Back Mountain Memorial Library Auction publicity chair Carol Sweeney, right, and auction chair Stu Kirkwood show off a Deacon’s Bench (circa 1860s) painted in 1954 by Helen Gross and signed on the bottom.

Hitchcock Chair (set of 4), signed on the back. Abbey Bowl (on the chair) from late 1800s.

Red and white hand-pieced quilt, machine-quilted. From left, front, are child’s Mission Oak-style rocker; Revere Ware copper pitcher with brass handle, circa 1940s; English pitcher, hand-painted by Myrl Young from Dallas; Bohemian cut-back bowl; Sue Hand watercolor, “Kingston Corners.”

Pink and white quilt, “Grandmother’s Flower Garden.” From left, in front, are hand-made child’s wagon, canoe paddle, Royal Doulton “London Bobby” collectible, Spongeware pitcher, cut glass bowl.

Blue & white Coverlet. In front, from left: wicker doll carriage, cradle with bedding, wooden grain shovel, wicker carriage. Bill Tarutis | For Dallas Post

DALLAS — There will be items galore for people of all ages at the Back Mountain Memorial Library 69th Annual Auction.

The community event will be held from Thursday, July 9 until Sunday, July 12. The auction grounds will open at 5 p.m. with bidding beginning at 6 p.m. each day.

Stu Kirkwood, a first-year chairperson for this year’s auction, said the items up for bid will either be antiques or new goods.

“The antiques, we go out and buy a lot of them and basically auction them off,” said Kirkwood. “We have people who go out to other auctions throughout the year and buy stuff and then the new goods are a lot of donations. We get a lot of things from various companies such as Martz Coach Co. and Misericordia University.”

There will be close to 60 antique items up for bid and approximately 80 items in the new goods section.

An antique wicker doll carriage and canoe paddle will go up for bid on July 9 while a watercolor painting and framed quilt print are on the scheduled for July 10.

“What we’re doing it buying a lot of smaller antiques because most people are not looking to fill their house with old dining room sets,” said Kirkwood. “What you’re looking for is, maybe an accent piece. A nice little lamp on a table, that’s what people will want and that’s what we’re buying. These are what younger people are looking for and that’s kind of how we go through and figure out what we want.”

Kirkwood insists there will be something for everybody, no matter their age or gender.

“A lot of people will have these ‘who will buy them?’ type of thing,” said Kirkwood. “Will it be an older person, or an older person buying it for a younger person? Maybe I’m buying (a wicker doll carriage) for my daughter who has a young daughter of her own now, and they’ll put that into their bedroom as an accent piece.”

There will also be sections of the auction that pertain to gender as there will be a women’s auction and a men’s auction with new goods items.

Kirkwood said the items in the women’s auction will consist of jewelry, purses and cosmetics while the men’s auction will feature sports memorabilia as well as remote control plans, golf bags and scooters.

Kirkwood said the biggest item will be a 10-foot kayak and the biggest value item will be a weekend getaway for Pocono Downs at Mohegan Sun.

Kirkwood said the new good items are harder to come by.

“It’s the fact that you have to go out and solicit,” said Kirkwood. “Antiques we go out and buy and it’s your money so you make the decision right then and there. New goods we have to rely on businesses and how good of a year they’re having, what’s the economy like and again, most of them have been doing it for years but you physically have to go out and solicit that and not everybody likes to do that. It’s a bit more challenging and you have to be thankful for what you get.”

With his year as auction chairperson about to come to a conclusion in a few weeks, Kirkwood is most excited about bringing in a younger audience to help keep the auction’s tradition alive for more years to come.

“Hopefully, a younger crowd will come here and attend it,” Kirkwood of the auction. “With the number of new goods we’re going to have, we’ll have a new infusion of younger blood in here that will come through and carry on the tradition to their families. You have to keep building and handing off, and that’s what we’re hoping to do.”