Five dollars a bargain for winters of fun on the ice

"How much for the skates?" the auctioneer asked. No answer. "How much for choice pair? Take as many as you want." Still no response. "One with the privilege, how much?" Silence.

Because these skates had belonged to our relative, I thought it well to start the bidding. "Five dollars." Nobody else raised that bid, so I chose six pairs of various sizes for our grandchildren. The auctioneer chanted on, and there were no takers at any price. Then he said, "Look, folks, I have to sell them. How much for the whole batch - all of the ice skates?" No bids. No one wanted skates on that hot summer day, at any price! I asked myself, "What in the world would anyone do with all of those skates?"

Pondering that, I recalled kids outgrow their skates every year, and in some winters, there’s not enough ice to warrant new skates. Like Uncle Manuel, I had occasionally bought good skates for a dollar or two per pair, just to have them to lend to guests, friends, 4-H members and others. When ice thickens, my phone used to ring. "Do you have any skates to fit so and so?" I’d say, "Come and try them on."

When our son, Walt, owned Walt’s Bike Shop, he’d buy, trade and sell ice skates, but natural ice wasn’t safe for skating many years, so it wasn’t a profitable venture.

The auctioneer’s voice droned on, "Bid something, anything." Suddenly, I heard my weak voice say, "Five dollars," and the man pleaded for $6. Then: "Sold, to Sue Gerard for $5."

Walt drove the pickup truck close to that fence full of skates and began to load my bargain. I counted as Walt tossed skates into the truck - 180 pairs!

That winter, I gave skates to adults and children at Olivet Church, neighbors, friends, Amish children and 19 pairs to a 4-H group for a garage sale. I reserved enough pairs to supply our family as feet grew through the years. But there were still about 40 pairs stored away. Eventually, all of those 180 pairs of skates found feet to fit and ice ready for fun.


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