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By Mike Barnhardt
Enterprise Record

Fred Ellis has easily sold tens of thousands of heads of livestock.
He’s also sold more vehicles than you could find on any car lot.
But none were his.
Fred Ellis is an auctioneer, and on Nov. 12, was recognized by the North Carolina Auctioneer Licensing Board as being a 50-year charter member.
Ellis got his start in the auction business early, well before there was a state board. His grandfather, it turns out, would take him to three or four livestock auctions every week.
“That’s what got me interested to be an auctioneer.”
In the late 50s, while still in high school, he sold items at a retail auction. When he graduated, he headed to Mason City, Iowa for auctioneering school.
What followed is a work ethic that few could follow.
On Mondays, he would work a livestock auction in South Hill, Va. On Tuesday, it was a livestock auction in South Carolina during the day, and an auto auction at night in Charlotte. On Wednesdays, he traveled to Turnersburg for a livestock auction; on to Hickory on Thursdays, and Fridays he was at Siler City. Those days started at 10 a.m. and could last until 8 that night.
His success led him to opening Ellis Auto Auction on US 601 South of Mocksville in 1985, a decision that paid off well for Ellis and his family. He always favored selling autos over livestock because, well, the pay was better and the work easier and less smelly. “It wasn’t a lot more, but it was better.”
Ellis still keeps his auctioneering license active, although at age 81, he doesn’t work calling numbers very often. “I can still get it along, but it ain’t like it used to be,” he said.
He was presented the plaque by Kyle Swicegood, who is serving his second three-year term on the auctioneer licensing board. He said he was excited when he first saw the list of auctioneers to be recognized. Right at the top was “Mr. Fred O. Ellis, Cooleemee, NC.”
“If you’re from Davie County, you know of Daniel Boone and Fred Ellis,” said Swicegood, who started his own auctioneering career when his real estate business suffered during the 2008 recession.
Ellis wouldn’t give a demonstration of his auctioneering ability, nor would he reveal his “filler” word, unique to every auctioneer. “I just don’t give my filler word out,” he said. “I’ve used different ones, depending on what I’m selling.”
A total of 19 auctioneers were recognized, and as Swicegood read the names off of a list, it turns out that Ellis had worked with quite a few, and was friends with even more.
“The auctioneering community is a tight-knit group. We’re competitors, but we call each other looking for advice. That’s one of the things I love about our trade,” Swicegood said.