PEOPLE OF INTEREST
The AUCTIONEER
BY JERRY SHAW
After some 20 years in the
86
insurance business, Nancy
Kratzer was tiring of the
corporate world. As a
director of a major insurance company
she had become discouraged
with the takeovers and layoffs. “I
wanted to do something really
different and I did, and made it
very successful,” said the owner
of Vero Beach Auction.
Kratzer says the popularity of
TV shows that specialize in auctions
and collectibles has sparked a
boom in the industry. The auction
house was struggling when she
acquired it seven years ago, but
a revival of interest helped her to
success. “I’m blessed every year
with the friends, people in Vero
Beach,” she said. “The support we
got from everyone was amazing.”
Coincidentally, Kratzer bought
the auction house at auction. She
had been taking care of her terminally
ill mother, who loved
auctions and sales. “We liked to
drive around to estate sales and
found many antiques up in New
York and the New Jersey area,”
Kratzer recalled.
The Bloomfield, N.J., native,
who has lived all over Florida for
the past 30 years, returned here
and came upon a Saturday night
auction that was bidding on the
auction house. Kratzer, who had
owned a candy store business for
several years, had not been involved
in the auction industry, but
the idea appealed to her. She was
bidding against a handful of participants,
and then it came down
to just two bidders. “The hammer
fell and I became owner of the
auction,” she said.
She got her auctioneer’s license
and soon became fascinated with
the antiques, historical documents
and other items. Her son, David,
became a licensed auctioneer four
years ago and helps run the business.
Antiques and collectibles at
the auction house include such
items as fine art, jewelry, coins,
PHOTOS BY ED DRONDOSKI
>>
Nancy Kratzer
had a hunch
about a new
business and
ended up
buying it. The
price was
right. She’s
been conducting
auctions
for vendors
and collectors
ever since.