Wilt the Stilt basketball nets big bucks at auction
(PRWEB) May 20, 2000
Overland Park, Kan. — When Kerry Ryman, Annville, Pa., decided he no longer wanted the basketball Wilt Chamberlain used to score a record 100 points in one game, he knew what to do with it.
Have an auction. After all, what better way is there to sell something that you know other people want?
Get them together at an auction, let them determine what the item is worth to them and how much theyÂ’re willing to spend on it.
RymanÂ’s choice proved to be the right one: the basketball sold for more than $551,000, about $400,000 above early estimates, according to media accounts.
Auctions truly are the Voice of the Market , offering numerous benefits to buyers and sellers alike. Sellers know that a professional auctioneer will gather a crowd of potential buyers interested in the merchandise. Buyers know that they can have a say in what price something sells for.
All types of property are sold successfully at auction each day. A hand-drawn Christmas card sent by John Lennon to Beatles manager Brian Epstein sold recently at auction for $8,000, for example.
Information about auctions and the industry can be found on the NAA website at www. auctioneers. org. In addition, thereÂ’s a searchable database of NAA-member auctioneers, as well as a searchable calendar of NAA-member auctions across the country.
The NAA website also features a series called “Auction Talk,” which answers commonly asked questions about the auction industry.
The National Auctioneers Association is a nearly 6,000-member organization dedicated to advancing the auction method of marketing. Auctioneers use their unique skills to raise money for sick children at St. Jude ChildrenÂ’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., which treats children stricken with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. NAA members and affiliates have raised more than $1.4 million for the Memphis, Tenn., hospital that treats children from across the U. S. and world.
The association will conduct its annual Convention in July of 2000 in Norfolk, Va. Highlights include the intense International Auctioneer Championship, from which one man and one woman will emerge as the winners. The Convention will also feature educational sessions to advance auctioneersÂ’ continuing education, networking opportunities, a Trade Show, banquets and more.
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