The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Auctioneer Shane Ophus told me, "I wanted to do something that nobody else was doing. There were already lots of farmers and ranchers. I didn't have any place to go farming or ranching. I didn't want to go to college. So I had to pick another option.

His son, Blaine, said, "I grew up in it every Saturday, and even during school or after school, we go to help set up everything. I don't know; being an auctioneer is more of a passion than anything else." And just like that, we got into the real reason I wanted to interview them. I asked, "Why is it a passion?"

Shane said, "You find that you can h...