Social - June 2003

Craig pottery, estate up for auction

Going once, going twice

By DIANE TURBYFILL, LTN Staff Writer

VALE — Burlon “B.B.” Craig pottery sales are a part of Lincoln County’s heritage.

Craig’s family will host the final sale of the well-known potter’s pottery this weekend, almost exactly one year since B.B.’s death.

“This is the end of an era,” says Auctioneer Tony Gilbert. “This is the last of his private collection.”

Gilbert will lead the weekend auction that begins at 9 a.m. Saturday. Gilbert, his wife and employees have been collecting and tagging the more than one thousand items stored in sheds, buildings at B.B.’s Cat Square home.

B.B.’s son, Doug, and grandson, Dwayne, have been helping to prepare for the auction. The fields have been cut and cleared to make way for the expected crowds.

Doug says people have been calling from as close as down the road to as far away as Michigan and New York to get a feel for what will be auctioned off.

“I’ve had a lot of personal friends inquire,” he says. “Everybody’s wanting to get a sneak peek.”

Ads have been running in newspapers, and flyers have been distributed listing the many items up for bid. The list includes original B.B. pottery, pottery he collected, farm equipment, tracts of land, antique toys and a 1924 T-model car.

Doug remembers the antique car from his childhood.

“It ran good,” he says.

But Doug has also run across many surprises.

“I’m seeing things I’ve never seen before.”

Doug and his brothers and sisters have already divided up items left to them in their parents’ wills. They have their own pottery collections and then some.

“I don’t have room to walk in my house now,” Doug says.

Doug has been assisting Gilbert Auction Company to prepare for the big sale. He and the employees have been working 10 hour days all week.

“This has really been a pleasure to do and to see Mr. Craig’s pottery. It’s been an honor,” says Kay Gilbert with Gilbert Auction. “It’s history in the making.”

Tony says B.B.’s pottery has always been a success at auctions. Many estate auctions he hosted yielded B.B.’s pottery from people who had collected it over the years.

“He’d come to the auction, see how much people would pay, turn to his wife and say, ‘We’re going to have to go up on our pottery.’”

Tony says this weekend’s auction will be huge.

“We’ve come up on a lot more than we expected. You can only sell an item a minute, and we’ve got at least 1,000 items.”

Tony and Doug agree that if everything is not sold an additional auction may have to be scheduled.

Doug says he and his siblings hope the sale will not only be profitable but successful on an emotional level. He hopes the auction will provide closure for his family.

“We’ll be more prepared to go forward,” he says.

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The estate auction will be held Saturday at 9 a.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. at 123 Gantt Road, Vale. For more information, call 704-538-9103 or see the website, www.gilbertauction.com.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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