VALENTINE, Neb. - More than 131 million Americans are expected to shop this Black Friday, according to the National Retail Federation. But the days of midnight mall crowds and doorbuster chaos have faded, largely due to the rise of online shopping. This shift isn’t just affecting traditional retailers—it’s also making waves in unexpected places, like auction houses, but a Valentine, Nebraska family is keeping the art of auctioneering thriving.

“Of course we learn numbers forward and backward in auction school. It’s a tremendous teaching,” said Dennis Connot.

Connot owns Connot Brothers Auction in Valentine. All three of his kids followed in his footsteps, attending the same auctioneer school he did back in 1981.

“We just love the interaction of the crowd and couldn’t be more excited to do this,” said Dennis.

That excitement from the thrill of a deal has been around for centuries. In fact, auctions have been recorded as early as 500 B.C.

Here in Valentine, Mike Essay drove three hours from Alliance to take part in the latest auction. He was particularly interested in the guns.

“I’ve always been one to interact at auctions. A lot of times you miss out because you’re visiting with people,” said Essay.

Essay also enjoys online auctions, like a growing number of Americans. In fact, the online auction market is estimated to grow by more than $3 billion over the next four years, according to market research company Technavio.

However, the Connot family doesn’t believe everyone is sold on buying used items online.

“You see that face-to-face contact. People know who is bidding, and it’s not just somebody bumping up the bids,” said Dennis' son, Travis Connot. “You get to see the item in person. You look at the flaws and size,” said Travis.

With the third generation already learning the ropes, they’re bidding that in-person auctions are not going once, going twice, going away. After all, it’s more than a business, but a way to connect people, share stories, and learn from the past through people’s once precious items.

“We learn from the hard times people have went through up through the good times. It’s a fun business to be in,” said Dennis.