Hastings, Mich. — Sewing was the word of the day at a recent Kendal Tobias auction in Hastings. Advertising is key to a good sale and Tobias used The Auction Exchange & Collectors News to get the word out that he would be offering up nice sewing machines for sale on Labor Day weekend. And surprisingly enough, the lady that became the owner of all the machines, was not even present at the auction. She sent her husband, and with the aid of the modern technology of the cell phone, she was able to purchase the machines from another state.

A Janome Memory Craft 1100, a Janome Sew-Mini, an Evolve Serger, and a Viking Husky Lock 936 were all offered one at a time. If the unit price beat the individual prices, the machines were sold as one unit instead of individually.

So, the bidding began. A Janome Memory Craft 1100 with a digital screen was the top price seller at $850. An Evolve Baby-Lock Serger came in second with a bid of $450. The Viking Huskylock 936 sold for a bid of $200 and a Janome Sew-Mini machine brought a bid of $50. So, the bids were all totaled together and offered as one unit. It took a high bid of $1,600 for the phone bidder to become the top buyer.

A cutting table and a mat to protect the table and allow a seamstress to use a rotary cutter were soon carried to a car for the bid of $100.

A pair of John Deere mowers attracted attention. A John Deere EZ Trak with only 200 hours of run time had records with it of the oil being changed on a regular basis. It strummed up some competition between a lady and a gentleman on-sight and some friendly bickering ensued. The gentleman ended up triumphant when the lady backed out after his bid of $4,000 which became the selling price.

A John Deere 425 Garden Tractor kept the lady in the bidding again and she eagerly upped her bid price each time. She came out on top with this machine with the high bid of $3,850. A snowplow blade that fit this tractor was consigned by a neighbor for this auction. It was sold for the bid of $650. A small John Deere trailer with a flat tire sold for the bid price of $40.

Moving forward, a Master 7,000-watt generator which operated on propane sold for a bid of $95.

A Honda power washer was offered up next. This one boasted 2,400 psi with a 2.5 gallon minimum and a 5.5 hp engine. The final price on this machine was $180. A second pressure washer was brought forward with a 2.3 motor. This one sold for a bid of $55.

A front-tine tiller sold for $40 and a Homelight 20-inch push mower brought a bid of $30.

A golf cart with the charger and a new battery brought a high bid of $950.

Some furniture was also sold. A large china hutch with lights on the inside and glass doors on the top and extra storage on the bottom sold for the high bid of $125.

A mint condition glass dining room table and six chairs sold for $25. A recliner and back massage chair sold for $45.

A china hutch with an open top brought a bid of $40. A brand-new Crossley electric stove sold for $80 and a small Refrigerator sold for $170.

In rough condition, a vintage red table base with a green porcelain top brought a $50 bid.

In the patio furniture category, a set consisting of two wicker chairs, a loveseat and a coffee table with a glass top brought a bid of $200 for the unit.

A beautiful heavy-duty bar made for outside was sold complete with four tall stools with backs, the bar, and the umbrella for the impressive bid of $425.

Three cast iron chairs sold for $30 each. A gliding swing made of wicker brought a high bid of $100.

A large grill in like-new condition sold for a bid of $175.

Bally Deluxe one-armed bandit slot machine drew its fair share of attention and sold for $500.

Auctioneer Kendall Tobias did a fine job on this auction. The items were offered up quickly and there was no confusion as to what was being sold. Tobias operates out of Hastings, Mich., and can be reached at (269) 945-5016.