Joel Schmitz Auction Service

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The quality of this auction service is much less than other auctions or auction houses in the area. The quality here is lacking often in merchandise but certainly the two people running the place. If you want cheap buys, rude treatment, go here. If not, go elsewhere. If you have valuables, there are many other auction places and they will get you much more money for your items. As customers or people buying and paying cash, we were made to feel like we were a big bother and thus, we go elsewhere now, and regardless of the amount we spend, we leave the other places feeling as great about ourselves as when we arrived to auction. That is worth everything....being appreciated; something Schmitz auctions seriously lacks.

Promised a professional sale, assistance in sorting,setting up and providing display resources. Professional went straight out the window with Joel's profanity and temper tantrums.

Presented himself as knowlegeable, but did correctly describe pieces or present features of quality during the sale.



Offered come on a specific day to guide us in sorting and arranging . I took leave from work , others rearranged schedules, one brother traveled 100 miles to be there. Joel decided building fences was more important that day and did call. I called him personally asking he still planned to come. I was told he did not feel he had a commitment. I then asked if his cell phone was working as he had not called , ( We were talking on said cell phone at the time). He hung up on me. Later Donna called wanting out of the contract because THEY had been rudely treated. Just 2 wks to sale my brother had been in town 5 weeks handling trustee duties did not want to delay his return futher, asked him to honor his contract.

That he did. He announced at the start of the sale that it "was going to be fast." At the first hayrack he boasted his record for selling a loaded hayrack was 2 mins .

Asking for nonspecific bids he offered "Pick one" to the highest bidder. These were large boxes of household items, mixers, blenders vases etc.in grocery box size lots. People were reeling saying "I couldn't bid it was too fast" or "I don't understand how this works." If he didn't get a speedy bid he threw in another box to sweeten the deal. Most boxes or grouped boxes went for $1.00 to $4.00

Moving on to jewelry and vintage "collectables" they circulated as many as three boxes of items at once to let people know what was coming & what was being bid. People complained of purchasing the wrong item with so many things circulated at once.This time it was single items, at the end of the day an elder woman who thought she bid $26.00 on an entire box of salt and peppers was asked for $156.00 @ $26. each.

At one point the auctioneer Joel Schmitz himself offered up a particularly nice depression glass bowl for a dollar and quickly withdrew it from bidding to put it in "his" pile. At the same time a bidder who was desperately trying to raise his $1.00 bid to $2.00 and he said " NO! bidding is over!"

Donna persisted trying to honor the woman's bid, angry he said "OK SOLD $2. and take the rest of the table while you are at it! " Donna left angry.

Through the entire auction, his employees bid presumably for themselves WHILE working. We never did manage to discuss minimums on the few valuable pieces and were told we had to be there to bid ourselves to prevent things from going too far below fair value. One unusual piece professionally appraised around $400. slipped away at $50.00 due to the haphazard order he worked that area. I protested and was publicly chastized, he said had I been paying attention I would have known what was going on. His rush apparant with no regard for the merchandise or family.

When it was over, I asked to speak with Schmitz's privately away from a public forum. They protested but complied. I attempted expressed my dissatisfaction with their behaviors both at the auction and before not taking time to meet with us, hear our expectations or explain the methods of conducting the sale. He hurt his own profit rushing the sale. Flying into a rage he chest bumped me with arm raised in a threatening gesture. His wife and my brother had to restrain his 6'3 or so 290 lb. hulk because of his attack, me, a woman in her 50's 5'7" slight build. They left without the benefit of a performance review, did not provide us with itemized receipts or tally of money taken. We have no record of items he and his employees scored for their personal benefit. We were told it takes several days to "sort it all out"