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HONORING A FOUNDER

F riday, April 11, 1986 at approximately 2:00 AM EST, Tim Anspach took his last breath, ending the life

of one of the most influential and colorful men in the auto auction industry. He died peacefully in his
sleep. He is survived by his wife Kathleen (Kit) and his son, Timothy Warren, and thousands of friends.

It was April 17, 1947 that Tim held the first dealer consignment auction at 1906 Central Avenue in Albany,
NY. For the next 37 years he was the most active man in the auto auction industry. He pioneered the first
industry organization, the National Auto Auction Protective Association which later become the National
Auto Auction Association. He never missed a meeting of either organization through 1983, his last
convention, which was held at the Drake Hotel in Chicago.
His association with this industry parallels the history of the industry. He served as President of the NAAA
from 1956 to 1958, the last person to serve in this office for two consecutive terms. A few years later he was
Automobiles and Tim Anspach honored by being named President Emeritus of the NAAA Hall of Fame and in 1973 he was named to the Hall
were born in the same year – of Fame of the National Auctioneers Association. To this date he is the only person to receive this honor from
1886. Tim was one of the great both auction trade associations.
pioneers of the auto auction in- In the late 1960s the National Auctioneers Association announced plans to build its own home office building
dustry and one of the leading in Lincoln. At the time, NAAA shared office space with the NAA. At the 1968 NAAA convention, a “Tim
forces behind the successful Anspach Fund” was created to aid with the new building since it was to be financed entirely by donations.
development of the National This became the largest contribution to the new building accounting for approximately one-third of the cost
Auto Auction Association. The of the venture.
following article was written by In 1971 this building was dedicated during the annual convention of the National Auctioneers Association.
Bernie Hart, who knew Tim for Governor (now U.S. Senator) J. James Exon, in his dedication address, honored Tim by making him Admiral
many years. in the mythical Nebraska Navy, the only NAA member so honored at this event.

Tim Anspach is regarded as the father of the NAAA. When he was first elected president, in 1956, there
were two distinct auto auction associations, the National Auto Auction Association, whose membership went as far west as the Missouri and
Mississippi Rivers, and the Western Auto Auction Association, comprising those auctions in the rest of the country. It was Tim’s goal to make NAAA
truly a National organization and he called a meeting of the two groups, held at Writer’s Manor, in Denver and this marked the “marriage” of the
two groups.
According to Tim, in the early days there were only three auto auctions in the East, his, Concord Auto Auction, owned by E. L. Cox, Sr. and Southern
Auto Sales, owned by Larry Tribble, Sr. An item of special interest to this writer was when Tim called me after returning from the funeral services of
Larry Tribble, Sr. He said, “It was a shame Larry had to die so young – I was 60 years old when I started in this business.”

Tim grew up in the horse and mule business. He and his father, Ebenezer “Eb” Anspach, bought horses in the West and Midwest and shipped them
east which led to his later making his home in Albany. In the early 1900’s the Anspachs owned and operated the Omaha Horse and Mule Auction,
one of the largest of its kind in the country. At one time he was in charge of horses with the Ringling Brothers-Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Tim’s earlier years involved a great deal of traveling throughout Western United States. He was familiar with every area that produced work horses
and at one time he owned a ranch in the Newcastle, Wyoming area. He also brought horses and mules for the U.S. Army during WWI.
For me to write a story about Tim Anspach, it would be incomplete not to mention a personal connection between Tim and Eb Anspach and my own
father. My father was always interested in horses, a great judge of horseflesh and a great handler of horses – and he loved horses.
In those days, the only method of travel was by rail. My father had the Livery Stable in Villisca, Iowa. Villisca was located on the main line of the
C. B. & Q. Railroad, between Chicago and Denver. Villisca is about 115 miles southeast of Omaha. Periodically, Tim and Eb would arrive in Villisca,
check in at the Hotel and get the local telephone operator to put out what was then called a “company call.” “Central” as the operator was called
would alert everyone on the party lines by making a series of long rings. Then she would announce that the Anspachs were in town to buy horses
and would be at Charlie Hart’s livery stable to buy horses the next two days. This would result in farmers in the area riding, driving and leading hors-
es to town and accept or reject the bids make by Tim and his father.
When the Anspachs opened the Omaha Horse and Mule Auction, they hired my father to lead horses in the sale ring. He would ride the passenger
train to Omaha, on a regular basis to perform this task.
And now you have the story of why I was hired for this position with the National Auto Auction Association. When my name was mentioned to
Tim Anspach, who was NAAA president, the rest was automatic.
We will miss Tim Anspach very much and those of us who knew him will never forget him. — Bernie Hart

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