The search for a bargain and the hope for an unrecognized treasure draws hundreds of people to a tiny East Coast town each week.
美国马里兰州克伦普顿镇有一个经营了50年的克伦普顿拍卖场。每个星期都有不少人慕名前去寻宝。
Every Wednesday, they descend upon a cavernous warehouse in Crumpton, Maryland, wandering past rows of long tables where they're liable to find everything from fedora hats to fishing rods and china vases to corner cupboards. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Crumpton Auction.
每逢星期三，成百上千的人们聚集在马里兰州克伦普顿镇一座巨大的仓库里，徘徊于一行行的长桌前。这里是克伦普顿拍卖场，人们在这里能够找到各种东西，从软呢帽到钓鱼竿，从磁花瓶到放在墙角的橱柜。
“You always see something that you’ve never seen before - every week,” says Dylan Dixon, 24, who oversees the buying and selling, making sure everything runs smoothly at the Crumpton Auction. He’s the third generation of his family to work here. "I’ve sold paintings that were laying in a field next to pots and pans, that no one had any idea that it had any value, and sold for $10,000, $12,000 dollars.”
迪伦·迪克森是这家拍卖场的雇员，迪克森家族一直有人在这里工作，他是第三代了。他说：“每个星期，你都会在这里看到你从未见过的东西。”迪伦·迪克森今年24岁，负责监督货品的买进和售出，确保在克伦普顿的拍卖中，每件事都能进行顺利。他说：“我卖过一些混杂在锅盆之中的旧画。没有人知道那些画的价值，而我以每幅一万到一万二千美元的价格卖出去了。”
While numerous auctions are held up and down the East Coast, Crumpton holds a special place on the auction circuit. Geographically, it's the middle ground and furniture dealers, especially, appreciate its Mid-Atlantic location, which is convenient for buyers stretching from New England to the southern states.
美国东岸的拍卖市场时起时落，而克伦普顿在拍卖圈子里，占有一个特殊的地位。顾客们，特别是家俱商很喜欢它在大西洋海岸的地理位置。对来自东北部新英格兰地区和南部各州的买家来说，非常方便。
Most of the merchandise - up to 4,000 items on a busy day - comes from estates, houses being cleared when families move or someone dies.
当生意鼎盛时，每天进出的数量，高达三、四千件。这些货物来源多半是住家搬迁，或有人死亡后，清理出来的物品。
While in good condition, the pieces up for auction here are not high-end like the antiques and art sold in well known auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s, but that's part of the appeal to Dixon’s customers.
这些东西即使质量和状况都很好，也不能像著名的苏富比或佳士德拍卖行的古董和艺术品那样卖出高价，但拍卖场的很多顾客就是为了图便宜才来的。
“I bought a statue of Madonna for $325 dollars and a couple bits of jewelry,” says John Raccuglia, who frequently makes the hour-and-a-half trip from his home in Baltimore. “I’m here to sell as well as buy. I do estate work. It's various things from dishes to little pieces of furniture, you name it.”
约翰·拉库里亚是这里的常客。 他说：“我花325美元买了一座麦当娜的塑像和一付珠宝。”拉库里亚经常从他在巴尔的摩的住家，开车一个半小时来到这里。他说：“我来买也来卖。我从事房地产生意。常常来卖些盘碟和小型家俱。”
Antique dealers, collectors, designers, inn keepers and curiosity seekers come to check out the offerings.
前来看货的有古董商，收藏家，设计师，客栈主人和一些好奇的寻宝人。
Maryland antique dealer Brooke Logan browses a table crowded with lamps and vases. “I’m here looking for a good deal. I’ve already bought a painting that I’m pleased with. I buy a lot of art here actually. There’s a lot of good art that comes through here, so you just have to keep your eye out. I kind of have a lamp fetish. I’ve bought a lot of lamps and I buy a lot of ceramics.”
马里兰的一位古董商布鲁克·洛根在一张满是台灯和花瓶的桌上流览着。他说：“我来这里是要找些物美价廉的东西。我已经买了一幅很喜欢的画。实际上我在这里买过很多艺术品。这里出过很多好的艺术品。你只要睁着眼睛瞧。我对台灯情有独钟。我买了很多台灯，也买了很多陶瓷品。”
Depending on the size of the crowd and the number of items, up to three auctioneers work at the same time. On sunny days, the action moves outdoors onto two fields, two hectares each. Auctioneers ride up and down the rows of merchandise in golf carts - stopping and selling.
根据顾客的人数和货品的数量，每次大约有三名拍卖人员在场工作。天气晴朗时，拍卖就改在户外的两个场地进行，每个场地有两公顷大。负责拍卖的人员乘坐高尔夫球场用车，在场内开来开去地作生意。
Frequent customer Raccuglia knows the system well. "It’s not like you know you’re going to pay one price for anything. It’s whatever happens, happens. You always have to keep on your toes here because the auctioneer sells so quickly.”
拉库里亚对这个拍卖过程了如指掌。他说：“这并不像你所了解的，以一定的价钱买任何东西。任何状况都可能发生。所以你必须踮起脚跟随时留意。因为拍卖员卖得很快。”
Max Bovis, who works for a bike dealer, is on the look-out for old bicycles. “We come out here and pick up used bikes and work on them, fix them up, add some parts, take some parts away, and sell them. We’ve got a couple wood-rimmed bikes we bought, 1890’s wood-rimmed bikes.”
马克斯·博维斯在一家自行车代理店工作。他在寻找旧自行车。他说：“我们来这里寻找二手自行车，然后把它们修整好，增添并且除掉一些零件，再把它们出售。我们买进了两辆木料镶边的自行车。那是1890年制造的。”
Bovis also is fond of records. “I collect vinyl records and kind of archive them, as well as listen to them. I’ve found some really unique things out here, a lot of signed records show up in weird boxes.”
博维斯还喜欢唱片。他说：“我收集黑胶唱片，并且把它们编目，和聆听它们。我发现有些东西确实独特，很多艺术家签名的唱片收藏在怪异的盒子里。”
Another popular feature at the Crumpton Auction is the food. An Amish family from Lancaster, Pennsylvania drives two hours each week to sell home-made cakes, pies and doughnuts.
The rainy weather seems to have put a damper on today's auction, which is quieter than usual, with fewer buyers and sellers. With the economic downturn and the higher cost of gasoline, the auction’s owner - 75-year-old Norman Dixon - says making money in this business is getting harder.
遇上雨天的话，这天的拍卖会也随之减色。现场比平日冷清。买卖双方人气都不兴旺。如今碰上经济下滑，油价高涨，拍卖场的老板，75岁的诺曼·迪克森也为未来担心。靠这个行业赚钱，已经越来越困难了。
“The expenses are all going up but your margin of profit is not going up. It’s more expensive for dealers to drive trailers longer distances. When things were booming, they came from Georgia to Maine. We’re losing some of those.”
他说：“成本支出越来越高而利润却没有增加。如今经纪商开着拖车跑长程做生意，开销越来越多。生意兴旺时，他们南自乔治亚州，北自缅因州过来。现在他们有些人不再来了。”
But there are some frequent customers who continue to turn up. Melinda Lippincott, who lives nearby and has furnished her family’s new home with several pieces from Dixon’s, says there’s a certain charm at this auction.
不过，住在附近的玛林达·利平科特一直都从迪克森的拍卖场中购买新居的装饰品。她说，在这个拍卖场里，可以感受到一股魅力。
"It’s just kind of like you’re stepping back in time when you’re here. It’s a nice feeling.”
她说：“当你在这里时，那就像你从时光中回到以往。那种感觉真好。” |