Can you talk fast, keep track of numbers, and look good while making people part with their money?
Then you’re on your way to winning the All Around Canadian Auctioneers’ Championship. This year’s title was won by Dwayne Dunkle of Castor, owner with wife Deanna of Dunkle Auction Services, which specializes in farm auctions. Dunkle won a first prize of $2,000, a trophy, and a $500 belt buckle. Second prize was won by Brandon Antonini of Calgary and third by Chuck Christenson of Calgary.
The championship event was held during the Auctioneers’ Association of Alberta’s annual convention in Red Deer, with association past president Ron Victor serving as master of ceremonies. Nineteen contestants from across Alberta, as well as Kelowna, Saskatoon, and Yorkton competed and competitors weren’t limited to the livestock sector. Many of the auctioneers competing had experience with automotive, industrial and estate sale auctions.
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Contestants received points for clarity, professionalism, general appearance and presentation. But the chant was the key ingredient.
“They need a good rhythm and really clear numbers,” said Jon Radcliffe, one of the judges and last year’s champion.
Chant and voice account for 40 points of the total score. Another 40 points are awarded on how the auctioneer acts, and 20 for presentation.
Competitors were scrutinized on the way they handle the entire auction process, and whether or not they made eye contact with the bidders. The competition was judged by four industry professionals, and Radcliffe. Each contestant was required to sell five items. Once the first round was finished, five semi-finalists were invited to do another round. Dunkle then finished the competition with a victory sale. The auctioned items were household items donated by local businesses, and the money raised was donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.
The Auctioneers’ Association of Alberta, established in 1934, is the largest auction association in Canada with 600 members. About 225 members attended the conference.
