Going, going ... gone
New auction business launched
BY MARY LANCASTER INDEPENDENT WRITER
Roger Seitz was in his glory last Saturday as he banged the gavel to open bidding at his new auction event in the loft over Bartlett's Farm Market. Far from the rapid-fire'badabada, 60, badabada, SOLD at 75' calls made at livestock auctions, Seitz took a more sedate, "We have five...is there 10 anywhere?" approach in his style, hoping to improve its liveliness as he develops a rhythm over time.

ROB BENCHLEY/The Independent Roger Seitz makes a pickup for his new auction business.

"God, I hope I get one," he joked.

Although the loft's 125 seats were not filled last weekend - working on a small budget Seitz only placed a tiny classified auction announcement, and paper plates were used for bidding cards - the event was enjoyable to patrons as well as to Seitz, who said he had fun.

"To have gone through the mechanics of it, now it doesn't seem so formidable," he said. "It was very easy and a pleasure to do."

Seitz, who takes auction items on consignment, said that Saturday all the lots of wicker went quickly, as did antique Cambridge glass, artwork and Chinese writing instruments. He plans to hold four more Saturday auctions, and if they prove popular he will continue.

"Even if it doesn't go past five weeks it's a fun thing to do for March," he said, adding that he is calling his market loft site Barnaby's as a spoof on the prestigious Sotheby's auctions. "It's all going to be very low key. I think people have to have a sense of humor. They certainly do if they're going to come to these auctions."

But the auction concept is not fluff. Seitz, who is principal of Roger L. Seitz & Associates real estate, obtained an auctioneer's license and became bonded so he can now auction houses, their contents, and take foreclosure bids.

"I picked this because I love stuff and now I can auction properties which real estate agents can't do," explained Seitz, an island resident since 1970. "I wanted to be able to have all the options."

Seitz attended two intense weeks of classes in South Deerfield, Mass., the only site in the state and one of 10 schools in the country where classes for profit-making auctions are held once a

year.

"Getting my auctioneer's license turned out to be much harder than getting a real estate license."

He seeks "odd stuff from odd places" for his auctions, which people can contribute to by calling 325-0077.

Items for the auctions, which have Saturday morning preview hours, may be dropped off at Bartlett's Farm between noon and 5 p.m. on Fridays.

There is an elevator to the loft area. I