Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 0 80 My dad was having trouble finding auctioneers, so I asked him, "What do you think if I went to auction school?" He said, "Do it if you really want to, but I'm not paying for it." Dad's always known how to push my buttons. With that, the deal was over! I was determined to get this done, so at twenty-two years old, I set off for auction school in Billings. In November of 1996, I graduated in a raging blizzard, then drove home on pure ice because, of course, we had an auction the very next day. I was so nervous, but everyone was so excited for me, they made me feel like I belonged. My first item sold was a garden rake—in the dead of winter! Here's what a day in the life of a lady auctioneer looks like: 6 AM Rise and shine! It's going to be a great day! 6:15 AM At Mills Auction Service, our color is red, my dad Slug's fa- vorite color… and it also helps to distinguish us in a crowd. We check the weather before getting dressed: Do we need sunscreen, muck boots, gloves, slicker, coats, wool pants? Whatever the case, we can probably fit all of it in our Suburban, along with our five kids, from eighteen on down to five. We always have a load! 7 AM We eat a quick bite at home, because we only have to drive twenty miles today. Sometimes if we're on the road, we all meet up at a café. The auction site can be up to 150 miles away. Some auctions are so remote, in the middle of nowhere, I wonder if anyone will ever show up! But it never fails, we always have a good crowd of neigh- bors, and auction goers at the local community event. 8 AM I move some boxes, undoing tarps on the trailers from when I covered them the night before, getting everything presentable for its next big move. This is my time to see what all is there and get values in my head. Values depend a lot on your crowd, their desire, and whether there's two people or ten all wanting the same item. 9 AM Set up the cashier trailer, where everyone can sign up for win- ning auction numbers. Everyone needs a number; it is free until you bid and win! Then you will need to settle up with the cashier later. I ask questions, check the gas and oil, make sure all the lots are in the right spot, and answer all questions to the best of my ability, or send them to Dad if I can't. This is the time to visit with people, make them feel welcome. A D A Y I N T H E L I F E O F Chalree Kochbach, A U C T I O N E E R Y OU MIGHT THINK, A LADY AUCTIONEER? Really? Don't worry, sometimes I think the same thing! I work beside my dad, Jack "Slug" Mills, who went to Western School of Auctioneering forty years ago. I grew up going to auctions every weekend; my sister Darlynn Williams and I were the concession stand kids. Looking back, that was a pretty good job!

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