Auction draws bidders and lookers to Superior

Monte Turner, Clark Fork Valley Press & Mineral Independent, Plains, Mont.
·4 min read

Apr. 17—At best count, 205 vehicles lined the sides of the Cyr Iron Mountain Road from Quartz Road past the Mineral Country Shooting Sports Associations building about 8 miles east of Superior.

About 99% had to be pickup trucks and license plates are tough to tell where people come from since the personalized system came into play years ago. Kevin Hill Auction Service was conducting an estate auction and the MCSSA was tried for a site, and it appeared to have been a good choice.

The online bidding began March 22 with the live auction wrapping everything up on Saturday, April 13 which was the most gorgeous spring day this year.

Inside the building there were guns, furniture, coolers/refrigerators, guns, crocks, clocks, glass and silverware, guns, beer steins, record players, pictures and paintings, antiques, and guns. Outside were the ATV's, farm and ranch implements, a couple of old Honda 90's, a Harley Davidson, trailers, trucks and wine tumblers along with a side-by-side and chainsaws, when the live auction began at 10a.m.

Driving from Polson, Dave Morrison had seen some items online that he was interested in.

"My wife has horses, and I'm the stable boy. They have some panels I want to take a look at and I'm looking at some other livestock handling equipment. Really, I'm looking for a steal-of-a-deal," he grinned.

It appeared that many people were there just to look at the items with nothing in particular to buy. Tom Castles from Superior made the statement that he could have an auction at his place as he has too much stuff already. It was a social event for him as he walked with his coffee cup visiting friends.

Also from Superior was Ryan Prawitz and Joy Woolley who came to possibly purchase a lawnmower.

"But now we see a whole bunch of other really nice stuff that we might bid on as well," laughed Prawitz.

He said that they have a couple of acres to mow which they have been doing with push mowers, but there is a John Deer riding lawnmower they'd like to have that was going to be auctioned off.

Woolley said, "There's some really old stuff here that's really cool that we didn't expect."

They both mentioned the old bound book Bibles and the king chairs.

"The woodworking in those chairs is unreal," Prawitz said.

"You know, when I come to an auction, I'm sometimes just looking for that 'thing' that just catches your eye, which I'm doing. But in particular I was looking at some larger equipment, like the tractors that we might use that you could get cheaper than from somebody selling it on the marketplace, so we'll see," is what Summer Drey from Superior shared.

She laughed when asked if she had a need for larger equipment and said, "No. It's just a want. And then my guy is here for the guns."

On as beautiful of a day as it was, Tod Fehrnstrom drove from Post Falls, Idaho, "just to give me something to do. To look around. I've been to a few of Kevin Hill auctions and thought, 'What the heck!' and drove over," he said.

The event was a "living estate" auction where the owners of the merchandise are downsizing for their own reasons. A food trailer and a tent with coffee and snacks both had lines to place orders. Just as an auction is expected to do, some people made money and some people saved money.

The auction near the Lozeau Exit off of I-90 had more ATV's and motorcycles than many auction-goers said that they have seen. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)

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The auction started outside and then went inside the MCSSA building for those items, and then back out to finish up the day. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)

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There were a few auctioneers on hand to give one another a break as this was a full day in the sun of auctioneering. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)

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Three tables had shotguns, rifles and pistols that drew attention along with assorted ammunition and knives. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)

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"King Crabb" as his family calls him was begging his mother, Stacey, to bid on at least one chair. The Crabb Family lives up Sunrise Creek just a few miles from the auction. (Monte Turner/Mineral Independent)

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