SIDNEY — Auctioneer Tom Roll addressed the Kiwanis Club of Sidney during the group’s Sept. 16 meeting.

Roll, originally from Darke County, has been an auctioneer since 1984. He said he started in this business because of his family. He began selling real estate in 2007. He has also been a teacher and coach.

Roll said he has seen many changes in the auction world. There used to be large auction bills posted in various locations around town. These bills shrank and were publicized in the local newspaper. Now, it is all about the Internet.

Roll sees himself as a traditionalist and a realist and loves live auction. However, they are not always practical, he said, especially with items of small value. Many items are now posted online and people bid on the items they wish to buy. People who place the highest bids are often responsible for picking up the items.

Crowd dynamics have changed through the years, Roll said. At live auctions, he rarely sees anyone over 50. For online auctions, the majority of bidders are less than 50 years old. Roll is often asked to auction collectibles. However, he said, “If an item is made to be a collectible, it isn’t.” He has also seen an increase in real estate’s being sold by auction rather than traditional methods.

Roll closed his remarks by demonstrating bidding chants.

Prior to the speakers’ remarks, President John Coffield called the meeting to order. DiAnne Karas gave the invocation and the group was led in song by Ralph Bornhorst and accompanied by Karas on the piano. Rick Lunsford led the Fun & Games activities, which consisted of three volunteers trying to stack plastic chairs. Anyone causing the stack to fall was eliminated from the competition.