Alumni and friends of Austinburg and Cork elementary schools can own a piece of their childhood, as the Geneva Area City Schools will auction off lockers, desks, chalkboards and playground equipment on June 9 and 10.
Most alumni of schools can’t fit into the little desks anymore, but auctioneer Barry Densmore, of Densmore Auctions in Madison, said the classroom furniture will make great memories for former students looking to recapture the joy of their school days.
“The schools are full of surplus equipment and furniture, and everything that isn’t being taken to the new school buildings has to go,” Densmore said. “The instructions from the school board were clear. We are to sell every item to benefit the school district. Even if some items have to be sold for scrap.”
Densmore said the auction list includes stainless steel kitchen equipment, school supplies, desks, lockers, clocks, filing cabinets, fire alarm bells, playground equipment, and much more.
“There are a lot of tools at these auctions, including drill presses, vices and machinists’ tables. There are also a lot of items people can pick up to sell for scrap,” he said. “Some pieces make great memorabilia for people who just want a memento of their school days.”
The auctions, which will begin with previews at 9 a.m. each day and the bidding at 10 a.m., care cash only sales, Densmore said.
“The auctions will go until the items are gone,” he said.
The auctions are wedged into a tight schedule for the buildings. The last day of school for students is June 5 and teachers will spend the day packing their classrooms on June 6. Workers will begin moving furniture and supplies from the old buildings to the new schools on June 7, though the new furniture and fittings will start arriving at the new schools on May 14. June 11 is the final day for people to be in the buildings, as a 10-day abatement period begins.
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