Visalia Sales Yard Hours

Thursday   5:30am-3pm
Sunday      5:30am-3pm

About Visalia Sales Yard, Inc.

Ray and Ruth Furnas left Kansas in 1947 seeking more opportunities in California. Being an Auctioneer at heart Ray worked for several different auction companies with Ruth doing the clerking and office work. Monday – Hanford, Tuesday – Cherry Ave. in Fresno, Wednesday – Alta in Dinuba, Thursday – Visalia, Friday – Porterville, and Saturday back to Fresno.

Most of the auctions in those days were cattle or livestock auctions with small miscellaneous auctions on the side. Ray asked the owners if he could start a miscellaneous auction at Visalia Sales Yard and in 1949 started the auction under the oak tree while Ruth did the office work and managed a handful of vendors who wanted to set up a swap meet space.  

The livestock auction folded and the miscellaneous auction and Swap meet began to grow. In those days there were a number of second hand dealers and furniture stores in business and the auction became a large auction with sellers coming from LA with loads of furniture, tools, lumber and other building material. Of course there are still the local sellers with various miscellaneous items to sell. The auction would begin at 10am and continue sometimes until 7pm. Also a regular feature was the chicken and rabbit auction at noon.  

As times have changed the number of second hand dealers went from being stores to Swap Meet vendors. Now the auction is a small part of the business and the Swap Meet is the main venture.