Next week the annual Jamesport, Missouri Spring Hill School Consignment Auction will be held. This is a large two-day auction drawing a lot of interest. As a preview we have some photos from last year’s event, courtesy of Don Burke.
All photos and commentary on this page are provided by Don. You can see more of Don’s Jamesport auction photos and others in full size on his Flickr page.
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The Jamesport auction is more active than a three-ring circus, with probably as many as four-to-six auctions going on at the same time.
This auction bring in people from many different communities, including many from out of state. It is very interesting to see the differences in dress and other factors from the various groups represented.
The women tend to be drawn to the auction ‘rings’ specializing in sewing and household items.
The auction was a turning point for me and my Amish experience, and sunglasses like this were a part of that. Young men were walking around with sunglasses like I would see Englisch guys wearing.
Then I noticed the kids drinking Pepsi and Mountain Dew and other sodas just like non-Amish. Yeah, that’s kinda “duh,” and it wasn’t the first time that the though crossed my mind. But it really soaked in deeper as I had such close direct contact, and the more I looked the more that I saw how much we are alike instead of different.
These are not buggies up for auction. Rather, they are just a few of the sea of buggies from those that drove in to the auction.
What’s an Amish auction without a wringer-washer or two?
I would be curious to know how these two modern pieces fared compared to the older style. Did they bring in the same price? Did they end up with Amish or with one of the many non-Amish? (BTW, I have seen an Amish wife in Pennsylvania who had a washer and dryer that she used for her business; and in Missouri I’ve seen a washer re-purposed to run on compressed air for the sole use of its spin cycle.)
Men gathered around an old John Deere threshing machine.
As this shows, not every item in this Amish auction is from the Amish, or would be used by them. The woman at the auction who was selling this said that her brother had bought it, but before he could use it (rent it out, I suppose), he died. So he was the first one to be given a ride in it.
No, not an Amish wagon.
Here is one of the Amish refrigerated food wagons, used for events like this, weddings, etc.
Even auction time is family time.
Good fun, good food…, and eventually, good bye.
Jamesport Spring Hill School Consignment Auction
July 2 & 3, 2014 – Wednesday & Thursday
Raymond Troyer Farm
Wednesday: all small items, washing machines, lawn mowers, furniture, antiques, you name it.
Thursday: larger items, buggies, horses.
660-684-6006
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I’d love to be able to go to this Auction. It must be very guge if it lasts for two days.
Thank you Erik for providing this opportunity to share some of my pictures. It’s always an honor.
Juanita, the auction is huge. At the auction I spoke with an older Amish gentleman (Joe Gingrich, I think) whose son owned the property which the auction was held on. He told me how many acres that the auction required, but I;m afraid I have forgotten.
Fun
It would be so much fun to go to that auction! I enjoyed the one Amish auction I went to last year..
Which day do they sell quilts? Is a quilt a small item or a large item?
Linda, I’m afraid I do not know the answer to that question. I don’t know if they even assign items to certain days, or just start at one end of a row of stuff and go as long as they can, then pick up there the next day.
My apologies...
Linda, my response to you was at the end of a long day of traveling, and I had forgotten that Erik had included information on the dates — and scheduled activities — of the auction. So, there apparently are times assigned to the different items…, but sadly I still do not know the answer to your question about when quilts are sold. Sorry.
Great pictures! Thanks for sharing!! Looks like something I would enjoy going to.
Blessings,
Alice
I have friends that live very near Jamesport. I’m going to tell them to go to it, and we might even make the trip, too. Thanks for this post!
Jamesport School Auction
That looked like a lot of fun. It was interesting looking at all of the different styles of dress for the men and women.
Thank you for sharing.
Patty-
Thanks
I’m from Iowa and will definitely be taking a trip down there. Thanks so much for sharing. Moved to the Midwest about 5 years ago from New Jersey and really miss visiting the Amish in Lancaster, Pa. Been to 3 settlements here — Jamesport, Missouri, Pawnee City, Nebraska and Goldring County, Iowa. Nothing compares to Lancaster 🙂 Thanks for sharing the pictures from last years auction. Maybe I’ll see you there.
Susan
Another and larger community
Try going to Holmes County OH…the largest of all the Amish Communities.
thanks so much for sharing the photos….I am amazed at what those people do for each other… Bless Them
Why is it that one can take pictures of Amish faces of men and boys but not of women and girls?
George, this is not difference between photographing one gender or the other. In the 250-ish pictures that I worked up from the auction, there were faces of both male and female. Such a small representation as given here sometimes makes things like that look skewed.
The truth is, when I first walked up to this auction I met an older (70’s?) Amish gentleman that I talked to for some time. (He was a long-time resident of the community, and father of the man who owned the property the auction was held on — so, he should know what he’s talking about.) Eventually I asked him about taking pictures of the Amish at the auction. He response was that it shouldn’t be a problem as long as I wasn’t up in anyone face or making a production of it. Just some quietly taken pictures from a distance (usually with my 80-400mm telephoto), and it should be okay.
Great pictures Don! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks
Thanks everyone for your compliments and your kind words.
Those wringer washers brought back memories of my Grandma’s wringer washer. My Mom used it for a while until she got a “spin dryer”. I think she was afraid I’d get my hand crushed in the wringer (probably true), but I sure loved to watch HER use it! We never had a dryer—hung clothes outdoors or in the basement…which led to mounds of never-ending ironing!
I enjoyed the pictures & captions, and hope I get to an Amish auction one of these days (although I don’t know how much I’d be able to haul home in my little Corolla!) Thanks, Don!
Alice Mary
Susan, did you mean Ringgold County, IA? Goldring County is not a county we have. 🙂 I’m not quite sure where all the Amish settlements in the southern counties are, but I do know that.
Amish Auctions
This spring I hit several mud sales in Central Pa. Gap, Gratz, Beaver Run, Port Treverton, Jack’s Mountain, Belleville, Buffalo Valley and this past Friday/Saturday I went to Lebanon. They had nine auctioneers at once for a couple of hours and always ran six. The Perry County one is coming up July 12, 2014 and that’s it for a while.
Great food, good bargins and excellent people watching. Amish communities vary greatly.
All the Amish I’ve talked to in Jamesport today say this is the most items they have had for sale in years…maybe ever.
Tomorrow are the farm equipment items and bigger items…
If you go…hit the bakerys!
Oh, you’re making me sick, Tom. Would love to be there; would love to get to meet you.
And yes, the bakeries are a must-stop for a Jamesport trip — esp. the on on Hwy 190 south of town. And there’s the creamery…, and the Farmhouse Collectibles (tell Linda I said Hi)…, and …. 😉