1950s Iowa Town-General Store-Implement Dealer up for auction

[Cabin Fever]

Here is the description of the three-day auction with lots of photos:

For almost fifty years, the century-old buildings in the farming community of Scotch Grove have guarded a time capsule. Recently, representatives from two auction companies opened the doors of these sixteen buildings to find hundreds of thousands of retail, wholesale, and service items still on the shelves and floors still in their original packaging and store displays.

“It’s surreal,” said managing auctioneer Judd Grafe, president of Grafe Auction. “It’s like taking a time machine to a perfectly preserved, mid-1900's general store.” In fact, more than just the warehouses and store, the auction companies will be selling, literally, almost an entire town and all the contents of the sixteen buildings.

“We’re talking multiple semi trailer loads of antiques, collectibles, farm machinery parts, horse equipment, toys, hardware, and pottery,” said John Schultz, one of the multiple auction managers sifting through the rows of inventory. “We’re still exploring the warehouses and finding fascinating pieces from our country’s past.”

I would really like to go to this auction!

[AngieM2]

Some really neat stuff showing in those photos.

[plowjockey]

Pretty cool.

These types of auction bring up some very interesting stuff.

Wish it was in IN.

[oth47]

Wish I could go..

[Michael W. Smith]

So the tractors are actually remodeled correct? These aren't brand new tractors that have sitting in the showroom for 50 years?

It would be interesting to know the history of how exactly this came about. Usually once a company quits business, they usually either sell the business to someone else or at the very least have an auction of their own.

Are these items from some business that just quit and they didn't need the money? Are these items from some business that the owner had enough money and just wanted to keep the stuff "just in case" they wanted to reopen in the future? Or is some rich person that was a collector and just bought everything up?

Certainly interesting though. It would be interesting to see what the stuff sells for. I'll bet there will be all kinds of collectors and people who refurbish old machinery looking for deals. And I'm guessing some people are going to end up making out very well with some of their purchases. For example - some old tractor part that is hard to come by, but there are 12 on the shelf. They normally sell for $325.00 (if you can find any nowadays), and this guy buys the whole lot of 12 pieces for $400.00. He can now sell each piece to different people for $325.00 -making a tidy profit of $3500.00!

[Sawmill Jim]

Think it was a one family business . Yep you might buy a bunch of parts an sit on them the rest of your life too.

And an auctioneer running more that one ring at a time is hard to keep track of too.

Another thing when you add 10% to the sale price to pay the auctioneer i just stay away .

But i don't need a anything so someone else can rake in the bargains

[GeorgiaGirl]

That would be awesome to attend that auction!

[HermitJohn]

Be fun to walk around and look. Shame it couldnt all been made into a museum, more accurate than anything made to look like its from that period. Better than trying to build a museum and then collecting stuff to stock it. I'm getting past collecting anything except gray hairs in my comb.

I see auctions advertised down here where somebody spent lot time collecting, then is unable to live alone or just gets bored or whatever and sells out. Was it really worth owning that stuff? Guess I think it would be nice to go look at stuff in a museum and maybe have few things I was really interested in using/tinkering with. Just buying stuff hoping it appreciates in value isnt that interesting. At least not to me.

[SpaceCadet12364]

Googling a little bit, their website says auction due to death of the owner. Search for his name, he died back in 2009. I'd say the widow and his 4 kids didn't want to deal with it.

Looks like it would be an interesting one to go to, indeed.

[fordson major]

Me too!! what a find!!

[salmonslayer]

I dont often wish I were filthy rich but this is one of those times. I think if I had the means I would buy the whole lot, move there and tinker and explore for the rest of my days.

[Cabin Fever]

I was looking at the photos of some of the individual items that will be auctioned off via the internet at Proxibid and found these. Anyone know what these are?


Anyone need a brand new wringer for their Maytag?


How about a steering wheel knob?

[fiddlertx4]

Cabin Fever, those are replacement grass boards that go on the end of a sickle mower.

[Ken Scharabok]

Years ago I went to one of these and bought about a 12" high stack of old implement mauals. Transferred them to disk and I have any times over made back by original investment by listing indivdual manuals on eBay.

[sirquack]

I would say the American Pickers guys are gonna be all over this like white on rice. They are Iowa guys and I am sure they have the funding necessary to take some of the better deals. But it is definitely a slice of Americana that you wont soon find again.

[fantasymaker]

Id love to go but Im anotherone that wont go to ANY auction with a buyers premium

[springvalley]

Originally Posted by fantasymaker

Id love to go but Im anotherone that wont go to ANY auction with a buyers premium

As fantasymaker has said, I won`t go to an auction with a buyers premium, it is just wrong. I would love to go as I think I could find alot of parts for some of my horse equipment that is original. WOW, is all I can say, it is only a bit less than a two hour drive for me to get to it. We will see about going, against all I believe in on buyers premiums at auctions. > Thanks Marc

[Cabin Fever]

Help me out here. What is the big deal about buyers premiums? I've gone to a few auctions with buyers premiums. If I decide I will pay no more than $100 for an item, and the buyers premium is 10%, I won't bid any higher than $90 or $91.

[jwal10]

I think a lot of people have a hard time with the auction company getting paid a commission from the seller for doing the auction and making 10% off the top too. If the price is right I will go and buy, like you say figure it out and bid to reflect the total. Great auction there, enjoyed looking. Thank you for showing it to us far away....James

[oregon woodsmok]

I'm sorry I have to miss that one.

There's probably a lot of stuff that involve homesteading without electricity.