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News Article  
Vintage Firebird headlines Hahn auction
By Karin Milliman

GOSHEN, Ind. — With the dawning of a beautiful crisp fall morning and not a cloud in the sky on the last day of September, potential buyers arrived on location outside of Goshen, to check out the items offered for sale from the Lechlitner estate. This was a gorgeous farm setting and that meant plenty of space for putting the items on display for this Hahn Auctioneers event.

The 1973 Pontiac Firebird Spirit automobile attracted a large share of lookers. This “chick magnet,” according to auctioneer Phil Hahn, was bright red in color with a black top. With power steering and brakes, air conditioning, and an automatic transmission, this car was a beauty. Showing 106,000 miles, it started right up. And since the car came from Texas, it showed no signs of rust. The price kept rising until it reached the final selling price of $7,800.

A pair of snowmobiles sold separately with the winning bidder having the option to take one or both. The 1987 Yamaha SRV 540 boasted red highlights and was showed 3,149 miles of running time. The 1986 Artic Cat Jag 440 showed 2600 miles running time. A high bid of $400 found the winning bidder taking both snowmobiles home.

A 1997 JB tilting two-place trailer that held the snowmobiles was also sold for the same $400 bid to the same bidder and the trio stayed together.

A couple of 5 by 8 foot trailers brought bidding competition from the men. A metal trailer with a mesh back loading gate sold for $750 and was the first choice. A wooden trailer that tilted also sold for the same $750 bid. Both trailers were in like new condition.

A 6 foot wood cupola with copper trim in great condition sold for $250 and headed to a new home in Illinois.

A standing desk from the Middlebury, Ind., postoffice didn’t look like much with its worn and stained surface, but the character-ridden piece attracted attention during the sale. It brought a high bid of $600 before being pronounced sold.

There were a few work tools looking for new homes. A Huskee 10 horsepower, 3-way snow blower system rose to $300 before it sold. A Craftsman 16 inch variable speed scroll brought a $15 bid. A Clarke Metalworker drill press sold for $75.

An array of other collectibles garnered attention at this sale, including an Oliver Super 77 toy tractor that saw a high bid of $45. It was in the original box and was in new condition.

A 1969 Camaro SS 396 car collectible by Ertl, red in color and in its original, unopened box sold for $30. A 1955 Chevrolet Indy Pace car sporting bright red and white paint, also an American muscle car collectible, sold for the same $30 bid.

A tiny goat milking stool brought a final bid of $60 while a small wooden egg case was quickly tucked away for a $35 bid. Two other large wire egg baskets sold for $33 each.

A cigar display case from an old five and dime store that showed signs of wear also crossed the block; the faded yellow paint still showed and was marked Garcia Grande Cigar. It was a coveted piece by the bidders as it rose all the way to $200 before being announced as sold.

A newer whirligig was also auctioned off. This piece was a canoe with Indians rowing in it across the river. Even though it didn’t have much age on it, the Indians and the rowing action made it popular with the bidders. It sold for $50.

Under the category of unusual items were three wooden hat molds. The ladies kept raising the bidding on these until they peaked at $45 for first choice. The winning bidder quickly snatched up all three for her bid, disappointing the back-up bidder who was hoping to snag one for a slightly lesser price.

Another piece from the period of the hat molds was a beautiful colorful glass beaded purse. Still in useable condition, the beadwork on this was very intricate with designs repeated with the carefully placed beads. This piece sold for $35.

Moving to some more useful pieces, a beautifully carved Victorian style walnut mantel clock brought a high bid of $75, while a postal telegraph clock seemed to ring out a different story. This unusual piece of history brought the high bid of $110.

Hahn Auctioneers are busy this time of year. With an auction scheduled every single weekend for the rest of the fall season and some squeezed in during the week, they have a full docket.

Roger Hahn started the company in 1964 and was soon joined by his son, Phil, and grandson, Jason, who were the main auctioneers for this sale.

Hahn Auctioneers conduct more than 130 auctions per year and operate out of Nappanee, Ind. They specialize in agriculture, estate, and industrial sales.

Contact: 574-773-8445.

10/6/2017