Greg Rice inducted in Ohio auctioneers’ hall of fame
- Greg Rice was recently inducted into the Ohio Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame.
- He’s been an auctioneer for 42, starting at the age of 18, and is co-owner of Peddicord Rice LePage Real Estate and Auction.
- Rice was surprised by most of his immediate family at the ceremony. The nomination was made by his longtime partner, Herb Peddicord, before is death.
- Rice was named to the International Auctioneers Champion in 1996 and has received many awards over the years.
COSHOCTON — Being inducted into the Ohio Auctioneers Association Hall of Fame recently is one the few times in his life Greg Rice can remember being speechless. Rare for a man who has made a living out of thinking fast and talking faster.
“It’s quite an honor to be accepted by your peers to be inducted into that. It was a very humbling experience and very rewarding,” Rice said.
Rice attended livestock auctions with his father and knew from an early age he wanted to be an auctioneer. He loved to hear them talk. Rice said his dad discouraged him, because he didn’t think it was steady work or very lucrative.
Greg Rice: Auctioneering has been an ideal career
“I always liked the auctioneer’s chant,” Rice said. “I always enjoyed that and decided that’s what I wanted to do. I’ve always liked to talk.”
He took the proceeds from selling his champion market lamb at the 1980 Coshocton County Fair to pay for tuition to the Reppert School of Auctioneering in Auburn, Indiana. Being an auctioneer has been his only career for 42 years. The 60-year-old has no plans on retiring soon.
Rice performs about 250 auctions a year. When asked about his favorite type he said, “that’s pretty simple, the ones where I can say ‘sold.’
“I enjoy interacting with people and talking to them.”
Rice is co-owner of Peddicord Rice LePage Real Estate and Auction. He’s been partnered with Ryan LePage since Herb Peddicord’s death in December 2019. However, before his passing, Peddicord made Rice’s hall of fame nomination. Rice said it was emotional to hear Peddicord’s words as the nomination was read at the ceremony.
“I never really knew where I stood in his eyes until he wrote that nomination,” Rice said.
While Rice has received many awards over the years, including being International Auctioneers Champion in 1996, the hall of fame induction was particularly special. It was chosen by his peers and he got to share it with his family.
After taking the stage at the ceremony, Rice was surprised to see most of his immediate family in the back of the room. Everyone, including his wife and LePage, had kept it a secret for nearly two years. The honor was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had no idea they were there,” Rice said. “They kept it all under wraps. They did a good job with it.”
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