Items from the Yuma County Airport are sold at auction March 20 by Western Auction Co.

April 21, 2010 - PRLog -- (YUMA, Ariz.) - Three jet fuel tanks, ranging in size from 12,000-20,000 gallons, sold for a combined $275,000, and a new, never-erected airplane hangar measuring 60 feet by 252 feet realized $70,000 at an auction of items from the Yuma County Airport, as authorized by the Yuma County Airport Authority. In all, nearly 350 lots crossed the block in an auction that grossed about $425,000.

   The auction was held on-site on Mar. 20, at the airport itself, by Western Auction Company, with branches in Yuma, Ariz., and Clinton, Wash. It was the liquidation of a former FBO (airport refueler) and the sale was absolute (everything sold, regardless of price). Items included trucks and equipment, pick-ups and vans, office equipment, special interest items and miscellaneous merchandise.

   The special interest items included the fuel tanks and the hangar, by far the top lots in the sale. The top achiever was a 20,000-gallon above-ground fuel-dispensing tank. It brought $140,000. Two other tanks, both with a 12,000-gallon capacity, fetched $65,000 and $70,000. All three tanks were Fireguard-protected for use in all 50 states and were equipped with Facet USA pumps and plumbing.

   The free span airplane hangar came complete with four bi-fold doors. “Every part needed to construct this hanger was here, down to the last screw,” said Larry Marty of Western Auction Company. “It included all the girders, trusses, siding, nuts, bolts, hanger doors – including opening cylinders and hardware – and everything else needed to erect it all was here, even the engineering design plans.”

   About 125 bidders attended the auction, pouring in from as far away as Corpus Christi and San Antonio, Tex., Bakersfield, Calif., and Salt Lake City, Utah. There was also a sizable crowd of locals. Most of the winning bids were submitted live and in-person, although absentee bids were also taken. “Overall, the auction was a huge success,” Mr. Marty said. “In fact, it exceeded all our expectations.”

   Following are additional highlights from the auction. All prices quoted are hammer, exclusive of the 10 percent buyer's premium.

   Trucks ranged in price from $1,200 to $10,000 each. A highlight was a 1984 Progress Industries single-axle tank trailer with a 5,100-gallon capacity, dual facet pumps and Velcon filter system. The vehicle, in good condition, rolled off for $10,000. From pick-ups and vans, a 1998 Ford one-ton, 12-passenger van with V-10 automatic transmission and 132,536 miles, in fine condition, brought $3,750.

   A 1996 Crestwood 16 foot by 70 foot single-wide mobile home with 1,120 square feet of living space and comprising four bedrooms, two baths and a laundry room, coasted to $10,000. Features included wood siding and a comp roof. The tongue was attached to the unit and the wheels were on the ground for easy moving. The home was in very good condition and could be used as a home or office.
   
   An EZ-GO Workhorse golf cart with dump box, “lifted” aluminum wheels and trick tires, in nice condition, sped away for $2,350. Office supplies and furniture accounted for about $10,000 of the sale’s gross, with flat screen TVs being a big hit with bidders. Three sets were offered, the top earner among them bringing $450. Lots in the equipment category “all brought good money,” Mr. Marty said.

   Western Auction Company’s next big auction will be another on-site affair. The contents of RayMar Farms, a 140-acre dairy farm in Monroe, Wash., comprising a large detached rec room packed with collectible items, will be sold without reserve on Saturday, May 15, beginning at 10 a.m. (Pacific Coast Time). Some farm equipment will also be offered. The farm itself has already been sold. The property is located at 17920 183rd Ave. SE in Monroe, situated just off Route 2, just northeast of Seattle.

   The list of collectibles in the home is  impressive. Featured will be a Seeburg jukebox that plays 45rpm records, numerous old console radios, an old Williams pinball machine, an old Coca-Cola vending machine, milk signs, hand scales, a hand-crank clothes ringer, old lanterns, logging prints, a Westinghouse water fountain, old fire extinguishers, 5-gallon crocks, a grinding stone and an ice box.

   After that, Western Auction Company will conduct an Internet auction of shrimp farming equipment, on a day and time still to be determined (probably late summer or early fall). The auction will feature air compressors, 3-ton air conditioning units, many electrical components, water filtration systems and more. “All the shrimp farming equipment is brand new and worth in excess of $500,000,” Mr. Marty said. A viewing will be held in Yuma, Ariz. (the pick-up location for the merchandise).

   Western Auction Company conducts on-site auctions in Arizona and Washington. The firm specializes in business liquidations. It also conducts estate sales, farm/machinery auctions, real estate and tax foreclosures, charity/fund raiser events and more. It is a member of the Washington Auctioneers Association, the Arizona State Auctioneers Association and the National Auctioneers Association.

   Western Auction Company has over 25 years' experience in the auction business. It is owned by Larry Marty, whose brother, Mike, is an auctioneer for the firm. Both are graduates of Rich Haas' Continental Auctioneer School of Mankato, Minn., to whom they credit much of their success. Larry also attended real estate classes and is CREA and CA certified, both for Arizona and Washington.

   Western Auction Company is always accepting quality consignments for future sales. To consign an estate, a property or collection, you may call them at (928) 345-1145 or (206) 310-4956; or, you may e-mail them at westernauction@hotmail.com. To learn more about Western Auction Company and the firm's calendar of upcoming auctions, please log on to www.WesternAuctionCompany.com.

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Ken Hall writes pre-sale and post-sale press releases for auction houses, for a fee. He writes, submits and tracks stories for clients. Submissions are published in trade magazines, posted on industry websites and appear in local newspapers.