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PVAS auction this weekend?

DiscusnAfricans

Past President
I thought I remembered seeing something about an auction during the last weekend of April. Where can I find details on the event? How is it run similar to ours? I appreciate any info. Thanks.
 

maddog10

Members
Not run like ours. Buyers and sellers must register. Bidders have to turn in their drivers license, because you run a tab until you are ready to leave or the auction ends. You get your license back when you pay your tab. Sellers get a check mailed to them at a later date. Pretty sure that is correct.
 

F8LBITE

Members
The PVAS spring auction is awesome. I went to it last year and really wished I would have brought more money. Its really easy to get to its like 1/4 mile off of RT66. Something for everybody, unfortunately Im going to be outof town this weekend otherwise Id be there.

http://www.pvas.com/auctions.php
 

DiscusnAfricans

Past President
Thanks for all of the info. I was going to ask about the when and where but I got all the info from the link. I'd like to get down there, but not sure if I will make it. I'd ideally have to be down in VA by 10AM. Getting up early on a weekend and driving in VA are 2 things I rarely do. Many people planning on going from our club?
 

SubMariner

Master Jedi & Past VP
Yea, the last time I went was spring of 2007 and there were hardly any African Cichlids in the Auction. I was some what disappointed, but I heard last year was pretty decent. They have great deals on Tanks.

If anyone has more details about the Auction that would be great.


RM
 

George

CCA Charter Member and person in charge of the we
I understand that there will be some very nice and very big tanks(200+ gal rumor has it). There are always plenty of interesting drygoods. Cichlids are not big with PVAS. That doesn't mean there won't be some good ones but many PVASers are borderline anti-cichlid. If you are available Sunnday and especially if you haven't gone before, I promise you won't be sorry if you go. There are always fish you never thought you would see at prices that are terrific. It is a very good and well run event.

George
 

mrkillie

Members
I was thinking about going, but I'd like to know more about how the auction is run. If the auction starts at 10:00, but registration still goes until noon, will they be auctioning items that you haven't had a chance to view yet? Is there a separate staging area for items being brought in later? Does that mean you'll have to miss some of the auction if you want to view items coming in? Are items auctioned on a first come, first auctioned basis? I was at the fall auction and it was done pretty well, but they didn't take items in after the auction started. This sounds a bit shaky.

Please clue me in!

Joel
 

Charlutz

Members
I was thinking about going, but I'd like to know more about how the auction is run. If the auction starts at 10:00, but registration still goes until noon, will they be auctioning items that you haven't had a chance to view yet? Is there a separate staging area for items being brought in later? Does that mean you'll have to miss some of the auction if you want to view items coming in? Are items auctioned on a first come, first auctioned basis? I was at the fall auction and it was done pretty well, but they didn't take items in after the auction started. This sounds a bit shaky.

Please clue me in!

Joel


I used to go years and years ago. The way it worked then was that the items were auctioned off in order. So each seller numbered their own items 1-15 or whatever. If you had more than the 10 or 15 items that made up a seller sheet, you filled out a second sheet. All the 1's were auctioned first, then the 2's, etc. The 1's took the longest to do because there were more of them, and because people usually put their best stuff first, which meant more (and longer) bidding. There were breaks every so often so you could look at the tables and see what was coming in late. It's pretty much like any other auction. You have to sit through a lot of stuff you won't be interested in, but you can score some great deals. I got an Iwaki water pump for $35 and when I didn't need it anymore, sold it on ebay maybe 5-7 years later for $175.
 

lonlangione

Members
I was thinking about going, but I'd like to know more about how the auction is run. If the auction starts at 10:00, but registration still goes until noon, will they be auctioning items that you haven't had a chance to view yet? Is there a separate staging area for items being brought in later? Does that mean you'll have to miss some of the auction if you want to view items coming in? Are items auctioned on a first come, first auctioned basis? I was at the fall auction and it was done pretty well, but they didn't take items in after the auction started. This sounds a bit shaky.

Please clue me in!

Joel

PVAS has been running auctions for over 30 years. This club wrote the book on running auctions. They run smooth and they don't charge for bidding numbers either. I give them LOTS of credit for keeping the registration open two hours past the auction start time. It CUTS off 2 hours on the backside of the auction. Nothing shaky here Joel, just great fish people running a great SMOOTH auction. If you were at the catfish convention, you got a preview. I was at the Greater Pittsburgh auction this past weekend and they also run a smooth auction. That auction ran for 8 solid hours.......... Non-stop auctioning.

Lonny
 

mrkillie

Members
PVAS has been running auctions for over 30 years. This club wrote the book on running auctions. They run smooth and they don't charge for bidding numbers either. I give them LOTS of credit for keeping the registration open two hours past the auction start time. It CUTS off 2 hours on the backside of the auction. Nothing shaky here Joel, just great fish people running a great SMOOTH auction. If you were at the catfish convention, you got a preview. I was at the Greater Pittsburgh auction this past weekend and they also run a smooth auction. That auction ran for 8 solid hours.......... Non-stop auctioning.

Lonny

Lonny,

I just want to make sure that I'll have a chance to see everything before it's auctioned off, and I don't want to miss anything while doing so. That is simply because

A) most auctioneers have, at best a little, and at worst a whole heckuva lot, of trouble pronouncing scientific names (and that includes those that were auctioneers at the catfish convention last fall)

B) it's tough to get a good fish count in the bag sometimes, and auctioneers try to do it more quickly and sometimes err. Their judgement of fish size also sometimes varies greatly from reality.

C) obviously, I trust my own judgement of fish health much more than anyone else's

and D) I'll have an idea of how many bags/species I am interested in - if it's only a few, maybe I just up the $2 fast forward fee for each of them and get the heck out of dodge that much earlier.

And yes, they did a good job at the catfish convention and Pittsburgh has been doing a good job since before I was in that club, but I've been to some that have run more smoothly. One thing they do at the AKA convention auction that I haven't seen anywhere else, and I don't know why-although I don't go to all that many auctions (maybe 4 o 5 /year) is to list the auction lots that are coming up on an overhead screen so people can plan their trips to the restroom, to get refreshments, or whatever. Easily done with a laptop and a projector or an overhead projector.

Joel
 

ingg

Members
Easily done if items are logged in days previously, you mean.

They have hundreds upon hundreds of lots. Runners grab items from the tables marked in the appropriate lot at random and real time. Love to see you log them all in, and sort them in the order of which the auctioneers auction them - REAL TIME, you can't get any prep work. All you need to do is type 120 wpm and get a nice orderly line of 15-18 runners. ;)
 

mrkillie

Members
Easily done if items are logged in days previously, you mean.

They have hundreds upon hundreds of lots. Runners grab items from the tables marked in the appropriate lot at random and real time. Love to see you log them all in, and sort them in the order of which the auctioneers auction them - REAL TIME, you can't get any prep work. All you need to do is type 120 wpm and get a nice orderly line of 15-18 runners. ;)

No, actually, I do NOT mean that. It's all done real time at the AKA, and they have hundreds of lots as well. Nobody determines the order of the auction prior to the start of it. You could never maintain the order. AND the AKA auction moves a lot faster than any general club auction I've ever been to. None of this crap of up and down with the hands and "going once, going twice etc.". It's put your hand up at the beginning of the bid, last one up wins, move to the next item. My guess would be that it moves at least 50% faster than say, the catfish convention auction last fall.

As for implementing such a system at the auction, you just have the runners grab a bag of fish, go to the person at the computer, he notes the lot # and an abbreviation of the fish name (i.e. #134 Neo. brich). They don't have to write out "Lot # 134 (6) Fry Neolamprologus brichardi". Just a brief indication of what is to come. Heck, you could even just do the lot number. Then they go to their place in line by the auctioneer. And everyone will be a lot happier.

Joel
 

iamzrad

Members
Yikes, I forgot the College Park tuning meet is the same day. I might stop by the auction after the meet if there is still time left over.

Can you jump in the auction (buyer) at any time?
 

mscichlid

Founder
You can buy a bidder's card anytime during the auction. Make sure to bring your license and cash and you are good to go...
 

DonkeyFish

Members
Except you don't actually have to *buy* a bidder's card :) Just turn over your license as collateral.

It's an all-day auction for sure. If you're just coming in the afternoon you'll be more limited so far as what's still there, but the upside is the prices drop as the day goes on. Come on out when you get done! Never know what you'll see....

iamzrad: College Park tuning meet?? Assuming that refers to cars, yes? Shop affiliated or just clubs 'n folks?
 
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