25th Annual Appalachian Studies Conference

Silent Auction Information

The excitements of the Christmas season are over, and we must once again turn our attention to March 15-17, the 2002 Appalachian Studies Conference, and our annual Silent Auction. For those new to the scene, the latter is a way we raise money to assist individuals or groups with the expenses of the conference, persons who without such financial help would be unable to participate in the ASA program. Money raised at one year's auction is budgeted to the above needs of the next year's gathering. Helen Lewis, ASA's 2002 President, and Pat Beaver, ASA's 2002 Program Chair, will have approximately $4,000 for this year's "scholarship budget," money raised last year. Help us to generate a generous fund to meet the demands of the 2003 conference.

In my fall newsletter I once again called for donations of auction items and services, mentioning some categories into which bid objects have fallen in the past: art and craft creations; fictional and scholarly publications; depression glass, mining artifacts, and mountain collectibles of all varieties; quilts, woven goods, macramed wall hangings, and crocheted items; photography, sketches, and paintings; rock and gem collections; Appalachian memorabilia; old movie or concert posters; music, music, and more music; Hatfield and McCoy romance novels and similar oddity items; carved walking canes, divining rods, and mountain toys; blown glass, ceramics, and pottery; collectable bumper plates from Appalachia; video documentaries; lectures or performances to be presented at the bidder's institution, and free registration fees for forthcoming conferences. Use your imagination. I never know what will become the favorite bid item for an auction. This will be our fifth such annual event, and every year some contribution has really surprised me in terms of its popularity.

A special category of items is being sought this year to celebrate the
twenty-fifth anniversary of our organization (our silver anniversary). Do you have any old silver objects around the house with which you can part: a knife, fork, or spoon that doesn't match other silverware; a piece of jewelry you never wear; a tray you haven't polished for twenty years, a chain someone else can love but you can't, a ring some relative brought back from Mexico, but to your surprise it never turned green? Contribute the item to us, and we'll see if we can find a bidder.

Bid item contributions can be sent to us ahead of time and we will see that they get to the conference, or they can be brought directly to Unicoi and delivered to the auction room early Friday morning, March 15. However, it works best for the committee if we can have the items before we set up on Thursday evening, March 14. There is considerable labor involved in preparing the items for display and in getting our paper work organized for the financial records of the auction. Contributions dropped off at the last minute complicate these processes, in addition to reducing our sense of security as we move into the last couple of weeks before the auction. Even letting us know by phone or e-mail that an item is forthcoming, with information relative to any display difficulties, helps with this latter concern.

To whom can you send you contributions? I still received a significant number of the items, so feel free to continue that routine:

Howard Dorgan, 747 Stadium Drive, Boone, North Carolina, 28607. I can also be reached by telephone (828-264-4361) or by e-mail (dorganch@appstate.edu). I am now retired from ASU, but I am keeping my e-mail address there for the time being.

Here are the names and telephone numbers or e-mail addresses for several members of our auction committee who have agreed to be contact persons for auction item collecting: