Auction Tips

[hamstercaster]

Hey Fish People, after attending my second auction since joining the club back in February, I was thinking that parhaps we could have a topic dicussing tips for the auction in order to make it as pleasurable as possible for everyone.  I'm no expert but do have some tips, or thoughts at least in order to help the sellers perhaps in getting a "fair price" for what they are selling.  I mean, of course, the reason of existence of auctions is for sellers to try and get as much money as possible for the items they are selling stemming from a "price fight" between two people or more that want the same item while on the other hand the buyers are really hoping to be the sole bidders in order to snatch the items for as less money as they possibly can.  Here are my tips/observations from the auction that was held this past Monday.

Observation 1 - There were many fish up for auction that came in bunches of 5 or more fish

Tip 1 - Split the fish stock in 2 bags or more because you can't expect that too many people will have enough room to house 5 fish or more.  More often then not, people attending the auction want to buy more than one fish species and by putting 5 fish in one bag, you limit your chances of having many people bid on the lot.  Also, the more fish you have in a bag or container, the faster the oxygen depletion occurs and there are more chances of losing live stock.  For exemple, I bought a bag of 5 fish that actually ended up being 4 as one had died during the auction.  I'm not complaining because I only paid a 1$ for 4 hongis, but it's more for humane reasons.

Observation 2 - Identification!!!  While perousing all that was for sale there were no standards on fish, plant and other articles in terms of identification.  For exemple there were fish that were very well identified.  The person in question, Chris I believe, not to name him lol, had printed the fish's profile on Cichlid-Forum and anyone interested in the fish knew how big, how agressive, where the fish was from and what the fish's diet was.  What may seem obvious to someone who knows a certain fish, is not for someone who may not have heard of the fish before.  I believe that the name alone is not good fish or plant identification as it does not give enough information and may push potential bidders away as they will be unsure of what they are buying.  Same for plants.  I have seen some bags where there was the name of the plant and what lighting it needed and I believe some also stated how fast they were able to grow and how big.  Info on water conditions could also be a bonus!!

These are my tips and observations for now.  I'm sure others have other suggestions, but please, use this thread for observations and tips but not to criticize the work done by exec board and all.  Just small tips to help people sell their things better and the buyers to make a more "enlighten" choice when the time comes to bid on something.

thanks

Yvon aka hamstercaster aka rodent tosser 

[bitterman]

Observation 1 - There were many fish up for auction that came in bunches of 5 or more fish

Tip 1 - Split the fish stock in 2 bags or more because you can't expect that too many people will have enough room to house 5 fish or more.  More often then not, people attending the auction want to buy more than one fish species and by putting 5 fish in one bag, you limit your chances of having many people bid on the lot.  Also, the more fish you have in a bag or container, the faster the oxygen depletion occurs and there are more chances of losing live stock.  For exemple, I bought a bag of 5 fish that actually ended up being 4 as one had died during the auction.  I'm not complaining because I only paid a 1$ for 4 hongis, but it's more for humane reasons.

I'm in dissagreement on this one. For the following reason. When getting fish (Especially Africans) it can be hard to sex some species. Getting 5 in the bag help increase the odds of getting a trio out of the bunch and not have to go nuts looking for more of the same fish.  Nothing more anying then purchasing 3 fish and getting all males, as they mature you often end up giving two of the 3 away and then looking for females.  If it is more fish then you want purchase the lot (As long as you can house them temporarly and then either resell on the forum after you take the picks of the litter or wait till the next auction and bring some back for sale once they have grown some.

Observation 2 - Identification!!!  While perousing all that was for sale there were no standards on fish, plant and other articles in terms of identification.  For exemple there were fish that were very well identified.  The person in question, Chris I believe, not to name him lol, had printed the fish's profile on Cichlid-Forum and anyone interested in the fish knew how big, how agressive, where the fish was from and what the fish's diet was.  What may seem obvious to someone who knows a certain fish, is not for someone who may not have heard of the fish before.  I believe that the name alone is not good fish or plant identification as it does not give enough information and may push potential bidders away as they will be unsure of what they are buying.  Same for plants.  I have seen some bags where there was the name of the plant and what lighting it needed and I believe some also stated how fast they were able to grow and how big.  Info on water conditions could also be a bonus!!

APW and PFG always do a nice job here, the nice printed colour pictures etc etc. Take a look next auction I give them a Huge :up:

[hamstercaster]

I'm in dissagreement on this one. For the following reason. When getting fish (Especially Africans) it can be hard to sex some species. Getting 5 in the bag help increase the odds of getting a trio out of the bunch and not have to go nuts looking for more of the same fish.  Nothing more anying then purchasing 3 fish and getting all males, as they mature you often end up giving two of the 3 away and then looking for females.  If it is more fish then you want purchase the lot (As long as you can house them temporarly and then either resell on the forum after you take the picks of the litter or wait till the next auction and bring some back for sale once they have grown some.
APW and PFG always do a nice job here, the nice printed colour pictures etc etc. Take a look next auction I give them a Huge :up:

err... I did take a look and not all bags contained enough information.... but I may have miss other signs maybe? is that what you mean?  You are right about the male/female ratio and all except that for some fishes, colors are the same for males and or females and in some of the cases, the fish were already big enough to know if they were males or females in the case of fish having different colors for males and females.  I guess it's a tough decision to make when you are the seller... Sell more in one shot and better the chances of having at least one male and perhaps some females, but risk not selling or selling for much less than expected or put fewer per bags and put the mention that they are not sexed and have the same odds of not selling for much or not at all I guess.

[bitterman]

err... I did take a look and not all bags contained enough information.... but I may have miss other signs maybe? is that what you mean?  You are right about the male/female ratio and all except that for some fishes, colors are the same for males and or females and in some of the cases, the fish were already big enough to know if they were males or females in the case of fish having different colors for males and females.  I guess it's a tough decision to make when you are the seller... Sell more in one shot and better the chances of having at least one male and perhaps some females, but risk not selling or selling for much less than expected or put fewer per bags and put the mention that they are not sexed and have the same odds of not selling for much or not at all I guess.

What I was saying is if everyone put information on like APW and PFG used to then there is more then enough information.

Bruce

[mseguin]

Personally, I think hacing multiple small lots does not sell as well. Of course, it depends on how popular the fish are. Someone broguht in several lots of 2 x BN plecos, and they all sold pretty well. But that's because most people are looking for them. When it comes to for example, Tangyanikan cichlids, there's a bit more limited market, and dividing them up makes the lots a bit less attractive. As well, there are other factors such as those Bruce mentionned. I paid 20$ for a trio of O. ventralis, I wouldn't have paid that much to be buy them individually. Selling 3 lots of 2 neons doesn't make sense either, or 3 lots of 2 strands of Cabomba.

[PaleoFishGirl]

I agree with mseguin, certain things sell better in groups.  You just have to know your market I guess and not oversaturate the auction with items.  If you bring in 50 bags of plant cuttings, people are going to stop bidding on plants eventually.  Bring in a few bags and you will get a lot more money.

[beowulf]

Personally, I think hacing multiple small lots does not sell as well. Of course, it depends on how popular the fish are. Someone broguht in several lots of 2 x BN plecos, and they all sold pretty well. But that's because most people are looking for them. When it comes to for example, Tangyanikan cichlids, there's a bit more limited market, and dividing them up makes the lots a bit less attractive. As well, there are other factors such as those Bruce mentionned. I paid 20$ for a trio of O. ventralis, I wouldn't have paid that much to be buy them individually. Selling 3 lots of 2 neons doesn't make sense either, or 3 lots of 2 strands of Cabomba.

Agreed, especially with schooling fish, I would rather buy a lot of 6-7 fish then see two or three lots with 2-3 fish in each.

[artw]

I agree with putting photos on the bags. It works.  especially when you're trying to sell fry.  Even better if you can put pictures of male and female,  family photos if you will.

I don't think you need to put the whole life story on the bags though,  you want to be actually able to see the fish!   Maybe just a quick note like adult size, temperment and food.   OVAS actually does, or did at one point had little labels you could print off and put on the bag,  and put a checkbox beside the aggression level etc.

And another note the blue water you sometimes see is called "Bag Buddies" your fish can last over 12 hours in the bags when you use this stuff

[BigDaddy]

There was a great "Auction Tips and Tricks" article published in one of last year's newsletters.

Check it out here

[Brine]

my two cents worth...I really like the info on the bags but what I found even better was the PDF document that came out just before the auction with a list of preregistered items. I knew I wanted plants and was able to research them before the auction. I'm sure the same could have been done for any fish that were preregistered. This also allowed me to guess how many items I wanted to bid on and how much I was willing to pay so I knew how much money I should take.
Thanks for the excellent work people.

[succinctfish]

The thing that you need to remember about that is that there are some folks who for whatever reason (too busy, can't decide what to bring until the last minute, want to keep the auction chair on his toes  ), register at the meeting, so you never know exactly what is going to be on the auction table, so you should always bring a little extra for the unexpected surprises. 

I am still a fan of having a fish table or fish section, so that the fish are not being crowded by equipment and plant bags.  A reminder to auction goers, if you pick up a bag of fish, please handle it gently, and put it back safely.  I put a little chloram-x in the bag with the fish, since I don't have bag buddies, and now I tape up the corners, as I have fish that can get caught in them, especially with repeated handling. I find I don't fret as much, or check on them as often now.  Remember, to many of us who sell fish at the auction, they are something we have cared for, and often have raised from fry, so they are special.  It's not all about getting a great deal.

[BigDaddy]

That's why I will double bag my fish, just so there are no corners.  Although, ottawadiscus does have those cool bags with the rounded corners... I need to get me some of those!

[charlie]

I am still a fan of having a fish table or fish section, so that the fish are not being crowded by equipment and plant bags.  A reminder to auction goers, if you pick up a bag of fish, please handle it gently, and put it back safely.  I put a little chloram-x in the bag with the fish, since I don't have bag buddies, and now I tape up the corners, as I have fish that can get caught in them, especially with repeated handling. I find I don't fret as much, or check on them as often now.  Remember, to many of us who sell fish at the auction, they are something we have cared for, and often have raised from fry, so they are special.  It's not all about getting a great deal.

i could not agree more, i was amazed how many people were handling bags of fish ( already stressed) with no sense of  care .A fish only table will help somewhat( no light fixtures to move to see the fish  )
Regards 

[washefuzzy]

i could not agree more, i was amazed how many people were handling bags of fish ( already stressed) with no sense of  care .A fish only table will help somewhat( no light fixtures to move to see the fish  )
Regards 

I wanted to make a big sign " Don't pick up the fish"   "at least gently please"
Other than that I thought the auction was great fun and was amazed at the speed it went at. 

[renadia]

Maybe if the bags were placed on a separate table in a way that people could clearly see the fish inside.

• The top part of the bad with the air could have the sticker with information
• bottom part we could see the fish to have them just leaning back a bit a face cloth or something could be placed behind so the bag doesn't fall completely and leave the fish swimming in less water
• Posters could be placed just above indicating not to pick up the bags (I could do them)
• The auctioneers should leave the bags on the table and instead read of a list
• The buyer after he has paid could then pick up his fish or leave them on the table until the auction is finished
• And maybe the suggestion of people looking to buy fish should bring a small box to put their bags in, this way the fish bag would stay vertical and the fish wouldn't stress as much

This way if your looking to buy fish you can see what you're buying, you don't have to pick up the bags, the way they were placed we couldn't see and I don't think anyone here would go buy fish without looking at them and selecting which they want.