Ok, Ken, put this where you want--I couldn't find a catagory for "fools"! Just had to give you all a chuckle by letting you know what a total fool I made of myself today. Went to a sale at an old farm, where the couple had moved into a retirement home in town. The sale bill had several items I was interested in, one being a beautiful wood stove (went for $1500!)and a chicken brooder. As I was wandering around talking to an older gentleman and his son that I knew, I spied the chicken brooder (I thought). Made the comment that it was a bit larger than I had thought, and there was no way I could haul it home on top of the jeep. Neither said anything, so I wandered over to get a better look, thinking to my city-raised self, that the fencing around the thing looked a little hefty for chickens, and the rails were too far apart for your average chicken. Another older, obviously farm type gent was leaning on the rails, and asked if I were interested in it, and I told him about the possible halt in shipping chicks, that I thought it might come in handy to raise a bunch for sale locally. He kind of snickered under his breath, and advised me IT MIGHT, but that I was contemplating buying a CALF FEEDER. I had to go back and give the two fellows I knew a piece of my mind for letting me make such a total jerk out of myself, and was told by one that he learned long ago from his wife not to correct a woman! Eventually, I did find the chicken brooder, tho! Have to take my country-raised hubby next time! Cheers! Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), October 27, 2001

Answers

I can beat that for a auction story. About a year ago I went to a auction where they had a lot of fire wood for sale about 30 ricks. Well this one woman started bidding on it. They was selling it by the rick and she thought the whole pile was a rick. She got it for $30 a rick so the Auctioneer ask her if she wanted it all and she said of course thinking she got it all for $30. I had to leave so I didn't get to see her go pay for it.

-- Mel Kelly (melkelly@webtv.net), October 27, 2001.

Don't feel too bad. Once I took my husband to see a car that was in the paper. Called about it and the owner said" I'd like 12 for it "...well, being a frugal homesteader I figured $1200..right. We went to look at it and it was really nice but we didn't know if we should pay that much for it. Finally my husband said in front of the owner "if you want it we'll take it !!". The owner was so excited and even asked us into his house for coffee ?? Well, during his conversation he told us that he didn't think he could sell it that fast of $12,000 !!! My husband gave me "his" look as only husbands can do. We gracefully made some excuse to go home and be back the next day and then called and said we had changed out minds. Boy...talk about being red in the face. But I don't think that the owner ever caught on to us. It was an honest mistake...guess I just think that $1200 is a lot of money to pay for a car never mind $12,000 !!! So now on I always ask... " do you mean hundreds or thousands ??"

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), October 27, 2001.

A couple of years ago me and the wife was attending a farm auction close to home here and somehow got seperated. They put up a group garden tools that I wanted so I waved a bid, some one else raised it, I raised again, then them,then me after several bids the auctioner looked at me and said isn't that your wife you are bidding against. Talk about red faced. Still enjoy them though.

-- David (bluewaterfarm@mindspring.com), October 27, 2001.

Speaking of waving, I waved to a friend once...after that, I kept my arms tucked during bidding. They tried to get me (kiddingly) when I was nodding my head at something someone was telling me.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), October 27, 2001.

Had to chuckle at the other responses. Last year at an auction that I'm one of the few female farmers that actively bid, I had my moment in the sun. Being pretty good with most tools and having wanted an old army jeep for some-found one at that auction. Figured at best it was worth $150 in the poor condition it was in(engine out and in pieces). So I set my price at $100. The new auctioneer mistook my bid for $500. Being mute ran into a problem of pulling that youngster up and getting him straightened out. Wrote my hubby a note and he let that fella know what the bid had been for. All them men folk who had been sniggering about what they thought was an outlandish price where soon belly laughing when the auctioneer tried to question me and found not only could I not talk but was no beginner at mechanicing old timey stuff. Needless to say, now a days, he pays attention to when I'm bidding!!! By the way, didn't get the Jeep as I was too busy doing my version of belly laughing.

-- Patricia (Scakya@worldnet.att.net), October 27, 2001.

Once, when I went to my first animal auction,I was so excited after I successfully bid and got a pair of mallards that I started bidding on guinneas. I hadn't even seen a guinnea before this auction, much less was I able to tell a male from a female. I ended up with 9 male guinneas, who quickly left my farm to hang around the guinnea hens on the next farm. My neighbors sure had a good laugh on that one and still have no problems with ticks. I love animal auctions just the same. But I do buy the silliest things. Even a hedgehog once. Iris

-- Iris (Sar_India@msn.com), October 27, 2001.

My mother was at a charity auction, and hadn't seen all the items that were going up that night, but heard them announce that they were going to be bidding on the Goose Boots now and my mother asked other people what Goose Boots were -- she was told that they were a type sold by Gander Mountain (which would seem to make sense. At first.) and knowing that Gander Mountain items are always pricey, she decided since the opening bid was $2 and no one was bidding on them that she could find SOMEone in the family that they would fit, whatever size they were....

She got them for $10. When she went to collect her bargain, she discovered that Goose Boots were actually just that -- a novelty item made out of vinyl, sewn neatly in a goose-foot configuration, complete with laces.

To this day when a 'bargain' seems just too good to be true, all that one has to do is utter the phrase "Goose Boots" to make their point.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), October 28, 2001.

wow I thought I was the only one to make a foo pah at an auction. We had looked over several boxes containing misc. junk, My wife wanted one that had sewing machine odd & ends in it. I wrote down the number on the box and waited for it to come up to bid. Finally I saw it and started the bid at $2 after 5 minutes I had bought the box for $10. Feeling like I had done a good deed I went up to get it. WELL the box had the right number on it However so did the other 33 boxes. WE got a box of jersey gloves. Not what we had in mind. (blushes) WE did get the right box later for $20. On the good side were still good to go in jersey gloves. :o)

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), October 28, 2001.

At the same auction, a woman and her husband were staring at a place on the ground where a circle had been marked out, about 8 feet or so. In the center was a metal post, with pink plastic tape attached and held down at the edge of the cirle as in spokes. She asked if I knew who had been buried there, and assured me she thought that because it was the custom to do so in the past. I just had to go ask the grandson of the owners what the circle was for, telling him about her theory of it being a gravesite. He laughed, telling me it was the old septic tank, and he just wanted to be sure no one drove over it, or fell into it during the sale, but thought the gravesite idea was much more interesting! Glad I wasn't the one who told everyone that at the sale, as after the chicken brooder deal, I wouldn't be able to show my face at another for a while! Jan

-- Jan in Co (Janice12@aol.com), October 28, 2001.

My best country auction , was a fauxpas by someone else , we raise paints , so go to a lot of horse auctions , they were selling saddles at one , and a saddle went on sale for 500.00, the lady and hubby next to me , snapped it up , and the next 3 all for about the same price , then they brought out about 30 saddles , and started bidding , now i heard the lady tell her partner , oh honey we cant afford anymore , i waited and so did everyone else , and ended up the price dropped to 125.00 per saddle , we then snapped up the 3 saddles we wanted , and of course the rest went quickly too, the funniest part of this was at the cash out i was behind the lady in line , and heard her arguing with the clerk that all the other saddles went for 125.00 and she should get hers for that price too... to make story short , she didnt get the saddles , and ended up going to the seller afterward , and he did sell them to her for the 125.00 price

just i am sure that ever after she would rather wait and possibly lose out , rather than pay too much and look a fool : )

-- Beth Van Stiphout (willosnake@hotmail.com), October 29, 2001.