Royce Sisk, owner and auctioneer of Stampede Auction, remembers going to the cattle markets as a child and seeing nothing but the man on the stand.”My dad used to take me to the cattle markets and I used to sit there, infatuated by the auctioneer,” Sisk said. “I decided one of these days, I’m going to become an auctioneer.”He served four years in the U.S. Army and used the GI Bill to go to auctioneer school. Thirty-three years later, Sisk is still in the auction business and in June, he opened Stampede Auction.Stampede Auction runs every Thursday night beginning at 6 p.m. off State Highway 24 near Richardson’s Western Supply. Sisk said he sells several hundred items each week. Customers are welcome to preview items during the day, he said.The merchandise comes from companies going out of business, individuals doing some house cleaning and from some who make a living consigning items for auction.”When people need to get it done and sold quick, auction is the way to go,” Sisk said. “Especially where the economy is bad, people need to get rid of stuff. People rely on auctions to bring in something and sell it so they can keep going.”Sisk said, more than a shopping experience, Stampede Auction is fast becoming a social event. “We get a lot of local people that come out for the entertainment of it. It’s something to do for people on a Thursday night,” he said. “They can come out and get a hot dog, a cup of coffee or a Coke and watch the auction.”There are many different types of auctions – from real estate to livestock to automobiles. Sisk said he’s done it all and can’t classify himself as one type of auctioneer. “I can sell anything and everything. I’ve got experience in all of the above. I’ve done so many things. I’ve sold livestock, real estate, cars, household, farm ranch. I’ve sold out businesses and estates.”Because Falcon is a rural area, Sisk said he moves a lot of horse, ranch and western items. He also sells furniture, antiques and general merchandise. “I put it this way: Anything that is good, sellable merchandise, I’ll sell it,” he said.Sisk prepares for the auction night by familiarizing himself with the items. If he doesn’t know the true value of an item, he said he researches it online.”We had a boat in here last night. I looked it up on eBay and it was going for between $500 and $700,” Sisk said. “So when it came up on the auction block, I told the people what it was worth. It ended up going for $550.”The preparation pays off. “It betters your business and that way your customers are happy,” he said.When an item comes across the auction block, Sisk said he explains the item, describes the condition and the original retail value. His goal is to get the bidding up to a fair market value. “You have to convince people that it’s worth the money. Tell them it’s a really good buy – you need to buy it. You have to point out the good things about it,” Sisk said. “Keep pushing that point to where people are convinced that it is a bargain so they’ll bid again.”Sisk said the fun thing is when two people get into a bidding war. “That way you don’t have to work on marketing the item. The two people are going to battle it out.”As an auctioneer, he’s always on the lookout for bidders new to auctions.”Usually people will just come and listen and look at you,” Sisk said. “You can always spot somebody when they’re new – they have this questionable look on their face. A good auctioneer can pick it up if someone is interested in bidding, but not sure where you’re at.”When he notices that a potential bidder is confused, he’ll stop and explain the next step in the bidding. “A good auctioneer will stop and say ‘I need $200 bucks for the saddle – I’m already (at) bid $150; I need $200.”With a little bit of time, Sisk said bidders get accustomed to the auctioneer’s chant and can follow more easily.In addition to auctioneering, Sisk announces rodeos. He said he fell into it several years back while at a rodeo as the Calcutta auctioneer.”The Calcutta is where you auction off the individual cowboys or cowgirls in an event. Say you buy this one cowboy and he’s a bull rider,” Sisk said. “If he wins his event, you get the money in the pool.”After the auction, Sisk said he was approached to stay and announce. “I told them I didn’t know the first thing about it.” He said they gave him the list of riders and the events and sent him to the announcing booth.He announces two or three rodeos a month during the summer – taking up any spare time not already spent running Stampede Auction.Sisk said he has enjoyed working in Falcon. “I like the people, the country atmosphere.” He likes it so much; he’s sold his home in Woodland Park – with a real estate agent, not at auction – to move back to the country.
