Giant Auction - your suggestions, please!

[Adam]

Agreed with the two auctions a year.  Not only will people not run out of money so quickly because of fewer items and you'll forget how much you spent 6 months before, you'll also have fewer items because some of those things had probably been sitting on shelves just waiting for yesterday.

The counting was sometimes quite quick for a very inexpensive item.  Sometimes counted a couple extra with only one bidder...

Also, felt like there was way too much handling of the fish bags...a quick pick-up with a lot of shaking of the bag, then the poor fish freaking out, and the bag being improperly replaced.  Sometimes a fish was stuck in a corner of a bag, some were losing air resulting in a pile of mush (bag, fish, water, no air).  Some of the africans were being chased around by their bag buddies, with nowhere to go... A jar with no holes in the lid (4" fish in a 5" jar with maybe 400mL of water...some in much less.  OVAS needs to take the initiative to require livestock be properly housed.

Maybe a silent auction?  You wouldn't have to wait for hours just for a few lots to show up.  An afternoon for people to wander, chat, and have a strict deadline for each table, spaced apart by 5-10 minutes so you can get to the next table to keep your bids?  Keep a list of the items, and have people sign up and their bid.  If you want it, you can write a higher bid under it?  Maybe a chance to have a 'best offer' chance for disputed items?

Just some ideas...

Adam

[garnpet]

i will have to say i felt really REALLY bad for some of the fish over the day!

Maybe having a "bag your fish so they survive" how to?

See the September 2006 newsletter.

http://ovas.ca/index.php?page=92

[gmann]

I agree with adam_ottawa. I wouldnt make any big changes. The volunteer auctionneers did a wonderful job, some even provided humour whether intentional or not. I appreciate a short discription of the item being sold.. BIG THANKS to all of them. 

Once the date for years auction is decided upon, can OVAS reserve  the room earlier and start the auction at 12 ? 

Pre-registration was awesome. great job art.

Thanks for getting the pizza Roxy..

One suggestion that could speed things up is to have a 3-4 of those mobile table thingys (even if you have to rent 1) so that when a table is done you simply wheel in the next numbered table.  I am pretty sure thats how Montreal worked.. there seemed to be less moving/transfering of items. I could be wrong though. 

I am no fish expert but their seemed to be way too much water in them bags/containers and if you have a big fish, limit them to 1 per bag.

great fun as usual. More ideas/comments to come.
gmann

[PrincessFish]

It was my first auction and it was great!  I have to say though that I agree with Heidi and Gonna_b that a long auction like Sunday is just too hard on the fish.  Honestly, if I knew it was going to be a long day like that I wouldn't want to bring my fish.  Too upsetting to hear of fish dying (even holding fish too).  Also, I would think it would keep the prices down because people will be too concerned about paying alot if they may not even end up with a fish that makes it.
I think having one 'fish' auction and a separate 'plants and other stuff' day might be good - especially if it's only once per year.
Heck though, this is a problem caused by your great success!  Congrats!!

[Crumpet]

See the September 2006 newsletter.

http://ovas.ca/index.php?page=92

Very good article on bagging fish!  Would love to see it linked to the sticky-ed "Giant Auction Information" thread itself for next time maybe?

[Laura]

A fabulous event!!

I think you could charge for the coffee - I know I would have happily paid  

I'm with the folks who are concerned about the fish at the event - it is a long time for them to be bagged, and some of them were bagged poorly.

The auction could start with the fish first so that people have the option to bring them home soonest.  If people wanted to keep them at the event I expect we would see a higher survival rate as they would be somewhere undisturbed and folks could monitor them, and put fresh air in the bag if they needed it, or re-bag them if they were not bagged properly.

Great auctioneering - I too liked the brief descriptions rather than just the lot number.

If the executive wanted to take on 2 auctions per year (and I absolutely understand if that's too much work) they would probably be shorter, which may be a good trade-off.

[darkdep]

I'm not sure I agree on the concerns on the fish in the bags.

Fish that are bagged for shipment can go for up to 3 days generally in the bag, if bagged properly.  Some species are more sensitive than others of course.  I picked up some Red Top Ndumbi, a group of 3, 2 are dead now, one left who isn't doing well.  Those are tough fish.  I also got some Calvus and Compressiceps, both of which are considered far more fragile, and they are active, eating, and seem happy in their new tank. 

I know the people who put both sets of fish in the auction, both are VERY knowledgeable and quite capable of properly bagging fish.  What happened?  Who knows.  I don't blame the long bag time tho.  I've purchased fish that were bagged extremely poorly and they turn out fine.

That being said, I think it would be a valuable little demonstration at an upcoming OVAS meeting to do a live demonstration of proper bagging technique for auctions.  If nothing else it might prevent people from bringing fish in ziplock bags

[gonna_b_no_1]

I would definately go see that!

IF we can't get the room earlier because of the other 1/2 being busy, what about a change of venue? 

I would be willing to get there earlier IF it meant we could start the auction earlier. 

IE-have a new venue that would allow us in at 8 am and start auctioning at 11 am. 

Does the venue have to be in Ottawa?   

[beowulf]

I think that was the main problem...ziplock bags and bags that where to thin.  

[BigDaddy]

As per Peter's newsletter article... a lot of people were handling the bags, which causes undue stress on the fish

[beowulf]

Maybe next GA the fish should be placed in manner on the tables so that they are in the forefront so that people do not have to constantly pick them up to view them.

[mila]

My black male Beta came home in empty bag.
Bag was to thin and broke.
He was so happy to jump to 70gs of water.

[PaleoFishGirl]

While the Auction is still fresh in your mind, any other suggestions besides better bagging techniques?

Thanks for everything so far!

[Heidi]

Maybe a better order of how the auction tables are brought up. Some people kept track of what items they wanted on certain tables but the tables were brought up so randomly, you never knew what table would be next. If you knew you had 1 item on table 2 and then your next item wasn't until table 6 - you could go and get a snack or cofee or browse until your next table came up.

All in all though - it was an awsome day and I can't wait until next year.

Thanks to all who worked their fins off on this event!!!

[beowulf]

Make sure the auctioneers are looking everwhere we lost time and some people lost items because they where not noticed.  I guess it is also up to people to speak up.

I also like the idea of having more the one of those things to love tables up that way you can just one up between the two mics and the runner can pass things off while another runner is going to get another table and we just rotate them.

[groan]

APW had a few of his die on him.
How about auctioning livestock in the morning and other stuff int he afternoon after a break.
Taht way if people want to they can bring the fish home and get them in a tank then come back to finish off hte day.

[beowulf]

APW had a few of his die on him.
How about auctioning livestock in the morning and other stuff int he afternoon after a break.
Taht way if people want to they can bring the fish home and get them in a tank then come back to finish off hte day.

People live at different distances so might not be possible for most.

[gonna_b_no_1]

how about having a corner table with an air pump and tubing/airstone  so we can "bubble up" our bagged fish every once and a while?

and have more cookies and baked goods!

Maybe have people pre-order pizza when they register for bidding numbers/ lots?   

[KLKelly]

The auction could start with the fish first so that people have the option to bring them home soonest.  If people wanted to keep them at the event I expect we would see a higher survival rate as they would be somewhere undisturbed and folks could monitor them, and put fresh air in the bag if they needed it, or re-bag them if they were not bagged properly.

I think this is a great idea.  I felt really bad for a lot of the fish. 

I know I would volunteer to help with this.  (Never bagged a fish before though )

[RedFish]

IF the organizers are up for a second, fall auction, what about a limit on the number of items total, and perhaps a limit per member.    It might make members create larger lots rather than a dozen small ones.    If you don't reach the total limit, then members could add more items (ie over their limit).   This might make the day shorter?
Maybe it would complicate things more though.

Having said that, it surely is nice to have a $2 minimum bid, the thought of getting stuff for only $2 is very nice.   You wouldn't want a lot to start over $5 unless it had really good value.

I hereby promise to help out at the next auction, as long as I am not working!