Annual Amish auction offers quality, fun

For decades the Amish community has built a reputation for quality craftsmanship from carefully hand-making each item, whether it’s a quilt or a chair.

The annual West Kootenai Amish Auction in Rexford is a chance for people to acquire the results of that craftsmanship.

For the last 29 years, people have been marking their calendars for this auction, according to Roy Yoder, a local craftsman who contributes to the event.

“It’s always the second Saturday in June, and people really look forward to it,” he said. “We get 1,000 to 2,000 people each year, and you never know what kind of items will show up. We used to get people from all over the United States, but now most of our visitors are from Alberta or British Columbia.”

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 8, the auction will feature machinery, log homes, gazebos, a variety of furniture, handmade quilts, wall hangings, carvings and much more. The auction is open to the public; proceeds benefit the Amish community’s private Christian school.

There are no minimum bids and no reserves, so items always go to the highest bidder.

“We have between a 12- and 15-percent commission on our consigned goods, and that commission is what goes to supporting our school,” Yoder said. “The school is one room and has 13 people, and we hire our own teacher and buy the books with that money. The rest of the sale price generates income for the craftsman.”

Yoder will have several items in the auction, including a bunkhouse, tack shed and several pieces of blue pine furniture.

“My teenage kids work evenings building things for the auction, like picture frames and small furniture,” Yoder said. “It’s nice having a home business like that, and it generates some money for them, so it’s a good thing all around.”

The event is divided into three auction rings with local auctioneers. According to Yoder, there will be a big-top tent with “quality furniture, although not all of it is Amish.” The other indoor auction is for quilts and wall hangings, and Yoder said people can expect some good deals.

“My wife, Cora, takes the consignments for quilts and wall hangings, and we’ve got 110 entries right now,” Yoder said. “We expect to probably hit 150 entries by the time of the auction, and we’d have more but we only allow two consignments per person. Quilts used to commonly sell for $1,000 in the past, but that price has dropped a lot.”

Interested buyers can purchase an auction catalog for $1 to help plan bidding strategies.

The other auction ring is outside and features log and panel structures as well as cabin kits and gazebos.

“There will be three or four log structures, as well as a panel structure and several cabins,” Yoder said. “One of them might even be finished inside, and these are often popular as second homes or vacation homes and guest houses.”

If you work up an appetite while bidding, lunch is available and includes barbecued chicken, side dishes, soft drinks, ice cream, homemade pie and lots of other baked goods provided by the St. Ignatius Amish Youth Group.

“This place is abuzz with people trying to get their items ready for consignment,” Yoder said. “You never know what will show up, but it’s always good.”

In addition to the Amish-made goods, the event will feature a variety of other vendors and display booths including gently used items. In the morning, a wagonload of hanging baskets and plants will be auctioned off.

“We usually have between 30 and 40 vendors outside and four or five lines of items like lawn furniture, bird houses, benches and so on outside,” he said. “One of those rows is for the local fire department, and the proceeds from that go to support them.”

The event kicks off at 9 a.m. with the textile auction beginning at 10:30 a.m. and the log cabin and machinery auction beginning at noon. Buyers can pay in cash or check in U.S. funds.

The auction is located at Montana Woodworks Log Furniture at 250 Whitetail Drive behind the Kootenai Store and Craft west of Rexford.

From Eureka, take Montana 37 West 14 miles to Koocanusa Bridge before taking Yaak Valley-Libby Dam Road north. Signs will be posted from there, directing travelers.

Parking is free and there is limited camping space available. For more information, call 406-889-3588.

Reporter Melissa Walther may be reached at 758-4474 or by email at mwalther@dailyinterlake.com.