I survived another year...................

But--the last Friday and Saturday of every March they have a two day consignment auction that fills the entire town, literally. It's gotten so big that it's known locally as the "Bee State Fair".

On Fridays, the auction is livestock equipment, tractors, and farm machinery on a two acre lot on the south edge of town. It starts at 10 am and this last Friday was just finishing up at 7pm, with two rings running most of the time.

On Saturdays, there are two vacant blocks downtown filled with whatever anyone wants to bring. Everything from lawn mowers to tires, to applicances, to car and pickup parts, etc. Usually about 6 or 8 flatbeds loaded with miscellaneous. Even cages with live chickens, ducks, whatever. Several dozen boats and vehicles at 2pm. It's basically one humongous exchange of anything and everything. On Saturdays, they sometimes have four or five rings running.

A couple of years ago, they had to put out a ruling that if you bring something and it doesn't sell, you have to take it home. People would haul all of their junk up there and if it brougnt a few bucks, fine. If not, they'd just leave it lay. It's not all junk, though. There are some very good items that bring appropriate prices.

Anyway, this year I sold a Pontiac mini-van, and bought two Goodyear Wrangler tires with 70% tread for my pickup for $3.00 each, three new after-market pickup tailgates for $5.00 each, (two '88-'98 Chevy, one '81-'87 Chevy) and one new, dented, '76-'87 Chevy aftermarket pickup door for $2.00.

The tailgates weren't labled. One fellow griped that he didn't know what pickups they went to. I told him, "You just have to know your tailgates and recognize what you want".

On the other hand, I did bid respectably on seveal items that someone else wanted worse than I did.

Anyway, just "people watching" makes for two days entertainment. And-I survived another year.

Thanks for sharing that great story. Made me feel like I was there. I'm afraid there will be fewer and fewer places and events like that for out kids to experience. Really enjoyed reading it.

They get their fish from a wholesaler in New York, and the tavern owner told me once the wholesaler sent a salesman out to personally find out how a tavern in a dinky town in Nebraska could move that much fish.

To answer your question, jose, most of the residents are either retired or commute to nearby towns to work.