Growing up Amish in Holmes County, Ohio, James Yoder loved a night at the auction.

 

“We didn’t go to concerts, watch TV or any of that stuff,” he said. “We would go and watch the auctioneer sell stuff. He was a rockstar to me.”

Fast forward a couple of decades and Yoder, now a resident of Good Hope, is not only an auctioneer – but an award-winning one.  Last week, he claimed second place in the Texas Lone Star Open Bid Calling Competition.

 

“It’s the first time I competed in this one. It’s the highest paying auctioneer contest in the country and certainly one of the toughest, just next to the International Auctioneer Championship – the Super Bowl for auctioneers – in Pittsburgh,” Yoder said. “That’s my next stop.”

 

Held at the Fort Worth Rodeo, the Lone Star Open featured two rounds of competition. In the preliminary round, Yoder auctioned off air pods and a Bluetooth speaker, delivering the elements the judges were looking for: stage presence, chant - clarity, rhythm, and volume - and, of course, salesmanship.

 

Yoder continued to the finals, auctioning off a diverse lot of items – a yellow rose necklace, a 2024 Texas Lonestar gavel, and some Wagyu beef – two ribeyes, two filets, and two packs of hamburger.

 

He returned to Bridgeport – where he is an auctioneer with Kaufman Realty and Auctions – with the title of reserve champion and a $5,000 prize. In June, he advances to Internationals, going head-to-head with the most skilled voices in the industry.

 

Yoder also holds the 2020 West Virginia championship and second place in Ohio’s state championship.

 

The seed to become an auctioneer was planted when he was a young boy, but he first worked in construction. It was while on a job that his career path shifted.

 

“This farm I was working at showed a six-horse hitch of Belgian horses. I wanted to figure out a way to make a living in the world of horses and agriculture,” he said. “I thought I could be an auctioneer that sells horses and that’s when I got my license.”

 

He obtained his auctioneer license in 2017 and two years later relocated to West Virginia. His focus had changed to real estate and estate auctions, which has proven to be a rewarding career.

 

“I realized I would be making a bigger difference in people’s lives when they are going through a change, such as a death or downsizing their farm into a smaller property,” he said. “Something is changing and we’re there to help them through that.”

 

Yoder also does horse sales, a nod to his humble beginnings. He remembers spending hours practicing his chant after that inspirational seed had been planted.

 

“I remember people telling me they hoped I never had to survive on being an auctioneer. I wasn’t really good,” he said. “The odds were not in my favor. I didn’t have anything good going for me to become one. I even hated being in front of people. But if you put your heart into something and stay passionate about it, it can be done.”

 

Yoder and his wife Sharon live in Good Hope with their two little girls, Ellie and Caroline.