Tampa feed store holds weekend auction before closing after more than 60 years in business
TAMPA, Fla. - Shell's Feed and Garden Center in Tampa has sat just north of the Busch Boulevard and North Nebraska Avenue intersection since 1961. This Saturday, though, everything inside is going up for auction as the store prepares to close its door for good.
For decades, Greg Shell’s dad and grandfather sold supplies to many of the region’s farmers. There were more family farms closer to Tampa then, but their business covered the entire Tampa Bay region.
"They delivered feed to farms as far away as Levy County," said Shell.
They also amassed dozens of signs for different brands of feed and other agricultural products. At last count, there are 138 signs that will be part of Saturday’s auction.
Shell said his dad loved to collect signs. Many of them hung on the walls of the store. Others he put away.
"It doesn’t matter if they came through this store or somewhere else," said Shell. "Some were given to him on trades with other feed dealers that he was friends with."
Real estate agents are selling the property, but what’s inside the store has to be organized and sold on Saturday. There are hundreds of bags of fertilizer, feed and other farm and garden products, and also the signs that collectors will be interested in.
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The auctioneer said it’s a big job.
"That’s because there’s so much diversity here," said John Harris of Harris Auctions LLC. "There are a lot of different things from collectible signs to products and commodities, so some things will be sold by the pallet, some things sold by the piece. It’s going to take most of the day."
"It was a good ride, but the time has come to move on," said Shell.
The auction is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. this Saturday, January 21. It will be held at the store, located at 9513 N. Nebraska Avenue in Tampa. For more information visit harrisauctionsllc.com.