The Auction Lot in Bourbon is equipped and ready to conduct auctions accessible to buyers all over the country and beyond.
Owned and run by Kyle Simmons and his wife, Jill, the online-only business is for anyone with access to a computer. With an emphasis on tools and equipment, it also handles consignment items and estate sales. All bidding is done virtually, and shipping anywhere is available. Patrons also have the option of picking up purchases at 500 West Center Street in Bourbon.
In the auction world, the word “lot” refers to an individual object or group of objects offered for sale at auction as a single unit. However, the name The Auction Lot is also a nod to the one-and-a-half-acre lot owned by Simmons. It is the storage site for auction merchandise.
“We store all the stuff on our lot – in fact, all over our lot,” he says. “There is a 10,000-square-foot building for merchandise. Most of what we auction is tools and equipment, and things like skid loaders, mowers and tractors. We have also sold brand-new patio furniture, Barbies, and commercial food mixers. What we auction comes from a variety of places. People bring things to us. We buy trade-ins from used equipment dealers. Likewise, we buy merchandise from different broker platforms. We liquidate estates for families. We clean out the house so it can go on the market and get sold.”
A recent auction featured new but returned overstocked goods from big-box stores such as Home Depot, Target and Walmart. It included bathroom accessories such as a shower curtain set, a shower head, and sink faucets. Also offered were door and cabinet hardware, a mailbox post kit, bedding and many more items. There were toys, bikes and scooters, and a surprising number of collectable action figurines. Besides Disney, Batman and “Star Wars” items, several lots of Funko Pop figures were auctioned off. The Funko Pop brand rose to fame in 2010 and is popular worldwide. Made of vinyl, the figurines represent characters from pop culture and movies, and have a unique look due to their signature oversized heads and black eyes.
“We had interest from around the country and all over the world,” Simmons says. “We had views from 40 states and 15 countries, as far away as Montana and the Middle East. Before any auction, people can preview items for a few days. Once bidding is open, we let it sit for at least three to five days. Bidding always ends on a Saturday evening. The first item usually goes to end at 6 p.m., and every 30 seconds another one follows. However, if someone places a bid within those 30 seconds, it’s alive for another minute. So, that first item could end up being the last thing sold.”
Simmons shares that it’s fun when that situation happens. Recently, a pool table went from a $60 bid to being sold at $300 in the last 10 minutes. Another example is a refrigerator that had a bid of $100 but had an ending price of $430.
Since he was young, Simmons has been going to auctions. He has been in the used equipment business for 10 years and he was looking for another source to move equipment. The online auction business, booming since COVID, has opened up the ability to sell in all geographic areas; no one misses out if they are not from the area.
Upcoming events and deadlines for consignments are posted on The Auction Lot Facebook page. Items can be previewed on the auction platform website at theauctionlotllc.hibid.com.
“There is no typical auction buyer,” Simmons says. “Some people are repeat customers; they buy and then have us resell it. Some people claim they would never bid at an auction, yet once they do, they want to know when the next will be.”
“We enjoy it as a family,” he adds. “Our son, age 8, pulls orders for people and carries them out to their car. We sit and watch bidding wars as auctions are ending, and make sure there are no issues or glitches. People ask questions down to the final minute.”
The Auction Lot is located at 500 West Center Street in Bourbon. Visit their website to check out the latest auctions.
