Osceola auctioneer places second in state competition

Dylan Webb of Osceola placed second in the Iowa Auctioneers Association Championship Bid Calling Contest at the Iowa State Fair.

This was a long time coming, as the preliminary round for this competition was in February at the Auctioneers Association Convention. The convention is informative. Auctioneers learn what’s new in the industry, discuss committee business and members compete in the preliminary bid calling competition. Members from all over the Midwest come to compete.

Contestants bring three items to sell at the convention. Some of the components they are judged on are appearance, salesmanship and their tone, speed and clarity of chant. The day after the competition the contestants are given medals and the top 20 go on to compete at the State Fair.

All 20 contestants sell items that the Auctioneers Association has provided at the State Fair.

“That makes it a little bit trickier,” said Webb. “There’s obviously no practicing on it, we don’t know the value but that’s just one more way that we can be a well-rounded auctioneer.”

Not only do they have to auction off the item but they also had to use some appraisal skills in order to sell the item for what it’s worth. After the bid calling each contestant was sequestered by judges and asked a question that they had to answer to the best of their ability.

After the question portion of the contest, contestants then went back and had to sell another three items provided to them to sell from the Auctioneers Association.

After the final round of bid calling the top 5 contestants were placed.

Even though Webb has been going to auctions nearly all his life and he has been a member of the Auctioneers Association for seven years, he still practices his chant.

“From the time I started in the Auctioneers Association, which was about seven years ago, my chant has changed completely and just keeps getting better and better,” said Webb. “I still practice. Especially just going down the road, I’ll sell road signs as I drive by.”

To be astute in pricing objects it’s important to go to as many auctions as possible. Webb’s father, Jeff has been an auctioneer for over 35 years, and the two have been a team for many years.

“I started off being a ring man for Dad, a ring man just calls out the bids,” said Webb “Then I just got more involved in the company. When I wasn’t ringing, I was a clerk.”

From 13-14 years old, Webb began to greatly improve his chant and say the numbers more fluently. At 14 years old, Webb was handed the microphone by his father and auctioned for the first time at a household auction.

“I freaked out,” said Webb. “So I took the microphone and introduced myself and I’ve helped sell at every single sale since I was 14.”

As Webb continues in his auction career, he has goals to continue and grow in the trade.

“My future plans are to be a contract auctioneer for other auction companies with hopefully the possibility of being a livestock auctioneer,” said Webb. “My passion is to be a livestock auctioneer; that’s my dream.”

Jeff and Dylan Webb, of Webb Auction Services do sales all over the Midwest and mainly in southern Iowa. To contact Webb Auction Services call 641-414-3000 for Jeff or 641-414-1025 for Dylan.