DALLAS — Bicycles and board games replaced antiques and designer purses on the bidding block and young faces, wide-eyed in anticipation, filled the colorful array of folding and camping chairs on bidders’ row as the Back Mountain Memorial Library held a children’s auction on July 11 as part of its 69th annual auction.
The four-day event, condensed into three days due to rain on opening night, offers attractions for people of all ages, including bid-time entertainment for children during the adult auctions each night. The children’s auction, however, is a way for young visitors to get involved in the main attraction.
The junior version of the auction is a tradition started several years ago by Dallas Boy Scout Troop 281. The Scouts assume the responsibilities of organizing and facilitating the event.
Troop members donated toys throughout the year, clean and arrange them for the auction and, on auction day, become young auctioneers to even younger bidders. Like the regular auction, all profits go to the library.
Carole Sweeney, publicity chair for the auction, said the children’s auction is a great way for youngsters to participate in both auctioneering and bidding. She pointed out the greater auction has become a celebrated family event for people in and out of the Back Mountain.
“More and more folks are using the auction as a reunion of sorts,” she said. “Families come in from out of state. We even advertise in an out-of-town, tri-state antiques magazine, so folks watch for it.”
Mike and Eileen Proper are from Long Island, but they have a summer house in Harveys Lake and the years of vacationing there have made them part of the Back Mountain community, offering fond memories of the auction.
“This is our vacation week every year,” Mike said. “We make sure we tie it all in with the auction, and we come year after year.”
The Propers planned to be at the auction throughout the weekend with several family members, but they attended the children’s auction with their 6-year-old granddaughter, Melanie.
With her very own homemade bidding marker, Melanie walked away with a bike that appealed to her because it was her favorite color of pink.
Some children in the audience had their bidding done for them by parents or grandparents, but others, like Melanie, presented their own bids, frequently glancing at their elders to make sure each raise was allowable.
Brady Youngblood, of Dallas Township, also got new wheels. He selected his Huffy Green Machine, a souped-up big wheel of sorts, to bid on “because it really can just move.”
The 6-year-old’s new speedster was obtained with a $90 bid, which his mother, Abbie, was glad to donate to the library.
In addition to conducting the children’s auction, Scouts also helped to set up, clean up, park cars and display auction items throughout the weekend.
“Our guys have been here since Monday afternoon helping, putting in a great effort,” said Assistant Scout Master Mark Chappelle, of Dallas. According to Chappelle, the event is a great character-building exercise for members of the troop.
Alex McCarthy, an Eagle Scout from Dallas, said his years of experience at the auction have taught him how to be a leader and appreciate doing work for his community.
“It’s nice to benefit a good cause,” said McCarthy. “I like to volunteer; I feel like I’m a better person because of this.”
The altruistic spirit of the Scouts and all the auction volunteers attracts newcomers every year, bolstering the community and continuing to raise funds for the library.
Stephanie Olmstead moved to Wilkes-Barre from Salt Lake City, Utah in August 2014. Attending the auction for the first time, she arrived early and found a dump truck and a race car parking garage for her 1-year-old daughter, Mara.
“Those are two things I know she’ll love,” said Olmstead. “She loves cars and trucks, which is crazy for a girl, but she does.”
A frequent visitor to yard sales and estate sales, Olmstead was steered toward the auction by friends who knew her affinity for antiques and she expressed appreciation for both the atmosphere and the cause.
“It’s good to support the community,” she said.
