I first heard the announcement on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 — the National Auctioneers Association (NAA) has become the National Auction Association (NAA.) What started to be discussed in 2003 has become reality 20 years later.
The NAA had twice considered similar name changes in 2003-2004 and again in 2011-2012: https://mikebrandlyauctioneer.wordpress.com/2012/04/30/naa-didnt-change-its-name-again/.
Previous conversations about name changes centered around including auction support staff in the membership mix. This current change regards largely the same thought — that the auction industry is more than just focusing on the auctioneer.
Certainly today, online auctions don’t require any “auctioneer bid-calling” and as such, many of these companies and individuals don’t necessarily refer to themselves as auctioneers. With this change in name (and related classes and support) NAA will likely attract non-bid-calling-auctioneers into the fold.
In fact, many online-only auction service providers use the word “auction” but some use other related words without the word “auction” or “auctioneer.” For instance, http://www.youragentbid.com possibly suggests an auction format, but not expressly. We see lots of words like “buy,” “bid,” “deal,” and the like.
I think this name change as of July 19, 2023, represents a move in the right direction. NAA has a lot to offer auctioneers, clerks, cashiers, ring workers, photographers, catalogers, software vendors, tech support, announcers, salespeople, managers, even company owners, and anyone else working in any capacity in the auction business.
As such, our (NAA’s) mission should be to serve all those in the auction industry and give them a voice in issues that matter to them. Additionally, every member of the NAA will benefit from a more diverse membership. Most every auctioneer today knows his or her support staff is vital to the success of the business.
Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, CAI, CAS, AARE has been an auctioneer and certified appraiser for over 30 years. His company’s auctions are located at Mike Brandly, Auctioneer, Brandly Real Estate & Auction, and formerly at Goodwill Columbus Car Auction. He serves as Distinguished Faculty at Hondros College, Executive Director of The Ohio Auction School, and an Instructor at the National Auction Association’s Designation Academy and Western College of Auctioneering. He has served as faculty at the Certified Auctioneers Institute held at Indiana University and is approved by The Supreme Court of Ohio for attorney education.
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