The house that Frank built:
Noah's Ark of the Midwest

by Ty Scheets, posted Dec. 21, 2009

At a community pie supper in the 1940s in Macon, Mo., a musician by the name of Frank Lolli was an entertainer for the evening. But, he was also asked to stand in for the missing auctioneer and sell the pies. After the sale, the man realized that he enjoyed auctioneering and decided to learn the trade. This is not your average beginning to a sale barn, but then again, Lolli Bros. Livestock Market is not your average auction company.

Originally called Lolli Sale Pavilion, a small salebarn built in 1947, the family business is the self-proclaimed “oldest family-maintained sale barn in Missouri.”  The original building is still in use today.

Currently run by Jim, Dominic, Frank and Tim Lolli, the business sells traditional livestock, real estate and personal property. Yet more interestingly, puts on four exotic animal sales each year.  The most recent sale was held Dec. 8 to 12.

“We really started the exotic animal auction in the 80s. Exotic animals didn’t draw that much attention then, but it continues to grow,” Dominic Lolli said.
“From apes to Zebras we sell it all!” is a slogan that appears several times on the company’s Web site, and they back up this promise regularly. Selling exotic birds, primates, cats, African hoofstock, miniature donkeys, reindeer, camels and reptiles, the diversity of creatures is reported to only be rivaled by the St. Louis Zoo. The bevy of creatures routinely draws attention from all over the country.  At one auction, there were registered customers from 30 states and Mexico.

Dominic Lolli estimates nearly 1,000 people will attend the sale this month. However, not just anyone can stop by and bring home a 400-pound African lion to snuggle with. The restrictions governing the buying and selling of these animals is monitored by the state. 

According to the auction company, each animal is checked carefully before sale and state regulations prohibit the sale of great apes, big cats and bears over six months old, wolves, skunks or raccoons. Also special permits are required to own these animals.

One of the most unusual sales came during the 50s when Shetland ponies were selling extremely well.

“My dad [Frank] still has the record for the highest selling Shetland pony at $86,000. In the 1950s that was a lot of money. That’s still a lot of money,” Dominic  Lolli said.

In fact, ten ponies were sold to the royal family in England.

While the four exotic auctions a year attract a lot of attention, the establishment’s focus is still on traditional livestock.

“We have cattle sales every Tuesday, and on average we run through 1,250 to 1,500 hundred head a week. On some weeks we may run as many as 2,250 to 2,500 a week,” Dominic Lolli said.

But while traditional creatures are their bread and butter, the company has found different ways of selling things.

“When Dad first started, they sold everything in one day: hogs, chickens, cattle, sheep, etc. After a while he began to have cattle sales on one day and horse sales on another. We still operate the same way,” Dominic Lolli said.

The auction service also puts on two Old West consignment auctions a year, the next coming in March, and sells taxidermy pieces along with the exotic animal auction.

Frank Lolli passed away in January 2005, leaving sons Jim, Dominic, Frank and Tim; and his two daughters, Patty Blackstun and Mary Beth Truitt with the business.

“Even after he retired, he was still at the barn every day. He loved what he did and he always treated people right. Something we continue to do,” said Dominic Lolli.

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