(Springfield, MO) -- With all the bad economic news these days, we know two things are clear. People are working hard to save. And most of us would like a distraction to take our minds off the recession.

It just so happens we found a place where you can do both. Check out the place where bargains and beats abound, in this week's Oliver's Ozarks report.

Every Thursday night since the 1950's, people have been showing up at an auction house on west Kearney in search of a bargain.

"Buy junk and sell treasures on eBay," says one customer.

The building was originally a feed store built back in the 1930's. Today it's Luttrell's Auction Barn where you can find almost anything on the block.

"Tools, lawnmowers, lots of furniture, antiques, dishes and guns," says auction owner Don Luttrell.

Luttrell bought the place two years ago after being a customer at the auction decades before. In fact, it was a memory here that gave Luttrell an idea. About 35 years ago, he saw Harold Morrison at the auction barn. Morrison was a regular on the Ozark Jubilee and he was picking tunes at the auction to entertain the crowd.

"And he was doing a show here. And I got to thinking, if Harold could do that, I could too," says Luttrell.

So once all the goodies at the auction are gone on Thursday, the lights go down and the microphones and guitars come out for a little country and bluegrass on Friday and Saturday nights.

"It's a good thing. He's got a good show going here," remarks one show attendee.

"I like country music and bluegrass music and they really have a lot of good bands," says another listener.
 
Luttrell has a house band and invites other local groups to take the stage as well. Initially, Luttrell wasn't sure how the community would react to the auction, music show combo.

"The first night I had it one guy walked through the front door and said, 'Are you having a music show here?' And it's developed. I might have 150 people here. I might have 40. I might have 200 jamming the door," says Luttrell.

And it's the jamming on stage and the bargain buying that puts Luttrell's Auction Barn and Country Show in a league of its own.

"But we love doing it. We love the atmosphere and the people that come here. I just like doing it. I'm not going to get rich doing it. We just like it," says Luttrell.

There is a $5.00 charge to get in for the music shows on Friday and Saturday nights. Apparently this combination isn't completely unique. Don Luttrell says there's another auction barn and country music show operation somewhere out in North Carolina.