Name: Rusty Farrin
Age: 58
Title: President and lead auctioneer
Company: Farrin’s Country Auctions, Randolph
About: Auction house
What’s your biggest challenge right now?
What the price of furniture and antiques brings compared to 20 years ago is less than 50 percent. Young people are not interested in the furniture. We are the oldest per capital population in the state, and we don’t have the people interested in buying (furniture). In the last year or so we have been seeing an uptick. I hope it continues.
What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you?
Stay true to how you present yourself and keep positive. I took advanced courses in auctioneering at the National Auctioneers Association in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I learned you always have to take a nugget with you. That’s the nugget.
How do you foster creativity in yourself and/or you staff?
It’s in the day-to-day operation of the business. It’s a family business. My wife takes care of the technology, and does Auction Zip (an online auction platform). One son is the floor manager, one son drives the truck and a third son does the building maintenance. We talk about things and try to keep focused on the business.
What’s your biggest fear?
This is a self-made business, and sometimes it’s hard to change with technology. Some auctioneers have gone to all online auctions. I’m still old school and I like to get up on the podium. My biggest fear is that it will come to that (all online).
How do you navigate changing market conditions?
We have the oldest per capita population in Maine. You have grammy and gramps die and leave a six-bedroom house in Augusta. The kids or grandkids are from Alabama or California and they don’t want all that stuff.
Jewelry, silver, coins, guns and higher end antiques are fine, and paintings, too. We sold a painting last night for $3,000 and a gold charm bracelet for $1,500.
We have to educate people on what prices are. They might have a piece of furniture they think is $300 but it might sell for $150.
There’s plenty of (inventory). We have an attorney-based referral service (for estates) and we have people who are downsizing and moving into smaller spaces.
Prices are coming back a little bit and I hope it continues.
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