'Bobbie' The Kelpie

In one of his most extraordinary auction experiences, Geoff Cayzer auctioned a home in Kerferd Road to a man bidding, it seemed, on behalf of his dog.

The property was a deceased estate. A weatherboard home on Kerferd Road, Albert Park. Geoff Cayzer’s instructions were to sell the home. All proceeds were to go to the Salvation Army, so there was no reserve price. Whatever it made was a donation.

Following the usual sales process, the Cayzer team marketed the property for 3-4 weeks. On the day of the auction, a nice crowd gathered and a few familiar faces were present, including the principal at another real estate agency, who was bidding on behalf of his daughter.

Then the man in the convertible arrived.

“I’d just started the auction when a man pulled up, roof down with a kelpie in the front seat,” Geoff recalls.

“He double parked in the middle of Kerferd Road and jumped out.

“Mid-way through the auction he started bidding. I recognised him, as his brother works in the area and I knew the family lived locally.

“While the bidding was going on he would look at his dog and say: ‘What do you think, Bobbie?’ If Bobbie would bark, he would bid again. Every time Bobbie barked, he bid.”

The property made a significant sum and this man was the successful purchaser.

“We went inside to sign up,” Geoff explains.

“I said: ‘What is your address?’ He said: ‘How much do they want for the furniture? I’ll buy the furniture for another $50,000.’

“Well I can tell you now the furniture wasn’t worth anywhere near $50,000. I told him we could talk about that later. We needed to get him signed up now.

“The man said: ‘I don’t have my cheque book – it is at home in Harold Street.’

“I followed the man around to Harold Street, where I was told to wait out the front while the man went in the back way.

“I’m standing on the street and I hear broken glass. The next thing the man appears at the front door and says: ‘Come in.’

“I enter the home and the man was busy pulling out drawers. He said: ‘Dad always hides the cheque book.’

“I thought, there is something not right here.

“After about 5 minutes I felt a presence behind me, and turned around to see his father, who was built like a Hereford bull, looking at me.

“I said: ‘Congratulations! Your son has just bought a house and I’ve come around to get the cheque.’

“The father stood there and moved his hand and head as if to say: ‘He’s crazy.’

“The long and the short of it was there was no cheque.

“And that chap and Bobbie had ‘bought’ three different houses that day from three different agents.”