photos by David Halterman

The time-honored tradition of live auction can be traced back to Babylon, 500 B.C., when women were often sold on the condition of marriage. Well, thanks to eBay and womens lib, those days are now gone. But certain types of auctions continue to flourish, drawing crowds of treasure hunters and curious onlookers. Such was the case last weekend at the La Plata County Fairgrounds, where Calvin Story, of Treasure Auction Service, called the shots with his lightning-fast banter as hundereds of people bid on everything from guns to swords, statues to breadboxes, and oh my, even a Hummer.