THE CHANT OF THE BID

In the past, Clarence Schlimpert sold chickens, goats, pigs and horses. Today, he sells stoneware, crocks, jugs, horse plows and any number of other items.

In between, Schlimpert sold livestock feed for 40 years.

For more than five decades, Schlimpert has been an auctioneer.

"I'm the longest-running auctioneer in the area," he said. "I've been selling at auctions since 1944."

That doesn't include the box supper and church supper sales he conducted while he was a teenager.

Schlimpert is one of several people who have become self-made auctioneers in the area, picking up a microphone almost every weekend to sell merchandise to people without any complicated contracts, and often at top dollar.

Schlimpert operates Schlimpert & Seyer Auction Service, a name familiar to auction-goers who watch the Missourian classified pages each week.

He is among a growing list of firms which advertise their sales in area newspapers. Other familiar names include Chug's Auction Service, Jim Reynolds Auction Service, B&K Auction, Rainbow Auction, Tom Jones Auction Service, and Ron Burger Auction Service.

Auctions have been around for centuries. In 450 B.C., ancient Greek historian Herodotus referred to a Babylonian custom of offering maidens in marriage once a year to the highest bidder from an assembly. In Roman times, various auctions were held to dispose of the spoils and captives of war.

Auctions have been held in all parts of the world since then. They have been held in the United States since the nation's founding.

"Today, the auction method is more widely accepted than ever before," said Dick Dewees, operator of the Missouri Auction School in Kansas City. "Auctions are fair, fast, and fun."

Many of the modern-day auctioneers are graduates from an auctioneer's college. The Missouri school is the largest auctioneering school in the world -- each year training as many as 1,500 people to master the auctioneer's rhythmic chant.

"We don't claim we can train anybody to become an auctioneer," said Dewees. "But, just about anyone who can say `rubber baby buggy bumpers' is a good candidate.

"We hold nine classes a year and have from 150 to 225 in each class," said Dewees.

Training at the school includes lectures and workshops featuring prominent auctioneers from throughout the nation. Subjects include antique auctions, livestock, furniture, business liquidations, real estate, general merchandise and all types of estate auctions, and the rapid-fire chant of auctioneers.

But many auctioneers are self-taught.

"Auctions have long been a part of rural life," said Schlimpert. "They provided a simple way for people to sell merchandise they no longer wanted and for people to acquire items.

"When I first started, I sold a lot of farm animals," said Schlimpert, who said that his first public auction was in 1944.

"I remember I was a judge in a play, and had to auction off some land that somebody lost. I had been around some auctioneers and knew of some of their chants, so I used them in the play. People started calling me `the auctioneer.' Soon after, I conducted my first auction."

Auctions were a sideline for Schlimpert for some 40 years while he ran the Shawneetown Feed Co.

"I conducted occasional auctions on weekends," he said. "Since retiring from the feed operation, I do 30 to 40 auctions a year."

Over the years, Schlimpert has developed his own chant.

The chant is the auctioneers' selling tool -- a non-stop, bid-calling, song of sorts. Like "One dollar bid and now two, now two, will ya gimme two."

Schlimpert says an auctioneer has to be part showman. And he must know his business.

"Knowing what you're selling is important," he said. "I learn something at every sale. I research a lot of things. If I don't know what something is, I'll call people and keep looking for it. If I don't find the item or its value, I try to use my common sense. I don't pretend that I know."

Schlimpert says honesty is still the best rule.

"If you have an item with a crack in it, point out that crack," he said. "Always try to advertise your sale honestly."

Schlimpert has a big following.

"We see sales with 200 people, and we'll have sales with 1,000 people," he said. "I have met many people, and I know what a lot of them are looking for. I have compiled a large mailing list and if I have something on the auction bill that I think a person is looking for, I'll send the list to them."

Schlimpert said he has also come to know many people's methods of bidding.

"A lot of bidders have developed special ways of bidding -- a certain look, touching an ear, closing one eye," said Schlimpert. "You, as the auctioneer, don't want to give away their secrets."

Schlimpert said auctioneers have to "keep their brain together" at auction. "You've got to remember who got the last bid, and how much it was for."

Charles Hutson, who works with Chug's Auction Service, is also a self-made auctioneer.

"When I was first discharged from the Army, I started selling real estate for Wilson `Cap' Crites," said Hutson. "I attended some of his sales, and during one of my relative's sales I clerked."

Later when Chug Crites founded his auction company, in 1980, Chug offered me an opportunity, and I started selling.

"I learned in the school of hard knocks," Hutson admitted. "I would practice selling items in my basement. I read books on auctioneering, and Chug helped me a lot."

Hutson, who is Cape Girardeau County Circuit Clerk, said he participates in about 30 auctions a year and especially likes estate sales.

"It's a business where you have to become familiar with collectible items," said Hutson. "I have a large collection of collectibles and antiques pricing guides."

Jones is another veteran auctioneer.

"I've been selling at auctions more than 35 years," he said. "My father was a farmer and cattle man, who went to auctions when I was a youngster," said Jones. "I tagged along and became fascinated by auctions. By the time I was in high school, I knew I wanted to become an auctioneer."

Jones attended Missouri Auction School at Kansas City.

"The school was helpful," he said. "Naturally, you acquire your chant and other things through experience. But, the school provides professional auctioneers to help, and they share experiences with you. The school also offers training in how to line up a sale, what items to sell first, and other administrative functions."

Jones said he believes an auction is the fairest way to dispose of most things.

"When you have 100 to 200 people out there bidding, you're going to wind up with a pretty true value for the item," he said.

Jones, who has conducted multi-million dollar airplane auctions, as well as automobile, cattle and other special auctions, especially likes estate sales.

"I still do a two-day air auction every year at Oklahoma City," said Jones. "But it gets tiring selling planes all day, or cars.

"At a household auction, you sell furniture, tools, books and a variety of other items."

Auctioneering is a full-time business for Jones, who conducts 70 to 80 auctions each year. Pat Suzuki and Larry Miller work with the Jones Auction Co.

Jones belongs to the Missouri and National Auctioneer Associations.

"We try to attend at least one seminar sponsored by these groups each year," said Jones. "It helps us keep up with new laws and offers tips on auctioneering."