Scrappy and Rita go up for sale.
I attended Ahni and Zoe by Creative Memories’ liquidation auction yesterday. The auction was run by Grafe Auction and was professional in every respect. I had never attended an auction of this type so I learned quite a bit about auctions. By the way, Scrappy sold for $40, and Rita sold for $50.
50-100 people attended the auction, with many more bidding online. It’s difficult to keep track of numbers, because people were coming and going. I intended to buy laboratory equipment but left with a few other items as well.
There were bargains. I bought two heavy duty metal storage cabinets for $20/each.
There weren’t a lot of bargains. Many of the people at the auctions were professionals who knew exactly what items were worth. Aeron office chairs that I wanted sold for $250 each. I didn’t get my chairs.
The most unusual lot was a collection of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation dummies. The dummies sold for $5.00.
The Flowerdale Group, which had previously purchased the Creative Memories and the Ahni and Zoe brands, actively participated in the bidding. Apparently, they decided that it was more cost effective to purchase much of the equipment they needed at auction than to buy it prior to the auction. By the way, the Flowerdale Group did buy the Creative Memories album tester, which repetitively opens and closes an album, to help ensure that their albums would remain durable and long-lasting.
I did buy laboratory equipment, including a QEA Image Analyzer and a Sutherland Rub Tester. The prices were good but not extremely low. In these cases, I could outbid the professionals since I am planning to actually use the equipment, not resell it. I did not get Creative Memories XRF system. It sold for $3700, significantly more than the $1000 or so that I was prepared to pay. Even so, for $3700 somebody got a good deal for a system that originally sold for about $40,000. I heard one bidder comment that the price for a used XRF system is around $12,000.
The auction lasted until after 7:00, and when I left I was tired.
All About Images Blog 
Glad you were there & got some of what you wanted. Glad CH bought the album tester. At least that means they’re aware that testing needs to be done. Hopeful they’ll test everything before anything is released. Do you know anything about that?
Thank you for the update, Dr. Mark. My heart strings were pulled a bit when I saw the picture with Scrappy and Rita. I appreciate your blog and having not “lost” you during all the changes. I had 18 years with CM and often wonder how things could go so wrong. Glad you were able to get some things you needed; and I look forward to your continuing input through your blog.
Glad you were able to be there and get some of the things you wanted. WHAT were Scrappy and Rita?
Scrappy and Rita were the Creative Memories mascots.
In my 12 years with CM I am afraid I never heard of them.
Must have been prior to 2004. I’d never heard of them.
It had to be a tad bit emotionally draining to be there yesterday. You knew CM during the glory days. This must’ve felt like a funeral. I’m happy to hear you were able to win some of your selections.
Thank you for sharing this story. I don’t know what to say. It is still very sad to me.
Kaye, Do you remember that Scrappy was the cute little bear, and then they came out with Rita who was a female bear, and the name came from “Recruiting Is The Answer.” Apparently, we did not follow that directive well enough!
Mary, you must have listened and we didn’t! Ha!
At one time, there was a sales incentive and you got a little Scrappy bear. Later a recruiting incentive and you got Rita. I have Scrappy here somewhere.
Mary, must have been prior to 2004.