For five years Quentin and Ali de Groot built Kauri House Auctions into a very successful business, but early this year it became too much of a good thing.
"Business was good, it was very strong," Quentin said.
"Even through the Covid times - we managed to navigate a pretty difficult path through there - but we came out on top and last year was a highlight.
"But it also was a very, very busy year and a lot of work.
"The auctions grew from 300-ish lots from when we started and we were looking down the barrel of 700 lots at the end of last year.
"So it was time for a change because the physical side of running an auction was quite a big toll.
"People see the lovely Wednesday room set-up and the Thursday auction day, But there's a lot of admin and the continual flushing of the room, akin to moving house every single week. And that's a big job.
He said concentrating on just higher-value goods wasn't an option.
"Once I found Dunbar Sloan's down in Wellington. I used to go there every Tuesday, much to my wife's horror, and our lounge used to fill up with a whole load of stuff and then we used to sell it in our cafe."
Also with auctioneering in his blood is Peter Maidens.
The former Kauri House owner is opening Rata auctions in Te Awanga from July 25, with an estate and tool auction due in early August on the corner of Pipi St.
Shipp is not worried about any limits to the growth of his business.
"We will probably be up to 300 lots and more than that, the room might not take.
While there are now three auction houses in Hastings District, Hawke's Bay's biggest auction house is Napier's Maidens and Foster, which runs weekly general sales and regular antique and collectible sales.