Richard L. Dotta, co-owner of the Richard L. Dotta Auction Co. Inc. of Nazareth, Pa., is celebrating 50 years of auctioneering service this September. According to Richard, hes participated in thousands of in-person and online auctions since earning his Pennsylvania Auction License on Sept. 2, 1976. He has also helped conduct hundreds of community fundraising events and auctions, working with the Northampton Area Historical Society, Jacobsburg Historical Society, C.F. Martin Guitar & Co. Inc, Moravian Academy, Northampton Area Community College, Nazareth Branch of River Crossing YMCA, Third Street Alliance for Women and Children, Nature Nurture Center, and the Christ United Church of Easton. Also, Dotta, for the past 21 years, has been working with the County of Northampton conducting its annual Judicial and Upset Tax Sales. I find the profession of auctioneering to be very interesting, as every day is different. Discovering treasures is one of my favorite parts of the job. Its exciting to see all types of merchandise, antiques, and collectibles, said Richard. I also really enjoy working with our amazing sellers, bidders, and the Dotta Auction team, especially my older brother, Jim. Richard spoke about how he first discovered his interest in the industry. He joined Jim to go small game hunting, but they discovered an old dump site with old, discarded bottles. After hunting season, they returned to gather and collect old bottles. From there, Richard preferred furniture to buy and sell. His sales helped pay for his certification courses. Richards father, Anthony, helped him secure a job as an auction runner with auctioneer Frank J. Falcone Auction. He worked with Falcone for three years during high school. Richard is a 1974 graduate of both Nazareth Area High School and the Reisch College of Auctioneering (now operating as World Wide College of Auctioneering) in Mason City, Iowa. Richard has been a Pennsylvania licensed realtor since 1978. I knew I had the drive and ambition to start my own business, added Richard. So, he took over 179 S. Main St. in the Borough of Nazareth, a space that previously held his parents paint business. He opened an antique shop and also started his auction business at the location. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Richard held sales at private estates as well as consignment auctions in the social hall at the Hecktown Volunteer Fire Company in Bethlehem, Pa. Eventually, Richard secured land and built what is now the site of the Dotta Auction Center at 330 West Moorestown Road, Nazareth (Bushkill Township). Richard L. Dotta Auction Co. Inc. was established in April of 1982. Richard shared that hitting the 50-year mark has been one of his greatest rewards. He laughed and said, I still dig it! Ive met almost all of my friends here. Theyre like family. The auctioneer then highlighted a few outstanding sales, including a Tiffany Lamp that sold for $160,000 and a Charles Herbert Moore oil painting from 1865 titled Hudson River Above Catskill that realized $90,000 in 1999. George and Sharon Simon of Simon and Simon Antiques of Newton, N.J., was the consignor of the painting. We are happy to have met Richard about 40 years ago, but were happier now, and Ill tell you why. There have been many surprises over the years in the antique and collectibles industry. One that stands out is when we consigned a painting by Charles Herbert Moore to Rich. We estimated a sale of perhaps $4,000, but it sold for $90,000! The art turned out to be a very rare work by the artist. We came by the auction center the next day after the sale to pick up items my husband and I purchased at the sale, and Rich, Jim, and other staff had a champagne breakfast ready for us. Everybody was there, and it was such a great time, stated Sharon Simon. When asked to identify his biggest challenge in the industry, Richard gave his opinion that auctions can be unpredictable, and the unfortunate decline in value and interest of antiques and collectibles the last several years is concerning. In addition to auctioneering, Richard spends time with his family and regularly participates in the game of billiards, including traveling to National Championships in Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, and Atlantic City. The Dotta Auction staff will host an open house celebration to celebrate Richards 50-year anniversary at the auction center on Friday, Oct. 2, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. This will be a public event, and all are invited, especially buyers, sellers, and industry partners. For more information, visit www.dottaauction.com.