Several auctions take place during the Mennonite Relief Sale and are a major source of revenue for the sale.
The
Children's Auction
is back! Check it out starting at 10am Saturday in the newly-reopened
Pride of Kansas Building.
The Silent Auction (Sunflower Building South) is available for viewing Friday night, and bids will be accepted between 8am and Noon on Saturday.
The General Auction (Sunflower Building North) will feature a wide variety of merchandise, starting at 6pm on Friday, and resuming at 8:45am on Saturday.
The Quilt Auction (Meadowlark Building) will also start at 8:45am on Saturday and run concurrently with the General Auction. Both auctions will run throughout the morning and early afternoon on Saturday.
The Surplus Auction (Meadowlark Building) starts around 2:30pm on Saturday, immediately following the Quilt Auction, to sell any food items that did not sell out during the sale.
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General Auction |
A goold ole' fashioned auction featuring a little new, a little old, collectibles and a variety of handcrafted fair.
Each year hundreds of items are donated by Mennonite churches, area businesses and individuals. These donations are essential to making the General Auction possible.
Items to be auctioned at special times will be posted Friday, April 11 between 1:30-2:30 p.m.
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A new Mini FasTrak Mower donated by Excel Industries, Hesston (see story) |
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1953 Minneapolis Moline Model U |
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Marble Machine by Marvin Stucky, Moundridge |
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Mission Oak Library Table/Desk, measuring 34" by 60", handcrafted by Rod Abrahams, Creative Woods, Goessel. |
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Two hand-crafted wood wagons:
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Hand-tuned Corinthian Bells wind chimes, donated by QMT Associates, Manassar Park, VA. (see side story) |
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Three-dimensional Stained Glass Hanging, MCC Theme, donated by Albert Balzer, Inman |
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Craftsman tap & die set in wood box, Oren Ely Estate |
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Large Real Life Size 36" Walking Doll from the early 1960s actually walks along with you. Doll has pouting lips and beautiful sleepy eyes which open and close. The hair is reddish blond. She has all original face paint. She wears a red girl's dress trimmed with white lace. |
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Rough cedar bird feeder built from Tabor Church |
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An assortment of turned wooden bowls built by Art Schmidt, Tabor Church |
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A matching pair of Plant Stands built from QUARTER SAWN OAK by Alvin Schmidt, Tabor Church |
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A 5 foot-tall Chimney Cabinet with crackle finish with shelves by Keith Banman, Tabor Church |
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A rough pine Garden Bench with planter by Paul Graber |
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A color photograph 20" x 30" featuring brown matt with a custom built rough pine frame which measures 30" x 40". Picture of a deserted farm taken on the Kansas/Nebraska border of a windmill and an old horse drawn mower by Goessel, Kansas native Fred Unruh (Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada). |
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Vintage style bookcase cupboard with a beadboard back and adjustable shelves in an eggshell white finish measuring 13" deep x 35" wide x 60" tall by Archie Schmidt, Tabor Mennonite, Goessel |
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A solid oak table with drawer featuring roller slides, top measuring 20" x 42" inches by Dale Alderfer, Tabor Mennonite |
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A Victorian style solid oak plant stand or end table by Loren Brandt, Tabor Mennonite |
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A hand-crafted doll canopy bed with mattress, blanket, pillow and doll, the bed constructed by Loren Brandt with the canopy and bed dressings sewn by Leona Brandt, both of Tabor Mennonite |
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A 2008 Commemorative 6" Fused Glass Plate containing the Relief Sale logo, made by David Godshall of Hesston |
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Jewelry box built with old barn lumber by Lester Voth, Tabor Mennonite. |
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Bird houses with antique door knobs built by Keith Banman, Tabor Mennonite |
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1953 Cockshutt series 30 Tractor (photo added April 7) |
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Yard art: John Deere planter flower box fashioned in the form of a wheel barrel (photo added April 7) |
New items added April 8: |
"Cowboy Fire Pit", metal dish for building a fire or to cook on plus a ring around it to put your feet on to warm. (photo added April 7) |
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Designed for comfort with a contoured back and seat, these Adirondack chairs are a beautiful addition to any deck, porch, or patio. Chairs are made of Cypress and Cedar woods which are resistant to checking, warping, rot, and insects and should last for many years. They can be left unfinished to weather to a beautiful Mennonite Whisker Gray color, or be stained or painted by the buyer. Slats and boards have been routed and sanded to an "extra smooth" surface to prevent splintering. Every joint is glued and/or screwed for durability. Thick wood and notched front 4 x 4 legs allow chairs to hold a substantial amount of weight. (You can have an extra Verenika or New Years Cookie.) Wide arms on these chairs are ideal for holding a glass of tea, relaxing, and watching the sun set . . . Caution: Sitting in the sun for an extended amount of time may cause drowsiness . . . . . Take a seat, place a bid, feed the poor, and enjoy the sale! -- Bill & Howard Unruh |
A Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale sale bill is available in Mid-March at area business and at the MCC Central States office in North Newton. Sale bill items and additional pictures will also be posted here as they become available.
The General Auction is now accepting Visa and Discover cards.
Excel Industries, Inc., Hesston, is donating a new Mini FasTrak lawnmower to the Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale General Auction. This zero-radius-turning lawnmower features a 17hp Kohler engine with a 42" deck.
In addition to their generous donation, Excel is sponsoring a test track at the sale. Individuals are invited to come drive a Mini FasTrak. Each driver is asked to donate $1 per ride with Excel matching each rider's donation.
The track staff are members of Excel's sales staff. The staff welcomes all questions in relation to the mower being auctioned. Due to safety concerns, riders are asked to present a valid drivers license.
For more information on a Mini FasTrak go to www.hustlerturfequipment.com
On still evenings when the breeze is light and daylight lengthens into dusk, the peaceful sound of heavy aluminum pipes catching a single tone creates a cascading sound, sometimes haunting, sometimes soothing.
According to Mike Throne, founder of QMT Associates, Inc., Manassas Park, Virginia, America's leading manufacturer of quality wind chimes, a well-designed chime is not a d‚cor item; it's a work of art that borders on being a musical instrument. Each chime is hand made and each tube is tested individually to make sure it is in tune.
QMT Associates, Inc. has sold their chimes at the Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale from a booth in the auction building just inside the front doors every year since 2001, donating every dollar of every chime sold to MCC's disaster relief program. In 2006, nearly $5,500 was raised from the sale of the chimes.
"I went to my first relief sale when I was a dorm student at EMHS in 1975," explains Mike. "So I'm familiar with this way of raising dollars for disaster relief. Donating chimes has been a way for me to contribute to something I really believe in."
An exclusively wholesale company, QMT can sell chimes at a discount retail rate, allowing donations by both company and buyers to be increased. "For example, instead of donating $500 in cash to disaster relief," Mike explains, "QMT can increase their donation dollars by selling the product, thus generating dollars paid by buyers which also are donating to the sale. QMT benefits and so do the customers who purchase a quality product for a reasonable price."
According to current owner Jamie and Patty Matheny Baisden, Mike has always been committed to giving to charity. "It's just who he is," Patty comments. "When Mike first started donating wind chimes to the relief sale, he was working by himself. He spent many long hours setting up, and taking down." Patty, who worked in human resources for QMT prior to their purchase of the business, describes Mike's dedication to giving as "way beyond the norm."
Patty and Jamie say they are pleased to continue the tradition of donating 100% of QMT sales on relief sale day. "We are committed to bringing more than enough chimes each year," Patty says. "We want everyone who would like to buy a chime and donate to the sale to be able to do so!" The Baisdens bring volunteer employees to the sale to assist in the booth and to give them the opportunity to experience the relief sale auction."
The company has built its reputation on quality of design and sound. Each line of chime varies slightly in the type of wood used (redwood, red cedar, oak, cherry or walnut) and in the number and type of aluminum tubing.
QMT Associates, Inc. sells their products to gifts stores, lawn and garden centers and other retailers, both online and traditional, in every state of the USA and to several foreign countries. And once a year, they bring their chimes to the Virginia Relief Sale and sell them for no profit but for the benefit of folks around the world in need of compassion and service.
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Silent Auction |
Do you enjoy a good auction, but struggle to wait patiently for your item to come up for bid? Check out the third annual KMRS Silent Aucton.
Auction items are available for viewing Friday at 5 p.m. in the Sunflower South Building. Bidding on all items is open from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturday, April 12. Individuals can bid on any item as many times as they wish during the allotted time. There is a minimum bid plus bidding increments on each item.
Auction coordinator Matt Schmidt is planning to have 20 items up for auction. Items on the block thus far include:
Items not picked up by 2 p.m. are taken to the General Auction.
For more information contact Matt and Amy Schmidt at 316-283-2791 or mattamy2249@sbcglobal.net.
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The Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale is sponsoring it's second annual Children's Auction.
Children, accompanied by an adult, are invited to bid on items such as games, dolls and more. The auction's purpose is to teach children that no matter their size all can play a roll in helping the needy of our world.
The auction is scheduled at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 12, in the Pride of Kansas Building.
A child and their accompanying adult are asked to sign up for a biding number at the site of the auction starting at 9 a.m.
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Quilt Auction |
The Quilts Page has full details about the Quilt Auction, including the Quilt Gallery -- a list with photos of this year's quilts!
The quilt display opens on Friday and the auction begins Saturday at 8:45am, continuing to mid-afternoon. It all takes place in the Meadowlark Building at the South-West corner of the fairgrounds.
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Surplus Auction |
Marking the end of the sale on Saturday, the Surplus Auction starts around 2:30pm to sell items not sold during the sale; especially perishable items like food. As the final auction of the sale, expect some fun and good bargains here!
The Surplus Auction is held in the Meadowlark Building immediately following the close of the Quilt Auctions.
For more information on the time and location of each auction,
visit the Schedule and Directory page.
Donors should report donated auction items for pre-sale publicity to Becky Blough, N. Willow Lake Road, Moundridge, KS 67107, phone 620-345-3088, publicity@kansas.mccsale.org
For more information about the General Auction, contact Rod Chrystie, chair, at 620-665-7406, or Arlin Buller, vice-chair.
Send financial contributions to Tim Miller, treasurer, Kansas MCC Relief Sale, 4805 Broadacres Rd., Hutchinson, KS 67501.