Mary Garrison points out a bidder for a necklace (seen on the television screen) during a general auction on Thursday evening at Garrison Auctions at Yard Birds in Chehalis.
Items that have already been successfully bid on are carried into back at Garrison Auctions during a general auction on Thursday evening at Yard Birds in Chehalis.
Mary Garrison, co-owner of Garrison Auctions with her husband, Mike, is seen in the reflection of a mirror alongside one of her many storage areas at Yard Birds on Thursday afternoon prior to the start of a general auction.
People walk through the doors of Garrison Auctions on Thursday afternoon prior to the start of the general auction at Yard Birds in Chehalis.
Mike Garrison, co-owner of Garrison Auctions with his wife, Mary, acts like he's drinking out of a stein as the item gets auctioned off on Thursday afternoon during a general auction at Yard Birds in Chehalis.
Mary Garrison, co-owner of Garrison Auctions, is seen in the reflection of a mirror inside a cabinet storing figurine heads on Thursday afternoon prior to a general auction at Yard Birds in Chehalis.
After meeting at an auction, Mike and Mary Garrison decided to combine their passion and love of the industry to create their own auctioneering business headquartered in Lewis County.
In the years since, their business has grown to an average of between eight and 10 auctions a month, focusing on a broad range of items.
Mary Garrison said the couple held their first auction together in 1993, but their experiences span far beyond that.
Mike was a diesel mechanic by trade, and later a diesel mechanic instructor at Walla Walla Community College and Centralia College. He went to auctioneering school in the late 1980s after working with an auctioneer in Walla Walla.
As for Mary, she said she has been an auction buyer since she was a child. Owning an antique business with her mother in the late 1970s and ’80s, they supplied their shop with auction purchases.
After the Garrisons saw a need for an auctioneering business in the area, they held their first auction at the Cougar Flat Grange in Vader.
They started doing auctions on site, and later expanded and bought a facility along U.S. Highway 12. After being housed in two facilities, they decided to move their business full time to the Yard Birds Mall.
“We had a spot at Yard Birds at the same time as on Highway 12, so it was a natural segue for us to close down the other facility,” Mary said. “We found that to be a very good move for us. It was closer and had a bigger population base.”
The business now has three full-time employees, one employee who expands from part-time to full-time depending on the need and another four to eight people who are utilized depending on the type of sale.
The items up for grabs vary greatly, and Mary said there is always something for everyone.
“I always tell people when they look at our auction for the evening, ‘if you don't like what you see here, check back here again because it’s always different,’” she said. “It’s just as different as human beings and what they’ve collected over a lifetime.”
The Garrisons provide free consultations, and have also expanded to include estate cleanup.
“We always consult for free because we want people to have all the options available to everyone’s circumstances, and everyone’s situation is different,” Mary said.
She also said an important aspect of the industry is helping people through tough situations, especially after a loved one has died.
“When dealing with the aftermath of a death, it’s very, very difficult for people to deal with the personal property. Most of the time it’s so overwhelming and the person is so laden with grief that it is very hard to figure out what to do,” she said. “By knowing they can come to someone to consult in our best way, that’s what auctioneering really is.”
It’s always interesting to see what items come through an auction as well, Mary said. The couple has become experts in a variety of fields after thoroughly researching and studying the items they receive. From guns to dairy products, and more, the variety is truly endless.
“All the things you learn, that’s what is the exciting part of our business,” she said. “It’s a very demanding business, so the appeal is what’s around the corner and what can we find next.”
Being in the business for as long as they have, Mary said the one thing she would like to see is more of the younger generation turn out for auctions.
“I want young people to understand that when they need something, the auction is the best place to buy and find it,” she said. “It’s something they can have fun doing and they can pick their price.”
