By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

LEWISBURG, Ohio — The farm and everything included with it was just too much for Arthur and Lucille Heindl. So the couple from Lewisburg, Ohio opted to move to the city and auction their many possessions.

The estate sale was handled by auctioneer Kirby Lyons, 54. Lyons has been an auctioneer for more than 24 years. He said this sale was one of the “more interesting auctions with many interesting items for sale.”

“I handle a lot of farm auctions and deal with a lot of farm machinery at these auctions, and this estate had a bit of everything,” Lyons said. “There was plenty of farm equipment, tools, cars, tractors and hundreds of collectibles.”
The confidentiality between auctioneer and client prohibits Lyons from disclosing the total proceeds from the auction, but Lyons admits it was highly successful from the sellers’ standpoint.

“There were just so many items that this couple had collected over the years,” he said. “They had a lot to offer the public, and so many items were in remarkable condition.”

Lyons stopped short of calling the Heindls pack rats, but he did confess that they didn’t get rid of many things during their years on the farm. “Many people, especially farmers, like to hang on to things,” Lyons said. “Like this older couple, many of these farmers lived through the Depression; and these people didn’t throw anything away.”

There were 300 registered bidders in attendance and another 150 passersby at this auction, which took just under three hours to complete.

Fetching the top bid that day was a 1976 International Harvester tractor with a loader. It sold for $12,250.

“It was a great deal for the buyer, and Mr. Heindl got his money’s worth for it as well,” Lyons said.

“He bought the tractor in 1976 for $7,400 and used it for 35 years. He did well with the sale of this item.”

On a more modern scale, a 1995 Chevrolet Impala with 42,000 miles sold for $13,300, and a 1973 Pontiac Lemans Sports Coupe with just 76,000 miles sold for $2,500. Also taken early in the auction was a 1986 Carriage Carri-Lite Fifth-wheel camper.

There were plenty of other farm implements for bid, including a McCormick-Deering Farmall F-12 tractor, $800; along with an assortment of cultivators, blades and plows.

Boats from this estate were also sold, including a 1994 14-foot Sylvan fishing boat and a 1978 Sears Gamefisher fiberglass fishing boat.

Guns, rifles and ammo were on the auction block as well. Gun enthusiasts competed for a Remington Model 504 rifle, Targetmaster 22 rifle, J.C. Higgins Model 88i rifle, Crosman Arms pump pellet rifle, Stevens Little Scout 22 rifle and a Springfield 12-gauge single-shot shotgun. Other items for sale included newer and antique furniture, appliances, toys and old records.

There was no shortage of antiques at this auction. A Victrola music player sold for $410, an old-fashioned, metal Coca-Cola cooler fetched $90, a cannery set dating back to 1930 sold for $170, Edison 33 rpm records sold for $80 and a child’s windup jack-in-the-box went for $40. “The Heindls did very well at this auction,” Lyons said.