Ohio auctioneers will test their bid calling skills at the 1997 Ohio State Fair Bid Calling Contest on Monday, August 17 at noon at the Ohio Pavilion near the 11th Avenue entrance of the Fair. The contest is expected to last two to three hours.

Donna Owens, director of the Ohio Department of Commerce, and Ronald J. Rotaru, Superintendent of the Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing, will present a certificate to the winners of the 1998 contest. The Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing licenses more than 3,000 auctioneers in Ohio.

The contest, which is being sponsored by the State Fair, the Ohio Auctioneers’ Association and the State Auctioneers’ Commission, will test the skills of at least 34 participants in the categories of salesmanship, speaking, and bid calling. The contest will consist of two categories: Level I for auctioneers with one to seven years experience and Level II for auctioneers with eight or more years experience.

During the first round, each contestant will sell an item that they bring to the auction. Afterwards, five finalists for each level will auction one additional item.

Net proceeds from the sale of auctioned items will be donated to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

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The Department of Commerce’s display at the State Fair is located in the southwest corner of the MarketPlace Building. The Division of State Fire Marshal is offering children an opportunity to practice the combined "Crawl Under Smoke" and "Know Two Ways Out" fire safety program. The Division of Unclaimed Funds is giving Ohioans an opportunity to check their names for unclaimed funds. The Division of Industrial Compliance's Bedding and Upholstered Furniture Section is featuring beanie babies to illustrate how it protects the public’s safety by testing the filler material used in stuffed animals, bedding and upholstered furniture.