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The winter / spring benefit auction season is in full swing.  Between now and the end of May, thousands of charity gatherings will be conducted across the Northern Hemisphere.  The live and silent auction formats remain an integral part of that fund raising process.

Benefit auctions require a significant investment.  The greatest asset an organization possesses is the willingness of its members and patrons to expend their time, talents and money in support of a cause.  An inherent responsibility rests with the organization to insure that the resources expended by employees, volunteers and supporters result in a commensurate return.  A successful fund raising event energizes a community just as tepid results exert a dampening effect on the collective psyche.

One often overlooked aspect of charity auction events is the role that a professional auctioneer can play in the success of the affair.  Weathermen, radio personalities and politicians don’t hire auctioneers to do their jobs.  Consequently there is no reason to assume that they will fulfill the role of auctioneer as well as an experienced member of the profession.

Auctioneers bring expertise in two distinct areas that are essential for creating an entertaining and profitable fund raising auction.  Foremost, they are trained to direct the live auction process.  Time management, product presentation, clarity and enthusiasm in the bidding process and an emphasis on the importance of the cause all play a role in the return realized from a charity auction.

Professional auctioneers aren’t star struck.  They are used to being the center of attention.  They understand that it’s not about them.  The focus of a professional auctioneer is not on performing.  It is on employing every available skill to enhance the auction results.

The second area of expertise that an experienced auctioneer provides is professional insight. Having organized numerous events, the benefit auctioneer understands what works and what doesn’t work.  The most common mistake organizations make is not utilizing a professional auctioneer early in the planning stage, before missteps are made to the detriment of process.

Benefit auctions are challenging.  They require time, commitment and resources.  However, they aren’t a profound mystery.  It has all been done before.  Reinventing the obvious and promulgating the same mistakes only serve to reduce the bottom line of a charitable auction event.

If your organization is planning a charity auction, play the smart card.  Engage an experienced benefit auctioneer to help you develop and implement a plan that results in a successful event.  Of all the elements that comprise a fund raising auction: venue, food and drink, lighting, sound, entertainment etc., hiring a professional auctioneer is the one that doesn’t cost you money.  It makes you money.

Here’s wishing you the best of luck in your charitable endeavors.  Keep up the good work.

Bill Howze CAI AARE GPPA CES ATS
The Renaissance Auction Group
1404 Friedensburg Rd
Reading, Pa 19606
www.auctionhowze.com
610-370-2879

Nothing is more cyclical than real estate.  Growing up in Florida in the 1960s, the history books told of nine boom bust cycles that had occurred in the state since 1890.  Even so, you would have to be living deep in the Everglades to be unaware of the impact that the current downturn has had on the domestic economy.

So what can we expect this year?  Pre-owned single family home sales are displaying a pulse.  Interest rates remain low and sellers have run up the white flag, their expectations of value having finally surrendered to the dictates of the market.  Pent up demand and attractive pricing are exerting a positive impact on the sector that should continue to build at a steady pace.

Multi-family residential units are the current stars of the real estate world.  Prices are solid, financing is affordable and rent rates are up with more families having lost a home or postponed their ownership dreams as a result of the economic duress.  This single out performing sector will continue to lead the way out of the darkness and into the light of the next real estate boom

Commercial properties appear to have bottomed out.  Vacant square footage declined in 2011 and lease rates began to inch upward.  The big challenge facing the commercial sector is the tide of notes issued in 2007 that will come due this year.  Overall economic growth will factor into how well some of those mortgagers fare in meeting their obligations.  Whatever level of growth is achieved, there will be a new wave of defaults.  The only question is how bad it will be

Despite hopeful signs in the final months of 2011, new home construction will continue to lag behind the other sectors.  Too much inventory, too many like new units and a reduced buying pool will all conspire to keep builders on the sidelines for another year. New homes will always be built.  They are an enduring element of the American dream. Presently the hard sole of economic reality has its heel squarely on the neck of the developers and contractors.  This too shall pass; but the shake out in that sector of the industry has been dramatic

Raw land remains challenging except in the agricultural heart of the nation where farm commodity prices have driven the cost per acre upward in certain areas.  Eventually, well capitalized developers will begin quickening the pace of their purchases in preparation for the next housing boom.  For now, those that have the vision and the resources will continue to drive a hard bargain and bank undeveloped tracts for a future date in time.

So there’s your overview.  The market remains weak; but, like a fighter that survives a knockdown, it is slowly regaining a rhythm and pace that will propel us toward the inevitable revival.  It won’t be quick and it hasn’t been easy.  The cost in dollars and dreams has been steep. There is light at the end of the tunnel.  It’s just been so long and it’s still seems so far away.

Bill Howze CAI AARE GPPA CES ATS
The Renaissance Auction Group
1404 Friedensburg Rd
Reading, Pa 19606
www.auctionhowze.com
610-370-2879

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Although gold and silver have retreated from their 2011 highs, coins, decorative and fine art items containing these precious metals continue to perform well in auction venues.  This trend is expected to continue until sustainable positive movement in overall economic indicators is realized.  At that point, we can expect to see downward pressure on precious metal price points especially silver, the supply of which currently outstrips demand by over one million troy ounces.

What does this mean to the auction consignor?  Barring unexpected events that translate into substantial economic turmoil, the next six months probably represent your best opportunity to capitalize on the two year run up in gold and silver prices.  Domestic political conflicts, mega disasters or world economic and diplomatic challenges may serve to sustain precious metal spot levels for a while but ultimately the trend will be to the downside of current values.

Silver jewelry along with sterling silver tableware and hollow ware will probably be the first common auction categories to be impacted.  Silver bullion coins, items devoid of a numismatic premium, and their modern commemorative counterparts will follow suit as well although the metals frenzy of the past twenty-four months has served to reinvigorate a category of collecting that was already experiencing something of a renaissance before the precious metals uptick.

Overall, if you are looking to convert antique and collectible items that contain precious metals 2012 probably represents your best opportunity to cash in at the out sized levels we are currently experiencing.  A slow but steady economic recovery, the resolution of this year’s political contests and a stabilization of the European debt crisis resulting in a prolonged but viable extraction will all serve to exert a downward pressure on precious metals prices, a trend that will accelerate as other investment opportunities offer more attractive risk return ratios

Bill Howze CAI AARE GPPA CES ATS
The Renaissance Auction Group
1404 Friedensburg Rd
Reading, Pa 19606
www.auctionhowze.com
610-370-2879

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Friends,

The Twelve Days of Christmas have lapsed.  Old Christmas and The Epiphany have come and gone.  Carnival season is underway and in short order a new Spring will emerge from the chill of winter.  With that rebirth comes the opportunity to reassess our health, wealth and attitude.  Perhaps it's time to add asset conversion to your list of activities to contemplate this year.

My Father's favorite saying was "I've never seen a hearse with a U-Haul".  You can't take it with you and there comes a time when the responsibilities of possessing outweigh the pleasures of ownership.  There is no better way to convert more items to better advantage in a shorter period of time than a professionally produced auction.

We are accepting quality items and assignments for 2012 in all categories of assets.  The Renaissance Auction Group continues to enhance its marketing footprint through online bidding, an expanded web presence and impressive prices realized while maintaining the personal service and attention to detail that form the core of our business model

Whether you're simplifying, downsizing, settling an estate or repositioning your holdings, we can assist you in the conversion of tangible and intangible assets.  Our years of experience in the auction industry and dedication to customized service make us large enough to deliver results yet small enough to care for the needs of each and every client.

When you call or e-mail, I'll be the one answering your inquiry.  No secretary, no executive assistant, no director of this department or that; you can talk to the CEO and expect to receive my best professional opinion in a single outreach.  Whether you are dealing with an entire estate, a prized collection, a business liquidation, a realty transfer or the disposition of a single asset, The Renaissance Auction Group translates experience, knowledge and service into a difference that you can take to the bank.

Thanks for your time and consideration of my comments.  We appreciate your continued support and look forward to serving your auction marketing needs as they arise.  Until then, on behalf of our auction family, I wish you health, peace and prosperity in this new year.


Bill Howze CAI AARE GPPA CES ATS
The Renaissance Auction Group
1404 Friedensburg Rd
Reading, Pa 19606
www.auctionhowze.com

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