Everything but snow at the Amish auction

Amish made outdoor furniture - some made from material created from recycled milk jugs like these beautiful red and white deck chairs and some made of cedar, were some of the items that kept hundreds of bidders vying for their favorite pieces.

by Marla Hall Lake County Leader
| July 18, 2019 1:50 PM

Antiques and collectibles, farm equipment, tools, guns, household items, hay, furniture, quilts, sheds, even a house — just about anything you might need or want could be found at the Mission Valley Consignment Auction held Saturday east of St. Ignatius.

This year marked the 17th edition of what has become fondly known as the ‘Amish Auction’.

Mother Nature doled out a bit of everything except snow during the event. It rained, sometimes sprinkling sometimes pouring down, it hailed, there was a thunder storm, and yes, the sun shone brightly driving the temperature into the low 80s.

Probably in large part due to the weather, attendance at the annual fundraiser was down a bit. Nevertheless, hundreds of auction enthusiasts swarmed the field near the Mission Valley Amish Christian School.

The action started at 9 a.m. with one group of auctioneers but soon there were three auctions going on simultaneously. One group of auctioneers stayed with the farm and household items while the other two sets moved to flowers, furniture, quilts, and the buildings and guns.

The individuals calling the auction swapped out frequently — allowing them to rest their voices a bit and to keep the action moving at a rapid pace. Humorous banter kept the crowd entertained and having a good time as they tried to outbid each other for the items they wanted while staying within their budgets.

Many attendees were thankful that the quilt and furniture auctions were held under circus-sized tents allowing them to avoid the ever-changing weather. Many did venture out, however, when hunger struck.

In addition to the ever-popular chicken dinner, burgers and polish sausage were other lunch choices and probably few people were able to bypass the homemade pieces of pie or the homemade ice cream.

Thousands of items were auctioned off during the day.

Those purchasing items were surely happy with the great deals they got while the Amish community raised significant funds to support the Mission Valley Amish Christian School.

All in all, it was a very good day despite the antics of Mother Nature.