Auctioneer enjoys helping people deal 'with all this stuff' KAYLI REESE, Telegraph Herald FacebookTwitterEmail “I could write a book,” he said. Johnston is just one of the area’s auctioneers who have spent decades selling a plethora of items, ranging from objects found in homes to pieces of land. The job also is part of an industry that has changed quite a bit since Johnston and others began their careers. Johnston, who retired from the education field in 1988, began H&J Auctions in 1992 with his partner, Ed Hess. Since that time, Johnston said that the Dubuque area has seen the number of auction businesses dwindle.