{{short description|American politician (born 1941)}} {{COI|date=August 2010}} {{Infobox person | name = Dean V. Kruse | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1941|9|21}} | birth_place = Auburn, Indiana, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = }}

'''Dean V. Kruse''' (born 1941) is an American former auctioneer. He is also the former owner and CEO of Kruse International.<ref>Kurtz, Dave (2000).[http://www.kpcnews.net/special-sections/cruising1/cruising11.html "King of the Auctioneers". ''KPC News''.] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120803185049/http://www.kpcnews.net/special-sections/cruising1/cruising11.html |date=2012-08-03 }}</ref> Kruse started working in the local auction business founded by his father, Russell W. Kruse, and soon became the company's president.<ref>Loomis-Studinski, Suzanne (2003). [http://www.allbusiness.com/sales/internet-ebay/1076837-1.html ''Kruse Control''.]</ref> Known to many as the "Dean of Auctioneers," Kruse was once a well-respected member of the collector car hobby.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportscarmarket.com/articles/archives/739 |title="Roush, Kruse, and Hansen at 3M Car Care Auto Fair". ''Sports Car Market''. |access-date=2007-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081214215516/http://www.sportscarmarket.com/articles/archives/739 |archive-date=2008-12-14 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A 1957 graduate of the Reppert School of Auctioneering in Decatur, Indiana, Kruse cried his 5,000th auction in Houston in 1987, and is reportedly one of the youngest men to even attain that goal.

Kruse is a former Indiana State Senator.<ref>"Holdover Senate Seats Let Demos Keep Control", ''The Indianapolis Star'' (November 10, 1966), p. 50.</ref> He was elected as a Democrat at the age of 25, in an election that maintained party control over that body, and served from 1966 to 1970. He is a past president of the Indiana Auctioneer's Association, and was elected as a member of their hall of fame,<ref>[http://www.indianaauctioneers.org/hall_of_fame.php Indiana Auctioneers Association] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100119071219/http://www.indianaauctioneers.org/hall_of_fame.php |date=2010-01-19 }}</ref> along with his father Russell and brother Dennis Kruse.

Dean was responsible for negotiating the purchase of his auction company in 1999 by online auctioneer eBay which paid $275 million for Kruse International and Billpoint.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120905212906/http://www.news.com/2100-1017-226031.html "eBay acquires two firms". ''CNET News'', May 18, 1999.]</ref> The company was purchased back from eBay by Dean Kruse in 2002. Kruse used part of the money he received from eBay to start two museums in Auburn; the World War II Victory Museum and the Kruse Automotive Horse Power and Carriage Museum.

On May 25, 2010, the Indiana Auctioneer Commission suspended Kruse's auctioneer's license for two years and permanently revoked the license of his company, Kruse, Inc., after receiving complaints that he had been failing to pay those who sold items through his auctions.<ref>[http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/indiana-auctioneer-commission-revokes-kruse-license "Indiana Auctioneer Commission Revokes Kruse Inc.'s License" ''WANE.com'', May 25, 2010] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527095612/http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/indiana-auctioneer-commission-revokes-kruse-license |date=May 27, 2010 }}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://www.kruseinternational.com/ Kruse International] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071222041417/http://www.kruseinternational.com/ |date=2007-12-22 }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20031205020512/http://www.wwiivictory.org/ World War II Victory Museum] *[http://www.kacmuseum.org/ Kruse Automotive Horse Power and Carriage Museum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516033010/http://www.kacmuseum.org/ |date=2008-05-16 }}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kruse, Dean}} Category:Indiana state senators Category:Living people Category:1941 births Category:People from Auburn, Indiana Category:American auctioneers Category:20th-century American businesspeople Category:20th-century members of the Indiana General Assembly

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