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Auctioneers receive honors
By BARB KREBS
For the Daily Record/Sunday News
Pictured from left, Charles Wehrly of Codorus Township was chosen by the 581-member
Feb 18, 2007 — Three area auctioneers, all members of the Central Chapter of the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association, were recognized recently for their achievements in their field.
Dave Conley of York won first place in the annual bid-calling contest at the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
Fred Toomey of Hellam Township was named to the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame, and Charles Wehrly of Codorus Township was chosen by the 581-member association as its Auctioneer of the Year.
Dave Conley
Dave Conley, 32, developed an interest in auctioneering at a young age.
"I went to farm sales when I was growing up, and I told (auctioneer) Blain Rentzel that is what I wanted to do someday," he said.
Conley, who works for Rentzel's Auction Service in Emigsville, said he enjoys selling, and his main interest is in antique farm machinery and farm collectibles. He said that while he usually has a general idea of what an item might go for, on occasion he is pleasantly surprised at the final bid.
"Early on I was selling some Halloween decorations. I didn't think they would bring much. I was really surprised when they brought $600," he said.
He competed in the bid calling event at the farm show "for about six or eight years" before his win. He received a traveling trophy and $200 in prize money and does not plan to compete again, at least not anytime soon.
"Once you win, you usually don't compete again. It is nice to win, and now it's time to get back to work," he said.
Fred Toomey
Fred Toomey, 64, was surprised to learn that he was to be inducted into the Hall of Fame during the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association's recent convention.
Toomey, a 30-year member of the association, became interested in a career as an auctioneer when he volunteered to do charity auctions, including those for the annual CROP Walk, a program to raise money to feed the hungry.
"I got interested that way and went to auctioneers school," he said.
He held auctions in the Hellam fire hall before opening his own business, Toomey's Auction Service. In addition to the auctions held there every other Monday, Toomey does real estate and personal property sales on site and his antique auction held annually on Good Friday is a popular draw for those who enjoy antiques and collectibles.
One of his career highlights took place in Spry, he said.
"We were selling property in Spry, a 52-acre farm. I expected about 10 or 12 people might show up. We had over 100 people there. The property sold for $3.62 million, $70,000 an acre. That was kind of a special thing," he said.
Charlie Wehrly
Charlie Wehrly, 71, suspected something was up when his family started whispering behind his back and fell silent when he entered the room. He figured it out when he learned he was the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association's Auctioneer of the Year.
He was recognized for raising more than $13,000 for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital during the last three years.
It began when the association sent each of its members a necktie to be sold to raise money for St. Judes in Memphis, Tenn. Charlie Wehrly and his son Scott Wehrly, also an auctioneer, both had ties to sell - over and over again. Someone would buy a tie and hand it back to be sold again and that continued until they raised $1,500.
The next year, Wehrly enlisted the help of others, asking people to bake and donate cakes to sell for St. Judes. They raised about $4,000 that year.
Last year, the project grew even larger with donations of even more cakes and cookies and other homemade goodies to be sold on the auction block. The sale went on, and at the end of the evening the final tally came to $7,700.
"We couldn't do it without all the people who donated cakes and who bought cakes. It is something when you see what people in a little place like Codorus Township can do," Wehrly said.
Wehrly, like Conley, enjoyed going to farm sales as a youngster.
"I always liked to go to sales from a kid on up and decided to go to auctioneer school. That was in 1967. We started with consignment sales in 1969 and built the auction house here in 1976. Before that we had sales in the open, in the field across the road," he said.
Scott Wehrly, 47, was 9 years old when he started working for his dad. He got his license when he was 18 and has been in the family business for 28 years. Scott manages the Tuesday evening auctions with his dad as his right hand man.
"I'm retired on paper, but I still help him at the auction, and I have all the on-site sales and Scott helps me," Charles Wehrly said. "I expect to be doing this as long as my health is good."
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