Crownpoint Navajo Rug Auction Returns April 3 to Showcase Hundreds of Handmade Works

Bess Seschillie steps to the microphone tonight at Crownpoint Elementary School gymnasium to open the monthly Navajo Rug Auction, where between 300 and 400 handmade textiles will cross the auction block and weavers will leave with checks in hand before the evening ends.

That check is the point. The Navajo Weavers Association of Crownpoint, which has run the monthly sale since 1968, built its model around one principle: weavers bring their work directly to buyers, with no gallery or trading post taking a cut. Of every hammer price, 85 percent goes straight to the weaver. The Association retains 15 percent to pay auctioneers Wayne Connell and Delbert Autry, both from Mountainair, and keep the operation running. For families on the Navajo Nation where the auction serves as a primary market, a good night can cover groceries, utilities, and household bills in one envelope. Rugs that don't sell are sometimes loaded back into trucks and driven to Gallup the following morning, where Indian arts dealers and traders on the strip offer a second chance.

Rug log-in begins at 4 p.m. today, and viewing opens to buyers from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Every rug is tagged with the weaver's name, hometown, and a serial number, so buyers can research the artist before bidding. Connell and Autry take the floor at 6 p.m. sharp, with the auction typically running until around 10 p.m. Bidder registration happens at a table near the stage; there is no pre-registration required before arriving.

Prices range from $50 for smaller pieces up to several thousand dollars for large, complex, or rare weavings. Because the auction bypasses the retail chain entirely, buyers regularly find prices less than a third of comparable work at trading posts and galleries. Not every rug clears its minimum bid, so arriving during the full viewing window, 4 to 5:30 p.m., gives serious buyers time to identify pieces and plan bids. The Association accepts cash, personal checks, and traveler's checks; credit cards carry a 6 percent surcharge.

Beyond the rugs, vendor stalls line the gymnasium with jewelry, beadwork, pottery, and food, including Navajo tacos and fry bread available starting at 5 p.m. Vendor table space runs $20, reserved in advance, with one table permitted per vendor.

Crownpoint sits about 30 minutes north of Interstate 40 via the Thoreau exit at mile marker 53 on State Highway 371. Turn west at the Crownpoint sign and continue to the Elementary School on the right side of the road. Parking fills quickly on auction nights, so arriving at or before 4 p.m. is advised.

The first rug ever sold at Crownpoint went for $3. Tonight, collectors flying in from across the country will sit in the same gymnasium and bid on the same tradition, while weavers wait to see what their months of work are worth.