SALT LAKE CITY - Brasher's Northwest Auto Auction rolled out the red carpet for its customers Jan. 27, when it celebrated its 19th Anniversary in Eugene, Oregon.

General Manager Lisa Larkin reports that the auction opened its doors at 7 am on the day of the celebration, welcoming dealers for breakfast before beginning an 800-plus vehicle sale at 8:30 am. Running on eight lanes of auction action were such consignors as Capital One Auto Finance, Wachovia Dealer Services, Wheels, Reliable Credit, Kendall Auto Group, Kiefer Mazda-Kia, and Hertz Car Sales.

"Our Anniversary sale was a great day at the auction," said the auction's general manager Lisa Larkin. "We planned this sale as our way to say 'thank you' to our amazing consignors and buyers who make our business successful, and we had a great time doing it. By the end of the day we had posted a nearly 70-percent sale, which showed that not only did our customers have a good time, but they had a tremendous day of buying and selling at Brasher's Northwest Auto Auction!"

Larkin explained that auction customers assembled in the auction arena at the conclusion of the sale to participate in a special "Brasher Buck Auction", where dealers bid against each other for a number of prizes. The dealers had earned the "Brasher Bucks" every time they bought a vehicle during the previous month, receiving green "Brasher Bucks" from the ringmen.

"Our customers thoroughly enjoyed the gift auction," said Larkin. "They had a great time bidding against each other, and launched a few pretty exciting bidding wars for some of the most popular items. They used the Brasher bucks to win prizes that included a big-screen TV, a recliner, and an Ipod touch. The bidding was really animated for the big prizes at the end; as a matter of fact, a giant tool box went for $90,000 Brasher Bucks, and an Acer Netbook Laptop topped out at $200,000 Brasher Bucks!"

Also given away at the anniversary sale was a Hot Tub. Customers qualified for the drawing every time they bought or sold a vehicle in January. As Larkin announced the winner, the thrilled owners of Low Price Auto in Brookings, Oregon stepped forward to claim the prize.