January 22, 2005
Former school sold on eBay
Owners may convert Bluefield building into residence
You can buy and sell just about anything on eBay, even old West Virginia school buildings.
Australian dentist Michael Danton is the new owner of the 82-year-old Ramsey School building in Bluefield.
Danton, of New South Wales, and two members of his family recently bought the Ramsey School through an online auction on eBay.
On Friday, the Dantons’ Bluefield attorney, Harold Brewster, said it’s not clear if the family plans to move to West Virginia. They might turn the school into a residence, and then convert the rest of the space into apartments to rent, he said.
New South Wales is in the southeastern part of Australia, and is the most populous state on the continent. Sydney is the capital.
After a three-week auction that ended Nov. 26, Danton bought the 39,000-square-foot school for $110,000. The starting bid was $30,000.
The board recently completed the purchase and has the money in hand, said Jim Akers, purchasing manager for the Mercer County school system.
The money from the sale of the former all-grade and elementary school will go toward buying classroom supplies and paying teacher salaries, Akers said.
“I think eBay is a pretty common concept when you go to sell something,” Akers said. “When I looked on the Net, I saw a listing for real estate [on eBay] and we decided to attempt to sell the school there.”
No one quite knew what to expect, Akers said.
The school has been closed since 2000. Since then the board has unsuccessfully attempted to sell the building in more traditional ways.
Then they got the idea to list it on eBay.
Akers said the board received bids that were all out of the state. People from New York and Baltimore got in on the bidding before Danton won the auction, he said.
The school sale was also advertised publicly in newspapers and by other means, in accordance with state requirements, Akers said.
The county recently sold another old school through a local public auction. This time a Bluefield resident won, and paid $60,000 for the former Bramwell Elementary School.
Nancy Holley-Marcum plans to turn her new building into a cultural center and museum of sorts, Akers said.
Brewster said the keys have been sent to his client in Australia. The board referred Danton to Brewster for representation after the Aussie won the eBay auction.
“They’re planning to come in February,” Brewster said of the family. “I’ve only talked to [Michael Danton] by phone and through e-mail, so I don’t know much about them. When they come in, I hope they come by and talk a little bit. I’m curious about them myself.”
School officials are happy with the sale to the Dantons, Akers said. He’s not sure if the family has a link to West Virginia but said, “I don’t think they’ve been to Bluefield before.”