Cleveland's premiere benefit auctioneer was the feature of a Cleveland Plain Dealer article. Mark Schroeder, Northeast Ohio's only certified benefit auctioneer specialist was interviewed by Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Sarah Crump in her "10 minutes with..." column. Here are some excerpts from the feature article.
Mark Schroeder usually wears a tux to work as a benefit auctioneer.
Former TV sports anchor Mark Schroeder had to be somewhat of a fast talker to cover Cleveland teams during rapid-paced glory years of World Series, championships and playoff teams of the 1990s. So it seems natural that after leaving WJW Channel 8 in 2000, the John Carroll University grad became a professional benefit auctioneer specialist. The owner of Auction brio uses tux, mike and "excitement" to sell items ranging from puppies to cruises for charity. He recently chatted with Plain Dealer reporter Sarah Crump.
Do you perform the usual auctioneer's fast chant?
As a certified Benefit Auctioneer Specialist, it is more important to be lucid in the chant than to speak the chant as fast as possible. It's not a race. The object is to speak clearly and make the most money for the organization or the company.
What does your company's name mean?
Brio means "energy" in Spanish and Italian. That is what I try to provide as a professional auctioneer.
Where did you learn auctioneering?
I attended Reppert School of Auctioneering in Auburn, Ind. It is the oldest and most prestigious auctioneering school in the country. We had 38 instructors at auction school and eight of them were attorneys. We worked on the chant but were educated in the laws and running an innovative auction business with integrity.
Why did you become an auctioneer?
I hosted an event that had hired a licensed professional auctioneer. We hit it off. Being an auctioneer is similar to conducting a live shot for TV. You are in front of a large live audience. You are the focus of attention, and you are selling that item for two to three minutes at a time. For me, it is a natural conversion from television.
Name an odd item you've auctioned.
I told a high school principal that I could sell a $12 blowup dinosaur that represented the theme of the gala. I produced a Power Point of photos to tell a story about the mascot. I sold the $12 dinosaur for $380.
Name a fantastic item you've auctioned.
Once I had a gentleman who told me to auction off an item he had written on a napkin. He turned out to be legitimate. I sold a weekend trip for eight on his private jet to any destination in the continental United States, plus he would pay for the hotel and dinner. The value was $30,000. I sold it for $38,000.
Tell a funny story about an auction you conducted.
I once had a woman in an audience of 1,500 women scream, "How much are you?" I said, "That depends what you're going to use me for."
Got another one?
At a large gala, I sold a dog to a woman while her husband was at the bar. When he came back to the table, she greeted him with "Look what we bought." He said, "Oh, no we didn't." To keep peace in the family, the organization agreed to put the dog back up for auction. Here's the kicker: I got more money for it the second time.
What's one of the strangest services you've ever auctioned?
I have an auction in Michigan in February where a politician will come to your house dressed in whatever costume you wish him in and cut your lawn.
Reach Mark Schroeder, owner of Auction brio, at 216-210-2020 or visit his Web site at http://www.auctionbrio.com/.
Please clink on the link to see the entire Cleveland Plain Dealer article. http://www.cleveland.com/pdq/index.ssf/2009/01/mark_schroeder_is_one_fasttalk.html
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