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Quilts are a bright whirl of color and patterns at auction. - Mary Bergin

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"Let's go 50, a dollar-fifty. Now two. And 50. Now three. And 50, just 50 ndsh do we have three-fifty? Fifty?

"Sold, for three dollars. All right, times 45 ..."

Yikes. Had I just bought 45 double-impatiens for $135? Or did he say "four or five"?

Neither. Auctioneer Philip Wolf was just rushing into his next sing-song of bids, for flats of smaller flowers. My purchase was "times 12" -- which means I bought a dozen near-identical plants.

No two auctioneers sound exactly alike, but their lyrical, rhythmic chants are the kind of serenade that could rival rap musicians. The lilt seems almost hypnotic, and their patter is a part of what turns a sale into an event.

Amish families in southwest Wisconsin sell their products at least twice weekly during summer at the Growers Produce Auction in Cashton, but this Memorial Day sale and the Labor Day sale are by far the biggest.

"I don't know where it all comes from, but it's just amazing," said Pat Gnewikow of Wilton, about 20 miles northeast of the Cashton auction site. She's been making this outing with her sisters for years.

The sale of thousands of potted flowers and/or vegetables, about 100 handcrafted quilts, numerous pieces of hand-carved furniture and other crafts keeps three sets of auctioneers busy from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the two holidays.

At the other auctions (11 a.m. to about 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays, with Wednesdays added in August), the product selection all fits into the auction house and is sold by one auctioneer (who actually is not Amish, but German Baptist).

Hundreds of handmade baskets and rugs are sold per auction. As harvests ripen, there will be fewer plants in pots and more freshly picked produce.

A few of the 150 consigners are "English" (non-Amish). Typical customers are wholesalers who buy merchandise in large quantities, although items in smaller amounts also are sold.

Most growers live within a 100-mile radius of Cashton, according to Vernel Nelson, auction spokeswoman. When products are sold from farther away, she said they are identified as such before bidding begins.

Sometimes finished quilts or quilt tops come from as far away as Pennsylvania and fetch up to $700. The buyer of a quilt top, to which a back and batting must be added, has the option of hiring a local Amish woman to finish the project.

Nelson said the auction house helps the Amish obtain supplies they might find difficult to obtain in their rural setting. That includes cardboard tote boxes to hold 10 pounds of asparagus, or the plastic planters that become flourishing flower arrangements through greenhouse gardening.

A part of the auction allure is the appealing mix of merchandise and the ease in which customers can get swept into the bidding process. Getting a bargain means knowing your bottom line ndsh and how much you're buying ndshbefore bidding begins.

Not all auctioneers operate alike, and that can be confusing. One auctioneer may let a winning bidder take only as many of an item as is desired. Another will hold the top bidder responsible for an entire quantity of merchandise. The rules tend to be clear, but explanations go by quickly.

It's fun to simply watch the action and people. Or arrive with friends and make bidding decisions as a group. Or be aware when strangers buy more than expected.

So when an auctioneer declared a winning bid of $17.50 for some gorgeous hanging baskets, and the buyer flashed two fingers in the air, we smelled opportunity.

"That was times four," the top bidder was told, with no room for negotiation. We made a beeline her way, struck a private deal on the side, and took two unwanted baskets off of her hands.

The Growers Produce Auction site is at S347 Dell Road, Cashton, which is five miles southeast of the community and just off of Highway D. For more information, call 608-654-7880.

Activity begins in mid-May and ends in mid-October. Payments are made by cash or check. Quilts and furniture are only sold at Labor Day and Memorial Day sales.