Podium finish for 'Northy' in Australasian Auction Champs
Friday 23 September 2011, 9:11AM
By Harcourts
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Harcourts Auctioneer Andrew North battled his way to a podium spot last night finishing runner up in the 2011 Australasian Auctioneer Championship at the Sofitel in Melbourne.
Andrew was one of five finalists, commanding the judge’s attention, as his theme “magic” made his performance one of the standouts of the night.
A previous Harcourts auction champ and runner up in this year’s REINZ Auction Championship, senior division, Andrew had been training hard, but so to had new Australasian Auction Champs winner Mark Sumich, also from New Zealand.
“It really is the toughest competition an auctioneer can enter. In lockdown today I had all sorts of scenarios running through my head, especially how my number sequence would go.”
“I always go through the same routine in lockdown practicing getting my script and numbers right and thought I did a good job. My hat however goes off to Mark who nailed his call,” says Andrew.
“This environment is quite different from an auction in someone’s back yard or in an auction room,” says Andrew. “You always have a theme but the pressure of a competition is never there. In competition, there is always pressure to nail your number sequences and engage with the bidders, not getting caught up in the rest of the audience.”
With over 1000 people watching, Andrew kept his style, theme and of course his timing, perfect. Harcourts National Auction Manager Robert Tulp, and previous REINZ Auction Champs runner-up knows too well how important this competition is.
“Having never missed a final for every competition he’s entered and having been a REINZ Auction Champs finalist for the past four years, this was a great experience for Andrew and he will be able to come back next year with this under his belt.”
Harcourts was represented by four auctioneers, having the largest contingent in this year’s Champs, with two Queenslanders, one South Australian auctioneer and runner- up Andrew, entered into the 16 strong field. Andrew was the only Harcourts auctioneer to make it into the finals.
With Andrew’s brother-in-law also an auctioneer, there’ll still be a creative script or two spoken as they pass the salt and pepper around the dinner table celebrating Northy's achievement.