Bookers participate at national auctioneer's meet

Cotton Booker, 15, Colfax, carries on the family tradition of auctioneering as he competes in the International Junior Auctioneer's Championship in Columbus, Ohio. Booker took fourth place.

Numbers flew and sales were made at the annual National Auctioneer's Convention in Columbus, Ohio, July 11-15.

Chantel Kimball, 30, of Connell, Wash., a third-generation auctioneer, took home first runner-up in the International Auctioneer's Championship's Women's Division.

Kimball is a niece of Butch Booker of Colfax, an auctioneer and owner of Kincaid Real Estate.

She was one of seven finalists and completed a three-question interview and a final round of bid-calling.

Kimball took home second-runner up last year in Grand Rapids, Mich.

In the two adult divisions at nationals, 73 men and 20 women competed for the right to be known as one of the best auction professionals in the world.

Cotton Booker, 15, of Colfax, Butch's son, also a third-generation auctioneer, competed in the International Junior Auctioneer's Championship and took fourth.

A total of eight kids age 13-18 came to nationals to compete from across the country.

Butch Booker is a past International Auctioneer men's champion from 2008.

Also at Columbus, Daxton Rettig, 7, of Pasco, Wash., participated in the annual National Auctioneer's Foundation Kids auction as an auctioneer and bid assistant, selling toys to friends and family. Daxton's mother, Camille Booker, is another niece of Butch's and past International Auctioneer Champion from 2011.

Butch Booker performs an estimated 100 auctions per year around the Northwest. He and Cotton will both be part of the sales team at Palouse Empire Fair in September, working the microphone for the 4-H and FFA Market Stock Auction for cattle, hogs, sheep and goats.

What makes a good auctioneer?

“Someone who is knowledgable of the product they're selling and can communicate effectively,” Booker said. “And one who keeps the time of the sale at a pace that is reasonable.”