Car show season

You can’t beat a small town car show in the summer. This past weekend I headed up to Rosalia Washington to help of old friend Jay, with the judging of his annual show. Last year Covid, made the event a no go, but this year things were back to normal. With almost 120 cars lining up both side of main street the judging was tough, but i picked a 1937 Studebaker, Z3 Rat Rod and 19631/2 Ford Galaxie 500 with the rare 427 engine option.

A classic small town main street, with the a vintage standing clock.

One of of my picks was this custom 1937 Studebaker pickup. It was one of only a 1000 produced in ‘37. Super rare, with a striking art deco paint job.

One of the most original ideas I’ve seen of a rat rod. This one started life as a BMW Z3, with modified front end and Chrysler body grafted on to the rear. Weird, cool and original.

Drive In

We finished our final fundraiser of 2020 this past weekend with Soul River, and their Gala at the Drive Inn. Close to 100 people turn up at the World of Speed parking lot for the Drive inn Fundraiser.

Because of the new rules on social distancing, everyone stayed in their cars, and box dinners were delivered to the guests. So that everyone could enjoy the featured speakers, film and of course the auctioneer, a FM frequency was used so everyone could hear the gala through there car speakers.

We did a raffle and a Special Appeal, it worked out great! It pays to think outside the box.

Back to Sun Valley

I returned to Sun Valley, Idaho for Silver Auctions annual labor day auction again this year. With some of the restrictions easing up, it was the first large even held at the Sun Valley lodge this year. Social distancing and masks were required and because it was held in large open tent there was plenty of room for everyone to spread out. Around 90 cars were consigned with 75% of them going to new buyers. The top sale was a 2020 Corvette selling for $127,000.

The only color for a Corvette.

Rare Z! 900 sold for $10,500.

This 1987 Honda Prelude was an one owner car, it looked new and sold for $4100.00

Time to hit the starter button

The auction world is starting to slowly come back to life again! But it may not be like it was before the shut down. The wholesale car auctions are slowly clawing back to life again.

The independently owned auctions have begun running cars through the building but at half capacity and with dealers wearing masks and exercising social distancing. The larger corporate ones, are completely simulcast with no one in auction arena. Both seem to be working, so we’ll see what happens as we get into the summer.

All my fundraising events were cancelled in February, March, April and May. I’m not sure when these auctions will return to the time when patrons would sit shoulder to shoulder with 200-600 of their auction friends. I have an event in August which is held outdoors, it still a go so we’ll see how we do.

I’m back flying again, but I kinda miss my drives to Vegas.

Time to think

I’ve worked as a wholesale auctioneer for thirty years, which means driving and flying to my weekly auction gigs. I have relied on airplanes to get me to where I’m going. Up until three weeks ago it seemed to be the perfect business plan! Not anymore.

I was still taking my weekly flight to Las Vegas on Wednesday’s afternoons but then when lock down came to Sin City so did the my flights.

Now what do I do? Hey, I’ll drive to Vegas. It’s only a 1000 miles, and I could really use a paycheck. As an auctioneer I work as a contract employee, so if I’m not working I don’t get paid. And because of the uncertainty of being able to fly and no more work on my Wednesday’s or Thursday’s I decided to make the trip. Probably my last days of work in Vegas too.

I have always like to drive on long trips. Whether its in cars or motorcycles, I enjoy being alone on the open road. When I first started out as an auctioneer I would hop into my old Porsche 911 and drive hours to get some mic time.

I decided to take a longer route through the Ochoco National Forest, east toward John Day, south to Burns and crossing the border into Nevada.

I never even turned the radio for the drive. Instead, I spent a lot of time just thinking about the past, future and more importantly the present. Rehashing the pain of old memories, were softened by the beauty of the sunrise cresting over the mountains tops of central Oregon. As I crossed into the vast openness of the northern Nevada landscape my thoughts were replaced with the realization that all can do is accept that things are going to change, and I’ll make my way thru this situation some way or some how.

Social Distancing was in full force as I was traveling alone, paying at the pump and with no place to eat along the way.

Except for a couple stops at a Starbucks drive thru, I never saw or spoke to anyone on the way down. Which really is kinda sad. I always like strike up a conversations with the locals when I’m traveling

Hopefully, the new normal won’t be panic, fear and distance when we encounter our fellow humans when this all passes.

Everyone be safe out there.

Central Oregon sunrise.

Nevada

No waiting at the pumps.

Sunset in Northern Nevada

Fall Fundraising

Our first fundraising auction for the fall season started with the Borland Free Clinic and their Borlandia Gala. Held in a private airplane hanger surrounded by private jets and collector cars it created the perfect setting for the 250 guests, who had just seven unique auction packages to bid on.

One of my favorites was a vintage Harley Davidson which was sold twice, bringing the the total sales price close to $10k. Great food, live music and supportive patrons made it a great event. If you would like to learn more, or support the clinic visit www.borlandclinic.org.

Sun Valley

My Labor Day weekend was spent working in Sun Valley, Idaho. I headed up to Idaho to help my old friend Mitch Silver with his 32nd annual Labor Day auction. Situated on the grounds of the Sun Valley Lodge over 125 vehicles crossed the block over the two day sale.

It had been over a decade since I had last worked this auction, it was great to see some of my old friends from the car business, and laugh about the old days when we were much younger. The weather was perfect and the crowds filled the tent on Saturday to look at and bid on a wide range of collector cars. I’m looking forward to going back next year.

This beautiful Rolls Royce sold for $54,000.

The rare supercharged Studebaker sold for $34,000.

The super sized motor home sold for $125,000.

On the run.

The second week in May is always a busy for me. We start off on Tuesday with one of my long time clients, the Fly Fisher Club of Oregon, with their annual foundation auction. We will be raising money again this year for the continued protection of native fish and stream reclamation projects here in the state of Oregon.

On Saturday we will be working the Blosser Center, they help both children and adults who are dealing with Dyslexia. In between that I’ll be doing weekly car auction here in Portland and then heading down to Las Vegas to finish out my week.

More Miles

Work and travel never keep me from clocking more miles on my old GPZ. I jump on my bike as often as I can. A spare minute always means another mile.

I have already managed to get a couple of really good rides in this summer. Last month; I made the trip back to my hometown of Spokane to help out my old friend, Jay with his annual car show in neighboring Rosalia. He had invited me back again to be one of the judges for his annual car show. It’s a tough job when there are so many great cars! Besides the old cars, I got to visit and chat with some of my old college friends who also made the trip to Rosalia for the day. 

My old 1983 GPZ ran like a top for the 800-mile round-trip. Even more surprising was how well I held up on the ride! When I rode the exact route last year, the 90-degree heat took it out of me. The much cooler temperature this year made for a much more comfortable ride.

This weekend, I did a couple of my favorite rides. First one had my heading east out of Portland onto Highway 84 towards The Dalles. From there I rode south on the 197 to Tygh Valley, then east onto Highway 216, which took me along the Deschutes River and up Shears Bridge Canyon. It’s a great twisty ride but you have to be careful because not all of the corners have guardrails. If you go off the road, it’s a hell of a long ways down to the bottom of the canyon! I continued on by connecting through Grass Valley onto Highway 97, then hooking onto Highway 84 westbound back to Portland. It’s a great 300-mile ride that I would highly recommend.

The next day, I took a quick spin to Mount Hood with a quick visit to Timberline Lodge. The road around the backside of the mountain takes you through the wineries and fruit tree farms of Hood River. It really was a perfect weekend of riding.

Did I do the speed limit?

Sherars Bridge Canyon - a fun and fast series of twists and turns

In the background is Oregon’s tallest mountain, Mount Hood

Taking a selfie break along the Columbia Gorge Highway

Okanagan Valley

Work and travel have kept me busy for the past couple of months, but the past week really was the cherry-topper! So what have I been up to?

I just returned from a five-day trip from the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. We went up for a wedding that took place right on Lake Okanagan in Lake Country. The next day, I was there to celebrate Canada Day too. Canada Day is July 1, so it was a super long weekend celebration that moved right into the Fourth of July.

The Okanagan really is an amazing place. It is the heart of BC's wine and fruit industry. It is lake and cottage country. Most of BC’s wineries and orchards surround Lake Okanagan, a spectacular 82-mile long lake.

Canadians take great pride in protecting their environment. The small towns we drove through dotted along the lake were pristine. Free of trash and graffiti, with main streets featuring well-kept storefronts, cafés, and long-time businesses. It was really refreshing to see and I am already ready and looking forward to going back for another restful vacation!

All dressed up for Sarah and Jason’s wedding in Lake Country

Property at Lock + Worth Winery and Poplar Grove Cheese overlooking Lake Okanagan

Sunset at Nichol Vineyard on the Naramata Bench

Thirty Years

Thirty years ago, I started my career in the auction business. It was the evening of May 20, 1988 in my hometown of Spokane. It's easy for me to remember because it was my 27th birthday.

I was helping out my future employer, Mitch and his buddy Stuart at a fundraising event. Before that; I had never even attended an auction, let alone worked at an auction! My job that night was to simply help spot anyone's hand that shot up in the air, then let out a "Yep!" loud enough for the auctioneer to hear. It was a lot harder than it looked. Now turn the clock ahead thirty years and I have been the auctioneer of over 400 fundraising auctions. Who would have ever imagined what that one evening would lead to? This unexpected and rewarding career is what came of that night and I feel so lucky to be a part of it after all these years.

Back-to-Back-to-Back

All of my Saturday nights through the spring and fall are filled with fundraising auctions. This last week though, our team had back-to-back-to-back auctions Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings! I am glad to report that we managed to meet or exceed the goals at each and every event and surpassed the expectations of all those who were involved.

It really is satisfying for me when my clients feel that we knocked an event out of the ballpark. It is especially rewarding when they are loyal clients whom I have had the pleasure of working with the longest in my auctioneering career. In today’s fundraising world, if the same auctioneer is invited back for three or more years in a row; that is considered a long stretch. So, I consider myself supremely lucky to have working relationships of upwards of ten years with some of my schools and non-profits.

I still have a few full weeks ahead, so see you at the next auction!

Photography

I remember when I was a kid in school, all through elementary, middle, and high school; the common thread of what my teachers would say to me went along the lines of "Steve, you'd be an straight-A student if you would just pay attention”. I loved daydreaming, especially during class. Looking out the window at the clouds passing by was a lot more interesting to me than what I was supposed to be learning in class.

Daydreaming transitioned naturally to picture-taking. Throughout most of my adult life, I have been the picture-taker of the family. It must have been in my genes; because my dad and my grandparents too, were into photography. I am fortunate enough to have some of those pictures that were shot back in the early part of this past century.

Last summer, I was lucky enough to have had the chance to ride and drive through some lesser-travelled roads of Oregon. Through my lens, I thought I would share a few of those trips with you. 

2018 Is Here!

My new year doesn't start on January 1st. It starts after I take down my Christmas tree. So 2018 started for me on the 4th this year. We spent the holidays here in Portland then headed north to Vancouver, Canada for New Year’s Eve.

Getting to Seattle from Portland usually takes two and half hours; but the Friday after Christmas, it took us over four hours to crawl up the I-5. We pretty much hit every rush hour from Portland out. It didn’t help that it was pouring rain that afternoon and into the night.

Though at the end of the road, we were rewarded with a bit of a getaway to our favorite hotel, The Sorrento. It’s a small boutique hotel built in 1909; it has a great vibe that the newly built ones just can't replicate.

The morning after our stay, we started our trip onto Vancouver. With all the other holiday travelers on the road, we were slowed to a stop at the Canadian Border. It took us a nearly two hours to cross that day!

Once in Vancouver, it was great to see all my friends and to celebrate with them over food, drink, and laughs.

More Beer

Ali here... Instead of bikes and cars, real estate and fundraisers; we’re going to talk about beer this week!

Portland has this great food truck, coffee shop, and wine scene; plus more beer and breweries than the average guy can keep up with. I’m going to share with you here, a few of our favorites.

The Imperial Bottle Shop just opened its second location on Alberta Street this year. It has a selection of 300+ bottles of beer on the wall and cooler, and it offers fresh pours out of 28 taps! There’s even a couple of old-school arcade games for your playing pleasure.

Breakside Brewery has a lot of everything going on. From award-winning IPAs to a pet project of barrel-aged sours, it has got something for every palate. These guys are pretty good in the kitchen too. We’ve enjoyed a great meal or two at both the Dekum and Slabtown locations.

Pfriem has a classic line that perfectly suits the traditionalist. Included in its over two dozen classic offerings are a Pilsner, Pale Ales, a Mexican Lager, and a whole bunch of IPAs for good measure. Pfriem Family Brewers is in Hood River, about an hour drive out of Portland.

With over 100 breweries in the Portland Metro area, it would be easy to find a couple of favorites of your own. Cheers to beer and more beer!

Fall Ride

The weather was perfect here in Portland this weekend. The smoke and ash from the nearby Columbia Gorge fires had cleared; so I decided to head out on my bike for a couple of motorcycle events.

Saturday, I headed over to Cycle Heaps annual fall swap meet. I'd been looking for a couple parts for my Honda CBX. Though I didn't find what I was looking for, I did come across this old 1965 Yamaha 80 80 that I liked. I ended up leaving empty-handed

On Sunday, I joined my friend Glen for a ride over to the Lighthouse Inn. We ended up in Linnton to join the Sang Froid Riding Club for its annual fall ride. The Sang Froid Club is a two-stroke motorcycle club, but this year they allowed a few of us four-strokers to join in on the ride too. There was a good mix of bikes. All-in-all, about three dozen bikes showed up. The ride took us on the old Vernonia Highway and along the Nehalem River. I met some great people and had a blast on the ride.

YVR Food

One of the most beautiful cities in North America is Vancouver, Canada. I'm always surprised how many people have never visited this amazing city. It's just a couple hundred miles to the north of Seattle! Vancouver, much like Portland, is known for its food and coffee culture. I think Portland may have a bit of an edge when it comes to coffee. When it comes to food though; especially fresh seafood, Vancouver has us beat. I have to have my favorites when I'm in town. On that long list are ramen, sushi and ocean-to-table shellfish!