CAPAC AUCTIONEER INDUCTED INTO THE MICHIGAN AUCTIONEERS HALL OF FAME

MOUNT PLEASANT, MI – One of the better-known and respected professional auctioneers of all time, the late Ray Tosch from Tosch Auction Services in Capac, Michigan, was enshrined in the Michigan Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame.   The prestigious honor is bestowed after a rigorous qualification process and ultimately voted by the Hall of Fame committee.   Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is the highest recognition any auctioneer can receive in the auction industry.

“Several qualified candidates were nominated, but one former member stood out from the pact – and that was Ray Tosch. Sadly, Mr. Tosch passed away in 2014, but the Hall of Fame committee felt strongly that this man deserved a place in the Michigan Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame. His reputation within the industry and community was impeccable, and his contributions to the Michigan Auctioneers Association will forever be appreciated. Importantly, several members of his family were present during the induction, and they were taken aback by the warm reception Mr. Tosch received after all these years.” Said Executive Director and fellow Hall of Famer, Tricia Wiltjer.

Ray Tosch was born in 1929. While working on his parents 2500′ acre farm, he became a real estate broker and sold farm and industrial equipment. In 1955, he graduated from Reisch Auction College in Mason City, Iowa, and worked with one of the most prominent auctioneers in the livestock auction industry, CB Smith, from Williamston, Michigan.   Meanwhile, he established Ray Tosch and Associates. His son, Ron, would join him in 1977, along with his son Bobby.

He was a longtime Capac, State Bank board member, and a lifetime member of the Michigan Auctioneers Association. He was universally known as “a man of his word” with time, money, and knowledge. He aided the Boy Scouts of America, Capac area churches, private schools, and more. He worked for nearly 60 years as a professional auctioneer and conducted approximately 4,000 auctions in his lifetime.

His most significant contribution to the Michigan Auctioneers Association came in the 1950s when the association was in dire financial straits, and the future of the association was bleak. Stan Perkins motioned that the association sells Life Memberships to provide instant relief. The motion passed, and three members, Stan Perkins, CB Smith, and Ray Tosch contributed.   Seventy years later, the Michigan Auctioneers Association is thriving, and it is one of the most successful associations in the country.

Thousands of auctioneers have become members of the Michigan Auctioneers Association, and only 43 members have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. The MAA is honored that Ray Tosch will forever be remembered and treasured with the highest possible recognition any auctioneer can achieve.

Established in 1951, the Michigan Auctioneers Association is dedicated to enhancing Michigan’s Auction Industry through education, promotion, advocacy, and networking. The MAA is the professional association for auctioneers in Michigan, continuing to be one of the leaders in the industry, and is proving to continue in that direction in the future.  The Michigan Auctioneers Association is the most significant representation of auctioneers in Michigan, providing a forum for networking, and sharing ideas and experiences.  For more information about the Michigan Auctioneers Association and the auction industry in Michigan, log onto www.FindMichiganAuctions.com.

###