Sunset Bowl says goodbye with bang — of auctioneer's gavel

This should do it for the Sunset Bowl's wakes — the Ballard landmark's entire contents were sold off Tuesday, fetching about $180,000.

The closure of the half-century-old bowling alley has been widely mourned in stories and with Internet postings such as "SAVE THE SUNSET, SAVE SEATTLE, SAVE AMERICA'S CITIES!!!!"

What amounted to a previous wake was held April 13, as patrons gathered for a last night of bowling. On eBay, you can bid on the last Snickers bar bought on that last day in the bowling alley's vending machine. On Tuesday, bidding was at $52.03.

Tuesday's on-site auction was attended by more than 700 people, with 449 holding actual bidder's numbers. Their cars filled the bowling alley's parking lot along Northwest Market Street, and spilled over to nearby blocks.

Many were there to catch one last glimpse of the Ballard they grieve is disappearing, replaced by condos, trendy shops, and, of course, the much-maligned yuppies.

But, truth be told, a considerable portion of the bidders were not there because of emotional attachment.

What kind of emotion can you place on a hot syrup dispenser, a meat slicer or a 36-inch Brunswick overhead monitor?

Except for an entrance mat, few items had any Sunset Bowl markings.

Daina Carter owns a catering business in Bellevue. She paid $5.50 (plus a 10 percent buyer's premium and sales tax) for a 14-inch, stainless-steel, coated frying pan.

The landmark Sunset Bowl?

"Never heard of it," she said.

What Carter does is visit the Web site of the James B. Murphy Co., the local auction company.

Carter was there with her mother, Kathleen Victor, who was flipping through a copy of a 48-page catalog from Restaurant Equippers, a national discounter. It advertised the same frying pan for $54.50, so she knew she had a good deal. That's how a savvy buyer goes to auctions.

But at auctions like this, especially at the start, Carter said, there is a tendency to overbid.

"People have money in their pocket. People are anxious to get going," she said.

Ryan Dicks, who lives five blocks from the bowling alley, was at the auction for sentimental reasons.

He paid $475 for the 3 ½- by 5 ½-foot, blue and yellow floor mat with the logo "Welcome to Sunset Bowl. Open 24 hours." That was the maximum he had set out to pay, and he had come just to buy the mat.

Dicks, an environmental consultant, bought it as a surprise for his wife, Ann, a social worker.

They married in February 2000, and their first date was at the Sunset Bowl. They now own a home five blocks away and, a month ago, brought their 1 ½-year-old son, Wilson, to the lanes.

"Bowling is a great sport. You get to know somebody, have a beer or two. I'm gonna miss this place," said Dicks.

After he presented his wife with the mat, which he expects to display on a wall in their home, Dicks reported, "She's excited about it." As for the $475 price, "She's putting up with it."

Entrepreneurs also made it to the auction.

Justin Rostick, 26, and Christina Perez, 28, both of Centralia, were there. The couple runs an eight-lane bowling alley in that city, and hope to expand it to 14 lanes.

Rostick was willing to pay $300 for each of seven pinsetters. It wasn't enough — $450 each would have been — and he lost out when the pinsetters were sold as part of a larger group of machines.

"I can get them in other places," he said, reassuring himself.

Anita Preston, 87, of Edmonds, for more than 17 years was the office manager for both Sunset Bowl and Leilani Lanes. Her late husband, Roy Preston, was one of the founders of the bowling alleys.

Lynn Chapman, 64, of Seattle, was the pull-tab manager at Sunset Bowl for 17 years.

Betty Lay, 80, was in charge of the head desk at Leilani, and later was a partner in the Roxbury Lanes.

The three women walked around, taking photos of themselves in the lobby and elsewhere Tuesday.

Lay remembered what staffers used to do with old bowling pins.

"We used them in our fireplaces," she said. "Those old pins started right up."

She also reached into her purse and took out an envelope. On the left corner, the envelope had the Sunset Bowl logo.

She had walked into the bowling alley's office, and, as she explained, "I stole that envelope."

Now, Lay plans to put it on a dresser in her home, so she can see that envelope every day, and remember how it was when she was part of that bowling family.

Prosecution is not likely.

Erik Lacitis: 206-464-2237 or elacitis@seattletimes.com