BIDDEFORD – Thousands of bargain hunters cleaned out the shelves at the Lowe’s store here, grabbing up more than 2,600 lots of items auctioned Saturday and Sunday.
What did they get? An assortment of appliances, paint, lumber, carpets and kitchen cabinets collected from several underperforming stores closed by the national home improvement chain in October.
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The company shut down 20 stores in 15 states, including the Lowe’s stores at The Shops at Biddeford Crossing mall and in Ellsworth.
The power tools drew the biggest crowds, with several hundred bidders standing elbow-to-elbow as auctioneers held up weed cutters, steam cleaners and table saws.
“There are not many bargains to be had,” said Jeff Herson of Biddeford.
Herson was there with his wife, Christine Herson, who had her eye on the vacuum cleaners and rugs.
Forty workers from the Concord Auction Center in Concord, N.H., kept the goods flowing while joke-cracking auctioneers rattled off prices before eager throngs of bidders.
“There is no maximum. They can bid as much as they want,” said Jim Saturley, owner of Concord Auction Center.
By 10 a.m. Sunday, the parking lot overflowed with cars and pickup trucks, many of them towing trailers and sporting New Hampshire and Massachusetts license plates.
Inside, it was a paradise for bargain hunters and anyone with a pressing need for boxes of caulking, gutter cleaners and air compressors.
Several auctions took place simultaneously in the sprawling 165,000-square-foot retail space.
The big bargains were to be found in the door department, where $500 front doors were being scooped up for a fraction of their original prices.
Michelle Tibbetts of Kennebunk, at the auction with many of her family members, said she bought two pantry doors.
“They are awesome. My husband is willing to build a pantry around them,” Tibbetts said.
Her daughter, Erica Tibbetts, bought five doors for her house.
“I got a $900 slider for $500,” she said.
Steven Bailey and Rebecca Lyon, sophomores at the University of New England in Biddeford and self-described home improvement store regulars, said they couldn’t resist the event.
“We were interested in seeing what it was all about,” said Bailey.
Dan Plourde of Dayton said he was shopping for items for his stained-glass business.
On Saturday he successfully bid on display cabinets, and on Sunday he returned for some small tools.
An hour into the auction, there were still aisles stacked high with light fixtures, mirrors and cleaning supplies, but Saturley said he wasn’t worried. He predicted that there wouldn’t be anything not bid on by the end of the day.
“Everything will sell,” he said.
Staff Writer Beth Quimby can be contacted at 791-6363 or at:
bquimby@pressherald.com
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