The secret to making money at auctions is to buy low and sell high, said Max Vigil Jr. who has been coming to auctions longer than he can remember.

"If you buy it for $3, you can sell it for $15, just like Wal-Mart," Vigil said at last Saturday's consignment auction organized by Bill Johnston Auctioneers in Moriarty.

Vigil sees many of the same faces at the auctions he attends. He met Clint Walker in 1989. Walker was one of last Saturday's auctioneers.

"It's like a big social gathering," Walker said about the auction. "I can break down anywhere and not worry. You meet lots of good people."

Walker attended the Gregg School of Auctioneering to learn the basics of chanting that he said has gotten into his blood.

"It's like starting a diesel truck. Once I get it rolling it doesn't stop," Walker said about his auctioneer's chant.

Owner Mike Archibeque hired Walker who was just out of school on a trial basis about 20 years ago.

Archibeque inherited the auction company from Johnston who began the business in the 1960s. He has owned the company for 35 years.

Walker and Archibeque say they have similar backgrounds. Both said they began working in the auction business as a yard manager in charge of unloading and checking in equipment. Walker said Archibeque and his wife treated him like a son when they first hired him. Archibeque said Johnston treated him the same way.

The auction company averages about three auctions each month with sales all over the state and in Texas.

About 300 people bought items at the Moriarty sale, and about 70 people had left items on consignment.

Last Saturday's auction brought in about $200,000 in sales and everything sold, Archibeque said.

"And that's one of our smaller sales. Our sales in Portales will run anywhere from $500,000 to $1 million," Archibeque said.

The best deal was a John Deere 310E backhoe which sold for $18,750, Archibeque said.

As a well-seasoned auction attendee, Vigil know a lot about how to find a deal at an auction. He said he has made more money buying and selling at auctions than "working for the man."

He motioned toward three tractors that were all about the same size and shape left on consignment. The rusted Massey Ferguson tractor he pointed at should be worth more than the newly-painted Ford sitting beside it, Vigil said.

"Sometimes the ones with lipstick turn out to be lemons," Vigil said.