Tonganoxie ? Lyle Sutton owns more than 200 fishing poles, and he’s still shopping.

“I do a lot of fishing,” said Sutton, a retired police officer and frequent face in the crowd of auctioneer Mark Elston’s sales.

There Sutton was in a Tonganoxie backyard one recent Saturday. His thick middle covered by a pair of overalls, eyes focused on the fishing wares lined up on a table.

“I suppose it gets in your blood,” Sutton said of auctions, “just like going to garage sales or going to the lake.”

The season’s warm weather attracts buyers in search of a good deal. Not a weekend goes by that the hurried broadcast of an auctioneer can’t be heard in one setting or another – at house, farm, charity or livestock auctions.

“Since the end of February, we have worked every weekend, and we’re booked solid clear to Aug. 5,” said auctioneer Chris Paxton of Paxton Auction Service, who attended Elston’s auction. “It makes for long weekends and no summers to do anything but work, but it’s a lot of fun.”

Auctions aren’t like going to Gap. Nor are they much like The Home Depot.

Auctions, like those organized by Elston, often are something of a family affair – a crowd filled with many familiar faces, an auctioneer who through time has gained both sellers’ and buyers’ trust.

Elston works full time for the city of Lawrence. His company, Elston Auction Co., is a part-time job, a hobby that sprang out of years going to auctions.

“I’ve always been going to auctions since I was knee-high,” he said.

In the early 1990s, Elston went to auction school and started his business in 1994. He’s organized more than 600 auctions over the years. He has a regular clientele of about 100 people who may not come to every auction but can be counted on to show up two to three times a month.

“I think the key is being honest,” he said. “Treat people the way you want to be treated, and it’ll kind of take care of itself.”

When Sutton and other buyers filled the yard at the recent auction, they followed Elston around as he sold the items – tools and farm equipment and furniture – one by one.

Elston stood on a rolling stage that glided him around behind the goods tables.

“Dollar bill-two, ta-two, ta-two,” Elston called, scanning for bidders. Beyond him stood a quiet crowd of mostly men in blue jeans or coveralls. Some smoked pipes.

They eyed the goods, tipping their heads or raising a hand to indicate a bid.

Elston said he has to watch his crowds and keep a lookout for someone trying to pull a fast one. They might put something in a box or turn the key on a tractor and run down the battery so it appears to be broken when it’s time to sell it.

“Every auction, they pull a stunt,” Elston said. “Today, they’ll do something to try to catch me off guard, and I’ll have to put them in line. I don’t like being cross at people. I try to get along. But occasionally I have to get a little cross with them to make sure that they’re not running the show.”

The crowd moved down the line of tables as the auction continued. Sutton snatched up some fishing parts for a few bucks. And one by the one the items – window shutters, Christmas tree stands, dishes – were hauled off to trucks and cars.

“We have a good time,” Paxton said. “To me, that’s what it’s all about: having a good time and making some money.”