Realtor and auctioneer Dick Henry has been a local businessman since he was just 21 years old. A true entrepreneur and philanthropist, the Berks County native and Wyomissing resident is a man of many talents, having been in the auto, restaurant and car wash businesses before going into to real estate, teaching and auction hosting. His many accomplishments aside, he is most proud of his charity work and giving back to the community.
Q | Since working as a realtor isn’t a far stretch from auctioneering, which came first in your career? They came about at pretty much the same time. Technically, I had my real estate license first and soon after I went to school to be an auctioneer.
Q | How did that decision come about? I’ve had a lot of experience with commercial properties. I started as an auto mechanic when I was about 20 and ended up buying the car lot next door, along Lancaster Avenue. I was a used car salesman there for 25 years. Then I bought a property on New Holland Road and had an auto repair and parts business there – and sold used cars – for several years. I subdivided that land and sold it to Rich Ormsbee, which is where his trophy shop is [in Kenhorst]. I sold that in 1984 and opened the Auto Spa car wash in Wyomissing, and started building self-serve car washes in the area – one on Kutztown Road in Muhlenberg Township and another in Kenhorst. After a time, I was moving on again and owned a restaurant, Henry’s Fine Food, where 201 West is now in Shillington. I was there for just under four years and had some car washes during that time, too. I sold the Auto Spa in ‘92, the self-serve car washes in ’95, and the restaurant in 1999 or 2000. Then I went for my real estate license.
Q | How about auctioneering? Do you have to learn to speak fast and be able to do the traditional auctioneer call? Yes, it has practical purposes. I now teach the [auctioneering] course at RACC that I took years ago and we spend a lot of time on the chant and its technique. It keeps things moving along during the sale and creates a sense of urgency for buyers. If you’re doing an estate sale with 500 people, you must be able to keep it going to get everything done in a reasonable time.
Q | I’ll bet a background in real estate really helps when you’re running property auctions, but how about the household items? Who is a typical buyer? Oh yes. I do commercial and estate auctions and am constantly doing research. I want to put an accurate value on items and properties so that clients get the most they can. Many people think that home auctions are frequented mostly by home flippers, but in reality it is mostly people who are going to use it, either to live in or as a rental property. As for personal property, there are always people looking for meaningful items, such as a cookie jar like their grandmother had or vintage furniture, things that remind them of someone or a place that is special to them.
Q | It sounds as though you thrive on your work, so what do you do for fun? Do you have a day off? [laughs] I love to play golf, go fishing and I’ve always been a car guy, so I like to attend car shows and hill climbs. I guess I do work a lot but, you know, I have no desire to retire. I don’t even think about it; I really enjoy people and what I do.
Q | That’s a gift, wouldn’t you agree? Definitely. And one of my favorite things is the charity work I do, charity auctions to help organizations raise money for wonderful causes. I love to give back and help out, and so do the buyers at such events. The audience gets to buy an item they want and feel good about it. It’s a good deed for all involved.
Visit Henry's online Realtor page at dickhenry.com or call 610.603.5249.
BY MICHELLE E. BIGGERSTAFF | PHOTO BY JOHN A. SECOGES, SECOGES PHOTOGRAPHICS
