Since 1992, auctioneers throughout Kansas and the surrounding states have traveled to Hutchinson to compete with one another at the Kansas State Fair, vying for the title of Auctioneer Champion. The Kansas Auctioneers Association (KAA) hosts the Auctioneer Championship that will be held this year on the stage of the Bretz and Young Injury Lawyers Arena at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12.

This public auction will give all fairgoers the opportunity to bid and buy from the best auctioneers in the state. The public is encouraged to attend and observe the contest or participate by placing bids. Anyone unable to attend in person can watch the contest live at www.kansasauctioneers.com.

The Auctioneer Championship featured a preliminary round conducted during the KAA’s Winter Convention last January in Wichita. Of the seventeen contestants entering the contest, ten were selected to compete in the final round at the fair.

Finalists, pictured above, from left to right.

• Titus Yutzy – Hutchinson, Kansas
• Daniel Gutierrez – Wichita, Kansas
• Hunter Sturgis – Oskaloosa, Kansas
• Troy Wedel – McPherson, Kansas
• Tony Wisely – Perry, Oklahoma
• Jessica Pluff – Kansas City, Missouri
• Arlin Eicher – Partridge, Kansas
• Donnie Stumpff – Cassville, Missouri
• Ross Daniels – Humboldt, Kansas
• Ty Patton – Benton, Kansas

From livestock and auto auctioneers to real estate and benefit auctioneers, each bid caller’s performance will be judged by presentation, chant, voice, effective auctioneering skills and the ability to be an ambassador for the KAA. While the preliminary round focused exclusively on bid calling, the final round at the fair will include bid calling as well as an interview component.

The winner of this year’s KAA Auctioneer Championship will receive a belt buckle, plaque, $200 cash prize, membership to the National Auctioneers Association and an entry in the International Auctioneer Championship to be held July 2019 in New Orleans.

Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, the KAA comprises auctioneers throughout Kansas and adjoining states. The members voluntarily join the association to receive further education and promote their profession. When joining the association, members agree to a code of ethics and are governed by their peers. When it is your desire to obtain an auctioneer, the members of the KAA would appreciate the opportunity to be the first choice. To learn more about the KAA and its members or to view a list of upcoming member auctions, visit kansasauctioneers.com.

All great things must end. On March 4, Richard Garvin, CAI, ATS, CES, GPPA, will be conducting his retirement auction, selling the fixtures in his auction facility in addition to consignment merchandise. While he plans to continue to conduct real estate, coin and firearm auctions, his days of operating a consignment facility in Topeka are coming to a close.

Not only does Richard have a distinguished career as a leader in the auction industry, he has selflessly given back to the KAA, serving as KAA’s president in 2013 and as the presidential appointee in 2015. In 2009, he received the President’s Award of Distinction in recognition and appreciation of his lifetime of dedication and service to the Kansas Auctioneers Association.

The auction will be at RJ’s Auction Service’s Four Corners facility at 15767 S. Topeka Ave in Scranton, Kansas, on Saturday, March 4, beginning at 10 a.m. Learn more at rjsauctionservice.com

The Kansas Auctioneers Association wishes our colleague and comrade Richard the best in his future endeavors, and an enjoyable and relaxing retirement, as we look forward to his friendship and fellowship in our association for many years to come.