David Aeschliman is the owner of several businesses including Results Marketing, which specialized in developing solutions to struggling companies. He sold that company to an investor in 2006 and opened Walnut Creek Auction Company, where he went on to conduct 630+ auctions. In January 2023, he opened Walnut Creek Auction College and in November 2024, he closed the auction portion of his auctioneering to focus on the auction college.
David grew up in Kansas, where his father ran a weekly livestock and general merchandise auction. He learned the fast-paced, competitive auction industry there. He graduated from Kansas State University with a marketing degree.
Walnut Creek Auction sold from Kansas City to Chicago. He is the key auctioneer for several outdoor organizations conducting local chapter fundraisers. He has raised nearly $700,000 for Arrowhead Ranch, $150,000 for New Kingdom Trailriders, $1 million+ for the Iowa FFA Foundation and has sold in front of thousands for several years at the annual international Farm Progress Show.
David retired at age 52 after building and selling a $14 million marketing consulting agency offering to be paid strictly for the growth he created for his client firms. His company, expertise and unique offer for compensation resulted in working for more than 200 companies from Maine to California. He has written more than 400 strategic business growth plans for these clients working in 35 different industries.
Notable sales include the largest estate sale of vaseline glass in the world, the single largest estate of lapidary (rock) supplies (with bidders from 17 states), the guns and merchandise of a Bettendorf outdoor supply company, the 175 guns and 3 tons of ammunition of a private Sherrard, IL estate, the estate and internal assets of the infamous Kahl antique mansion and attached Kahl retirement home, the liquidation of a chemical plant in Chicago and several Quad Cities executive estates, including those of physicians and well-known business owners. He is known for his vast and detailed knowledge of all merchandise he sells due to his research.
He and his wife live on 32 timbered acres where they built their own log home east of Sherrard, IL. He is a founder of eastern Iowa Make-A-Wish Foundation and has held a number of executive positions in trade association boards, including the governmental committee of the Illinois State Auctioneers Association and the board of District 5 of that group. In 2016, Arrowhead named him Volunteer of the Year for raising funds over seven years in fundraising efforts for the ranch. He is also an instructor for Illinois’ continuing education classes for auctioneers.
Today, David focuses on his partial “retirement”, which consists of continuing to coach troubled businesses on a very selective basis, motivational and/or inspirational speeches to various groups throughout the Midwest and teaching future auctioneers through his college. He also very selectively conducts high-end auctions through Walnut Creek Auction.