Farm Horizons, Feb. 2005

Auctioneering runs in the family

By Heidi Stutelberg
Correspondent

“Sold!” is a word that even Kathy Krone’s grandchildren know, since auctioneering appears to run in their family.

Krone is a long-time auctioneer for Hotovec Auction Center in Hutchinson.  

In fact, one of her nine grandchildren, Logan Krone, 3, recently participated in a recent Minnesota Auctioneers Association competition in St. Cloud.

Logan, the son of Jessie Krone of Lester Prairie, was the youngest contestant of the 3- to 17-year-old age group.  Although he did not go on to state competition, he received a certificate for participating. A competition was also conducted for adults. 

Logan sold a John Deere toy tractor for $50 in the contest. Its purchase price was $23, she said.

Logan is crazy about John Deere implements, and knows nearly all the components of many other kind of tractors.

“There probably isn’t a piece of equipment that he doesn’t know,” she said.

This is likely from hanging around his grandmother during auctions, since Logan is familiar with the set up, operation, and take down of auctions very well.

Kathy Krone started selling antiques, collectibles, and primitives several years ago.  “I enjoy everything from looking at items to meeting people – the whole concept of it,” she said.

Recalling the strangest item she ever auctioned off, Krone mentioned an ostrich egg, noting that the contents of one ostrich egg equal about as much as a dozen chicken eggs.

She likes to give credit for her success to a fellow long-time auctioneer, Vic Renneke, her mentor, who used to have a sales barn by Stewart years ago.  He has been licensed for 42 years as an auctioneer, and is often seen at the Hotovec Auction Center. 

Krone noted that each year auctioneers have to renew their licenses.

Krone is from rural Lester Prairie and has been at Hotovec for more than 20 years.

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