With its perpetually rising stakes and diverse prizes, auctions are one of the most exhilarating economic activities outside of NASDAQ skydives and playing Monopoly with real money. Engage in a little mercantile one-upmanship with today’s Groupon: for $25, you get $60 worth of auction items at The Auction Mill.

The Auction Mill’s lung-enhanced auctioneers broker impromptu price setting on an oft-changing inventory that runs the gamut from plasma TVs to self-propelled lawnmowers to autographed baseballs. A weekly auction takes place every Thursday evening and The Auction Mill conducts themed auctions on a regular basis, including the upcoming floral, wedding, and event-planning auction on Sunday, July 10. The Mill's fast-talking, gavel-banging arena has recently earned a big, loud "sold!" for treasures such as an ingredient-integrating KitchenAid 325-watt stand mixer ($75), Bose bookshelf speakers ($40), and an original Atari 2600 ($15). Entrance to the Auction Mill is free, allowing window-shoppers to observe the quick-draw wallet showdowns and vicariously experience the thrill of watching big spenders amp up the price tag on a 1924 Model T Ford ($2,600) or a rare photograph of Harry Truman holding aloft the Chicago Tribune's famously misprinted headline, "Dewey Eats Truman."