Mayor speaks at One Million Cups

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Mayor speaks at One Million Cups

Thu, 12/03/2020 - 15:03
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Ponca City Mayor Homer Nicholson spoke at One Million Cups on Dec. 2. Mayor Nicholson spoke about his history in auctioning and his experiences with his business.

“[Auctions] are the best way to convert assets to cash,” said Mayor Nicholson.

Mayor Nicholson recounted how he attended auctions with his father and how every piece of furniture they had came from auctions.

In the 1990s, Nicholson was working at Conoco, having worked there for 38 years. Conoco had reorganized and employees had to rebid for their jobs. So Nicholson decided to go to auction school and real estate school to start his own business.

“I figured if I start an auction business, I don’t have to have a storefront, I don’t have inventory or employees, all I got to do is have a truck and a big mouth,” laughed Nicholson. “And that’s how I got started.”

Mayor Nicholson joined the Nation Auctioneers Association and the Oklaho ma State Auctioneers Association because they had great training progams.

“I was really lucky I grew up on a farm and was around equipment, tools and antiques,” said Nicholson. “That kind of unconsciously prepared me for the business.”

His business began in 1993 and has grown over the years to include part-time employees as well as Nicholson’s wife Barbara as the only full time employee.

In 2003, both Nicholson and his wife retired and used a re-education bonus provided by Conoco to attend auction school at the World Wide College of Auctioneering in Mason City, Iowa.

“I was already in the auction business, but I wanted to improve my chant,” said Nicholson.

Nicholson also revealed that Barbara is also the only female auctioneer in Kay County.

The business sells residential and commercial real estate, trucks, cars, boats, guns, heavy machinery and they have an auction gallery on South 1st where they do consignment auctions. They also do a lot of work for attorneys and banks.

Mayor Nicholson also shared stories about some of the most unusual items he’s sold including fruit jars full of dryer lint, which is used as a charcoal starter, and a coffin that the buyer then converted into an automobile, placing four wheels and a Chevy engine in it.

One Million Cups then presented Mayor Nicholson with a pair of orange cups for himself and his wife.