Sam’s Auction Depot in Thorsby open Friday nights

Published 6:12 pm Tuesday, September 4, 2018

By J.R. Tidwell / Editor

Anyone looking for assorted items up for bids can visit Sam’s Auction Depot in Thorsby.

The depot is located at 18800 Highway 31 N. The auctions are held starting at 7 p.m. on Friday nights.

The depot has room to house a fair amount of both goods and people and even sports a small restaurant with a large selection on the menu in the back.

As far as what items are up for bid, anyone interested will just have to come to an auction and find out.

“I have been working here for over a year,” said ringman and apprentice auctioneer Mark Bagley. “We have general merchandise and furniture. We do a lot of charity auctions as well for things like Toys for Tots. You can find anything from A to Z. You might find anything from refrigerators to furniture and high dollar antiques to a can of pork and beans. There is no telling what you will find up here.”

Bagley spends the first half of the night as the ringman, meaning he calls out bids and watches to see who is bidding. He will also take over as the auctioneer for part of the night splitting time with owner Matt Powell.

Becoming a licensed auctioneer takes time and experience.

“I have to serve a one-year apprenticeship,” Bagley said. “Today (Aug. 24) is the end of my apprenticeship. Then I can take the test to be an auctioneer. You have to go to school 85 hours, and then you take a written test to be an apprentice. Then you have to auction for a year. If you don’t go to school you have to auction (as an apprentice) for two years. That’s what you have to do to be certified.”

Bagley runs Serenity Animal Farm in Clanton. This love of animals led him to want to take part in animal auctions. However, the places he could go to get experience in that were limited.

“The only animal auction around is in Hanceville, but that’s only the first Saturday of the month,” he said. “So I come down here to help since it is every Friday night.”

Anyone wanting more information can look up Sam’s Auction Depot on Facebook.

Those interested in selling items at the auction may call Powell at (334) 201-7773.