach Joe Duggan at 473-7239 or jduggan@journalstar.com.
 

National Auctioneers Association
Bid Calling Contest

 

22 Finalists Named in International Auctioneer Championship
http://www.auctioneers.org/publicRelations/pressReleases/iacFINALISTS_0705.php

PITTSBURGH, PA. – It’s been a daylong showdown of bid-calling talents and now the field has been narrowed to 22. Tonight, two will be crowned International Auctioneer Champions in the largest bid-calling competition in the world – the International Auctioneer Championship (IAC).

Sponsored by the National Auctioneers Association (NAA), the IAC brought together 90 contestants from throughout North America today at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, (Ballroom A) in Pittsburgh, to battle for the men’s and women’s championship titles. The top bid-callers, 15 men and 7 women, were named this afternoon. Now the group is gearing up for the final round at 7 p.m.
The finalists in the women’s division are: Kim Anderson, Frazee, Minn.; Barbara Bonnette, CAI, GPPA, Alexandria, La.; Anita Espey, Maryville, Mo.; Kristine Fladeboe-Duininck, Spicer, Minn.; B.J. Jennings, CAI, York Haven, Pa.; JoEllen Taylor, CAI, Orlando, Fla.; and Johnna Wells, Portland, Ore.

The finalists in the men’s division are: Cary Aasness, Dalton, Minn.; Kurt Aumann, CAI, Nokomis, Ill.; Michael Berger, Bremen, Ind.; J.G. “Jimmy” Blocker, Walterboro, S.C.; C.D. “Butch” Booker, Colfax, Wash.; Merle Booker, CAI, GPPA, Connell, Wash.; Eli Detweiler, Jr., CAI, Ruffin, N.C.; Doug Heuker, Lake City, Mich.; Tony Langdon, Plano, Texas; Troy Orr, Ypsilanti, N.D.; Carl Radde, CAI, Minneapolis, Minn.; Rusty Rhynalds, Upland, Neb.; Martin Rogers, CAI, AARE, Conrad, Iowa; Terry Wilkey, El Paso, Ill; and Mark Younger, Maryville, Mo.

Up for grabs are the men’s and women’s championship titles along with a $10,000 cash prize, championship trophy and signature ring. Winners will spend the coming year making public appearances and serving as ambassadors for the auction industry.
Spectators are invited to attend the event and get in on the action. Those who cannot attend can listen and bid via the Internet through NAALive.com .  To sign in go to www.auctioneers.org  and click on “NAA IAC Item List” under “NAA Online Solutions.”
To get a taste of the competition and to check out the unique talents of past IAC champions, go to the NAA’s newly launched IAC Video Showcase at www.auctioneers.org  (click on “About NAA” and then “Awards and Honors”).

The IAC is one of several events taking place during the NAA’s Conference and Show this week in Pittsburgh.

* * *

With more than 6,200 members from throughout the world, the National Auctioneers Association is the largest organization of its kind dedicated to promoting the auction method of marketing and enhancing the professionalism of its members. Member benefits range from federal legislative representation to comprehensive continuing education programs, including coursework to earn the following professional designations: Certified Auctioneers Institute (CAI), Accredited Auctioneer, Real Estate (AARE), Graduate, Personal Property Appraiser (GPPA) and Certified Estate Specialist (CES). For more information on NAA and its programs, log on to www.auctioneers.org. 
 

Nebraska Auctioneers Association
bid-calling championship Aug. 15 at the Otoe County Fair in Syracuse.

Kliewer, Rhynalds earn auctioneering honors
SYRACUSE — Mark Kliewer of Kliewer’s Auction Service in Kearney was named the top rookie auctioneer Aug. 17 at the 2005 Nebraska Auctioneers Association Bid Calling Championship.
Rusty Rhynalds of Rhynalds Auction at Upland was the overall reserve champion among the 38 contestants.
The event was held in conjunction with the Otoe County Fair in Syracuse. Kliewer was one of 38 contestants who competed in the contest and live auction.
Kliewer also was one of 10 auctioneers who qualified for the finals of the overall competition, which was won by Paul McCartan of West Bend, Iowa.
 

20-year-old is auctioneer for the rich and famous
By CAROL MEYERS
Hub Regional Correspondent

HEARTWELL — While many young men his age still are deciding on or working toward their career, 20-year-old Rusty Rhynalds is established in his.

The Heartwell native is vice president of Auction Co. of America. The company, based in Miami, specializes in luxury real estate auctions nationwide.

“I fly all over the country,” Rhynalds said. “We sell art, antiques and all the goods that come with mansions.”

The property includes that of famous people or the neighbors of known names. Rhynalds recently auctioned the home Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson shared before their divorce.

He also recently conducted an auction in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., which is the largest house he has auctioned. The mansion measured 21,000 square feet.

Since working with Auction Co. of America, Rhynalds has traveled to and worked in California, Florida, Oregon, Washington, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Texas and Michigan. He plans to travel to New York soon.

Rhynalds enjoys the travel connected with his work.

“It’s not very often someone my age gets to travel so much. I’ve already seen places I never would have. The auction business is fun, and you meet new people,” he said.

A 2002 graduate of Kenesaw High School, Rhynalds asked his school guidance counselor for the names of auctioneering schools. He selected Worldwide College of Auctioneering in Mason City, Iowa.

He attended the weeklong course, continued on his own after receiving the basics, then began his career.

Prior to his work with Auction Co. of America, Rhynalds worked for Swenson Real Estate and Auction Service of Rose Hill, Kan., as an auctioneer/sales associate. He said he worked in the Wichita, Kan., area selling real estate and conducting four to five auctions per week.

When not traveling, Rhynalds spends time at home near Heartwell. He conducts auctions in his spare time.

“There’s usually something every weekend,” he said. The traveling comes “when things come up.”

Rhynalds plans to travel and work with the nationwide company until he tires of traveling. He recently transferred his real estate license from Kansas to Nebraska and will be selling real estate with McBride Realty Sales and Appraisals of Minden and conducting auctions in Nebraska in his spare time.

He also plans to attend the National Auctioneers Convention next year and compete in the convention’s auctioneering contest.

Rhynalds hopes eventually to sell real estate and conduct auctions full time in Nebraska.

e-mail to:
tammy.skrdlant@kearneyhub.com