Good weather, good attendance, and good bidding all made for a very good Lancaster County Carriage and Antique Auction on June 25 & 26, according to Coordinator Jake King. With the tremendous backing of the Bird-in-Hand community and the help of 400 volunteers, this year’s auction went smoothly and grew in numbers and profits.
It is amazing that 5,000 auction-goers gathered in our small village for the events on Thursday and Friday. There was a 7 percent increase in registered bidders and a 14 percent increase in consignors. However, it was the large number of donated items that pushed the auction profits up by 65 percent. These donations included tack, antiques and collectibles, a runabout carriage, furniture, and several quilts.
This year the Carriage Auction was advertised as many auctions wrapped into one event. Read what attendees said about each individual auction.
Early Bird Auction
“We own a craft and antique store four hours north of here close to the New York state line. We are finding some very good deals at the Thursday evening auction.“- Towanda, PA
Plant Auction
“We have come to this auction for many, many years – even when it was held on the farm on Belmont Road. For us from New England, the flowers are a bargain.” – Massachusetts
“This auction gets bigger every year. It is very well organized and the community works very hard to pull it off. I love that the wagon boys take my flowers right to my door.” – Bird-in-Hand, PA (next door neighbor to the auction)
Main Auction
“After 30 years of storing our carriages, webrought them today to sell at this auction.” – Orwigsburg, PA
“We love horses and carriages and do some competitive driving. We watch the auction for a while and find out the prices. We come just in case we see something we want! Wouldn’t miss it!” – Central & Southern New Jersey
Thank you to the many volunteers who helped make this a successful fundraiser for the Fire Company
Community member Ruth Petersheim designed, quilted, and donated this special quilt honoring the Hand-in-Hand Fire Company. The winning bid was $700!
Perennials and annuals have become a major draw for both the Thursday and Friday auctions. The Fire Company appreciates the local support at these blocks.
This runabout was donated by local businesses and individuals. Proceeds helped offset auction overhead costs.
