(Press Release)
Galax VA. 01/14/2020— A Galax auctioneer has won the 2020 VA State Auctioneering Championship. Joining 9 other auction professionals from across the state, LaRaviere competed on Saturday, January 11, 2020, in Leesburg Virginia, at the annual Winter Convention hosted by the Virginia Auctioneers Association.
Competitors are judged on their presentation, chant, voice timbre, body language and other performance elements of effective auctioneering. The top 5 men and women are also judged on their answers to an interview question in the final round. The revered competition is held in a single day, in front of live attendees Each year.
“Winning this championship has been a lifelong dream,” LaRaviere said. “I never dreamed I would be able to win it on my first try.”
Stephen LaRaviere is third generation auctioneer and grew up in south Florida where he sold his first item at the age of 4. Since then he has sold everything from farm equipment to real estate at auction. He currently owns and operates Matthews Auctioneers in Galax Virginia and specializes in conducting fundraising auctions for various organizations as well as selling real estate and business liquidations.
LaRaviere will represent Virginia this July in San Diego California at the International Auctioneers Championship hosted by the National Auctioneers Association.