Paul Holder siezes opportunity
Paul Holder saw an opportunity 48 years ago and took it.
Today, he has a thriving Main Street business centered around auctions and private realty sales, with some auctions ranging into the millions. Although his auctions are known state-wide today, they began as somewhat of a fluke for the Army veteran.
“I came out of the Korean conflict and that’s when I started. I always enjoyed auctions and started from that,” he said. The opportunity came when the scheduled auctioneer didn’t show up for a sale.
“What happened was this fella didn’t show up at an auction sale and pie supper in Centertown. He didn’t show up and they asked me, ‘Would I do it?’ I did it and then when I got through with that sale, a lady come up to me and said, ‘I’ve got a herd of cattle I want you to auction off for me’ and I said, ‘All right.'”
After that, another man approached him about selling some personal property, Holder said.
“I started from that. I had a sale from both these same people that I had my first sale from, last year – one in November and December – where they had passed away and I was selling both of their farms,” he added. “That was odd.”
The biggest chunk of time is allotted to dealing with families, legal work related to land and visual inspections of property or showing or appraising property. Advertising methods are the biggest things that have changed over the years, Holder added, and he said even after all this time, he still worries about every sale until it’s completed.
Known at auctions for wearing a classic cowboy hat or giving away $20 or a country ham, Holder, who believes in honesty, hard work and loving his work as essential to the business, said the best part of being in the auction business is meeting people.
“Everybody is interesting. I enjoy meeting all of them and talking to them,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, adding that even though he’s been around awhile, he plans to continue working as long as he’s able.