How badly has the recession hurt mud sales, the main fundraisers for many rural volunteer fire companies here?

Turns out, not so much.

In fact, several of the late-winter and early-spring auctions report better-than-average sales despite fears profits would plunge and budgets would suffer.

"We had one of our better sales in our 35-year history," said Jim Kiscaden, president of Strasburg Fire Company  1.

About 2,100 bidders — 400 more than at last year's sale — spent a total of $345,000, he said. That's 21 percent more than the $285,000 in gross sales the auction averaged the last few years.

The fire company profited $34,350 from its Feb. 28 auction, up from about $25,000 last year, Kiscaden said.

Food sales netted $19,000, pushing total profits to nearly $54,000, he said. Volunteers sold 320 gallons of chicken corn soup, 20 more than last year.

Before the sale, Kiscaden predicted the sale would likely take a hit because people weren't spending money in the sour economy. He couldn't explain why that didn't happen.

"Maybe people had cabin fever and wanted to get out and do something," Kiscaden surmised. "Apparently, they had money to spend for eating and helping out fire companies."

Gordonville Fire Company's mud sale is reportedly the largest firefighters' sale/auction on the East Coast. It has grossed about $1 million a year in recent years, profiting between $50,000 and $80,000, according to the fire company's David Stoltzfus.

The March 14 sale netted nearly $80,000, he said.

"It was a good year — better than last year," Stoltzfus said. "We had a real nice day."

Stoltzfus said about 4,500 bidders registered, including more from outside the area than in the past.

Some items sold more cheaply than in the past, but others were up, he said. Antiques were strong. Farm machinery was off.

The next question is whether the fire company's fall building materials sale will  be profitable, Stoltzfus said.

Together, the two sales provide 90 percent of fire company revenues.

Penryn Fire Company and Limerock Parochial Schools held their fourth mud sale March 21 and it was their best, according to sale chairman Tom Walsh.

"Everything was up about 20 percent," he said. "I was surprised. I was a little apprehensive knowing the economy and the way things are."

Final profit figures are not yet in, he said, but gross sales rose from about $160,000 last year to between $180,000 and $190,000 this year.

The number of registered bidders rose from 1,000 to 1,400, Walsh said.

More bidders also signed up this year at the Gap Fire Company mud sale March 28, but sales dipped a bit.

Chairman Melvin Riehl said 2,200 people, about 200 more than last year, registered to bid in the all-day auction.

Typically, consignor sales amount to $370,000 to $400,000, and the fire company's profit is about 10 to 12 percent of that total, he said.

But this year, 30 fewer new and used horse carriages were offered for sale — 70 instead of the 100 last year, Riehl said. That pushed the otherwise strong sale figures down.

"We were down just a little bit from last year," he said, adding that final figures are not yet available.

Robert Fulton Fire Company also saw sales dip a little this year, sale committee member Elmer Weber said.

"Gross sales were not quite as high, but we were not far off last year," he said, adding that he didn't know exact figures yet for this year's sale April 4.

The fire company's mud sale grossed over $625,000 last year from consignments and another $25,000 to $30,000 in food sales, Weber said.

Altogether, the 2008 sale netted $55,000 for the southern Lancaster County fire company, he said.

Several hundred more buyers registered for this year's sale, but they didn't buy as much, Weber said.

Only five of 15 tractors offered at minimum sale amounts drew high enough bids to sell, he said. Other farm machinery was also off. But crafts, lawn and garden items, and even lumber sold for decent prices.

The last mud sale of the season  took place Saturday in Rawlinsville.

Some other fire companies have scheduled their annual sales for this summer, including in Bird-in-Hand on June 26, in Refton June 27 and in Kinzers Aug. 22.


Staff writer Ryan Robinson can be reached at rrobinson@LNPnews.com or 481-6032.