June 14, 2024
The City & County of Denver – Sheriff’s Impound Auction
It would be hard to talk about our history without highlighting the auctions we conducted most often. For over 33 years, we held a sale on behalf of the Sheriff’s Office at their impound yard on Brighton Blvd, near the Western Stock Show. Our charge was selling abandoned and confiscated vehicles. In the early years of the contract, we sometimes sold 20-30 cars at a time. Over the years that number expanded and we were selling an average of 200 vehicles every other Wednesday (if you’re counting, that’s well over 100,000 vehicles). At our highest volume, we were selling over 300 cars at a time.
The show went on regardless of the weather. You can ask our team about this, especially the outside crew catching bids and handling the crowds! Below zero or above 100, we sold. We sold beater cars that were good for scrap. We sold luxury cars that were seized from criminals. And we sold everything in between. We even sold a Zamboni at one of the auctions!
On a typical day, we’d have a crew of 10-12 people working, registering bidders, taking payments, and of course, selling the vehicles. Not only did we sell cars for the city, but we also sold towed cars for several towing companies. Sadly, these auctions became just another victim of Covid and the economy.
Throughout the years, we came to know our bidders really well and could almost anticipate who would bid on a particular vehicle, and how much they’d pay. Though it was hard work, we certainly enjoyed the job, the people, and the team we worked with.
April 11, 2024
From A-Z… Airplanes to Zambonis
We used to say, “We’ve sold everything”, only to be challenged to sell something we never had. Nonetheless, our track record boasts some remarkable and unconventional sales over the years.
To start with, yes, we have sold airplanes! In fact, we sold abandoned aircraft left on the tarmac of a regional airport. When the airplane owners failed to pay their bills and remove their planes, the airport called us.
And yes, we’ve sold not one, but two Zambonis for the city of Denver. And if you trust what you see on Reality TV, we even facilitated the sale of a storage unit to Ton Jones and Allen Haff on an episode of Auction Hunters (featuring owner/auctioneer Rich Schur). Here’s a promo for the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCSbQtYeRec. In the unit, Allen and Ton stumble upon a Zamboni!
With over 40 years of auction experience, we’ve had the opportunity to sell all kinds of fun and unique items. The Schur Success team conducts benefit and fundraising auctions for nonprofits, which allows us to sell unique trips and experiences. One such experience included a magical dinner at a local firehouse, prepared by the firefighters, and an opportunity to ride on the fire trucks. On one memorable Halloween, Rich sold an authentic 1800s gravestone bearing the name “Hitchcock”. It would have been the perfect decoration, but Shannon wouldn’t let Rich bid.
On another occasion, we were presented with a bag of watches by a client, which primarily held inexpensive Timex and comparable timepieces. To our surprise, nestled among them was a beat-up Rolex! We knew we had something special, so we had the Rolex examined and appraised. While the appraisal came out to around $12,500, we sold the watch for over $14,000. Happy auctioneer, happy buyer, and most importantly, a happy seller.
We recently handled an estate in which we found more than 400 military hats and helmets from across the globe. Some of these helmets date back to World War I, and even earlier periods. It was quite the undertaking. One helmet in particular was worn by John Glenn: war hero, astronaut, and US Senator.
We've seen a diverse collection of items come through, from handcrafted jewelry and diamonds to exotic collectible coins and military memorabilia. We’ve sold vintage Playboy magazines, firearms, a catering trailer for a Search and Rescue squad, fire trucks, garbage trucks, and countless other intriguing items.
One of the greatest pleasures of our profession is encountering new and diverse items each day.
What can we sell for you?
Call us now at (719) 667-1000 and learn how we can help you take the stress out of selling.
March 24, 2024
When we were the auctioneers for the City & County of Denver, we conducted the annual Bison Auction for the city's Parks Department. Denver has two bison herds: one in Genesee and one near Castle Rock in Daniels Park. Denver's bison are descendants of the last wild herd in the U.S., brought from Yellowstone National Park in 1914. The city has cared for them for over 100 years.
Because the ranch can only hold so many, surplus bison were sold at auction, when they were 7-9 months old, usually around 30 each year. People from all over, including Canada, would come to buy them, often because of the lineage rooting back to the Yellowstone herd. Most buyers were interested for their own breeding purposes for their herds.
In 2021, the city stopped the auctions and now donates the calves to local Native American tribes. This is a change in how they manage the herd and supports the Indigenous communities.
In this video, you'll see Dax Gillium, one of our auctioneers, who sadly passed away in 2015. He was a valued member of our team and community.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TX93wIDh4RI
March 8, 2024
As part of our 40th-anniversary celebration of Schur Success Group, we're recalling some significant events spanning our history. In July of 2008, we were the contract auctioneers for the City and County of Denver.
Memorable Red Rocks Auction
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, located in Morrison, Colorado, is a natural wonder steeped in rich history. Carved by geological forces millions of years ago, its towering sandstone formations provide a breathtaking backdrop for concerts and events. Since its inception in 1906, when John Brisben Walker held the first concert there, Red Rocks has been a cherished venue for musicians and audiences alike.
In 2008, the Amphitheater needed to replace the hundreds of 60-year-old wooden (cedar) benches throughout the facility. To expand the market of potential bidders, we offered the benches in small sets of 3-4, in an online auction (which were not quite as common as they are now). We were fortunate to get some great media coverage, and the auction was a smashing success. Though we couldn't accommodate requests for specific benches or seat locations, we generated hundreds of dollars per bench, and in some cases, thousands.
After the auction, we had lots of folks thanking us for helping them memorialize special events they attended at Red Rocks; thank yous such as "Our first date was at Red Rocks at a Grateful Dead concert. Thanks for letting us get a piece of our history".
We've had all kinds of wonderful auction experiences over the last 40 years. More to come soon.
February 8, 2024
Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar”
As part of our 40th Anniversary celebration of the Schur Success Group, we’re recalling some significant events from our past.
For more than 33 years, we held the contract as the Auctioneers for the City and County of Denver (CO). During this time, we handled the sales for the Sheriff’s impound (vehicle) auction, the police evidence and bicycle auctions, the annual Bison Auction for the Denver Parks Department, and sales for the Treasury Department when businesses were seized for not paying their taxes.
The Treasury Department only brought us in as a last resort when negotiations with business owners failed to result in a settlement agreement. When that happened, we were called in to sell the assets to offset the unpaid taxes.
On October 30, 2015, we did just that at Toby Keith’s “I Love This Bar” in Denver. Though his name was on the door, Toby Keith was not an active partner in running the bar. The owners managed to rack up over $70,000 in tax bills and had numerous other creditors at their heels.
We sold everything in the bar, including the mechanical bull, to a single bidder who offered a high bid of $125,000. The surplus over taxes owed was paid to other creditors.
Sadly, according to an article on Distractify.com (https://www.distractify.com/p/why-did-toby-keith-bar-and-grill-close), the company operating Toby Keith’s restaurants was run by a mob-connected gangster who used the restaurants to launder cash and commit wire fraud.
The Arizona Republic wrote a story about this auction on Oct. 5, 2015, and can be read here:
https://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/consumers/2015/10/05/denver-auction-toby-keith-restaurant-equipment/73409616/
We are saddened by his passing, and we send our condolences to Mr. Keith’s family.
January 19, 2024
Let's Start at the Beginning...
As part of our 40th Anniversary celebration, we’re sharing stories about our company and our team. But we wouldn’t have a company at all if not for our founder, Ray Fenter.
Ray wasn’t always an auctioneer. In fact, he started out as a US Marine and was active duty serving in Okinawa as a crew chief on helicopters and flying box cars.
After his time with the USMC, Ray found himself in the auto sales business, starting as a salesman and working his way up to owning dealerships in La Junta and Westminster, Colorado. As a wholesale car buyer building inventory for his dealerships, he attended auto auctions.
As the story goes, one day he was at an auction and noticed the ringmen (bid spotters) were missing folks trying to bid. Ray jumped in and started ringing to help the auctioneer.
Ray was truly a people person and was able to connect with the bidders as well as the staff. They offered him a job, and he was so intrigued by the auction business, he decided to pursue auctions as a career.
Ray attended North Western School of Auctioneering, and was on his way. He and a few partners purchased a wholesale auto auction company in Denver and ran that successfully for a few years.
After selling his share in the business, Ray started expanding auctions to assets other than used vehicles. He began conducting consignment auctions, and landed a contract with the City and County of Denver, selling surplus assets and the sheriff’s impounded cars. He also began working with the Colorado Departments of Transportation and Revenue. The City of Denver contract was a mainstay of the business for more than 33 years.
Through the years, some of his biggest projects included selling houses to clear the land to build Denver International Airport, and when DIA was completed, Ray sold off the assets of the now-closed Stapleton airport. He also sold the assets of the old Mile High Stadium and the McNichols Arena.
During this time, Ray started selling storage units and conducting auctions for non-profits.
Throughout the majority of his time at the helm of Ray Fenter & Associates, Ray was joined by his wife, Kelly, who helped run the office. They were the first company in Colorado to employ computer software to run auctions, which was then a state-of-the-art DOS program.
Ray’s daughter Shannon joined the company and when Ray and Kelly retired to Arizona in 2004, the company transferred to Shannon and her husband Rich, who renamed the company Schur Success Auction and Appraisal (more on them later).
Kelly passed away in 2008, and Ray stayed in Lake Havasu, AZ, where he was incredibly active in the Marine Corp League, and continued running auctions for non-profits.
Ray passed away in 2023, but his legacy lives on. In 2023, the company he left behind sold more than 25,000 items in over 130 auctions, sold millions of dollars worth of real estate, and conducted dozens of appraisal projects.
January 08, 2024
Welcome to our 40th Anniversary Celebration!
We are so excited to have reached such a major milestone, with 40 years in the business. We owe it all to you, of course, our buyers, sellers, and vendors, who have supported us along the way. And we couldn’t have done any of it without our incredible team.
Throughout 2024, we will be celebrating by sharing stories and some of our history and featuring our amazing team members.
We have seen a great deal of change over the years, and we expect to continue to change to meet the needs of the marketplace.
Our Founder, Ray C. Fenter (1936-2023), had a background in the car business when he chose auctions as a new path. As a result, he created Ray Fenter & Associates. The company worked with the City & County of Denver, the Colorado Department of Revenue, and the Colorado Department of Transportation. Over the next 40 years, we served clients throughout the state, and even clients in other states. We are proud to have served state and local governments, school districts, municipalities, and more. And we still do.
We expanded our services to commercial liquidations, estate sales, self-storage lien auctions, fundraising and benefit auctions, and even real estate. We were proud to sell off assets for the old Mile High Stadium, McNichols Arena, and even the old Stapleton Airport.
Ray started the retirement process in 2000, and his daughter, Shannon, took the helm. In the next few years, Shannon married Rich Schur, and together they renamed the company Schur Success Group.
The company relocated its offices to Monument, Colorado in 2006, where it has been since.
The Schur Success Group was one of the first auction companies in Colorado to embrace online auctions and has been a leader ever since.
Coming soon: Ray Fenter: Car Guy, Marine, and Auctioneer...
