SILER CITY — Five years ago, Michael Rogers transitioned his local auction and real estate business nearly entirely online.
The move has proven a good one, Rogers said, with business steady since.
And it’s been especially helpful in keeping his Silk Hope-based Rogers Auctions going strong during the coronavirus pandemic, which, with resulting social distancing measures in place to help thwart the virus, has prompted many other businesses to turn more to the internet for traction.
But for Rogers, the last few weeks — which have seen changes in the ways many businesses conduct their work — have been business as usual.
Last Wednesday, the veteran auctioneer was working in downtown Chapel Hill preparing for a May 29 auction of transportation and shuttle buses to liquidate inventory for an Orange County business whose owner is retiring.
The vehicle auction is just one of several upcoming sales listed on Rogers Auctions’ website. The local auction company is also planning May sales of farm equipment, vending machines, coins, guns, antiques, tools and machinery.
“We’re as busy as we’ve ever been,” Rogers said. “We’re pretty steady.”
Business, likewise, is going well for Scott Harris and his team at Harris Realty & Auction in Siler City, though Harris has had to make some adjustments because of social distancing.
As a response, earlier this month Harris Auctions launched its first-ever online auction of antiques and collectibles.
“It’s the first one we’ve done,” Harris said. “It’s a whole different way of doing business, but it’s going well.”
Harris and his crew survey their auction inventory, photograph items, write descriptions, establish beginning and end times for bidding, and post the items online.
Successful bidders establish a time with the auction company to pick up purchased item with a paid receipt, limiting social contact. Harris said he can also make arrangements to mail some items, if that’s a successful bidder’s preference.
It’s a “big adjustment” for the Siler City business, Harris said, which routinely conducts large-scale estate sales in Chatham County that easily draw crowds of 200 or more people, sometimes “in pretty cramped spaces.”
Such events aren’t possible with current social distancing restrictions in place; and those traditional and popular forms of auction sales may be on hold for a while.
“Honestly, I don’t know when we’re going to be able to get back to normal on that,” Harris said.
In the meantime, the company’s first online auction is going well, with some interesting things up for bid.
“We’ve got a 5-cent slot machine made by Sega,” Harris said. “It actually still works.”
Also up for bid is a train ticket dating to May 5, 1938, good (at the time) for “one continuous passage” aboard the Atlantic and Yadkin Railroad Company’s line between Siler City and Ore Hill (near Bonlee).
“It’s very, very rare,” Harris said.
Bidding has been brisk, with the slot machine amassing 18 bids by Tuesday; the vintage train ticket 10.
Harris said his company is planning additional online auctions in the coming weeks.
“It’s different for us, but it’s helping us keep the business going,” Harris said. “We’re just changing with the times.”
Randall Rigsbee can be reached at rigsbee@chathamnr.com.