42 replies to this topic

[Candy LaChance]

HOW THE AUCTIONS WORK
When the auctions are posted, the end dates and times will appear along with the thread title. The thread title will indicate if the item is “BIDDING” or “CLOSED.” Each auction item will have it's own thread; most items will run for a week, Friday to the following Saturday or Sunday (although some might be squeezed in-between). Threads will post a description, a picture, auction dates and times, name of the donor, retail value, and will include a minimum bid. Bidding will be done by posting in the thread. The last posted bid to be date-stamped with the end time on the auction end date will be the lucky winner, so be sure to note the auction closing date and time.

BIDDING:

The bidding for all auctions will be done in graduated increments:
$10 bidding increments for items auctioning between $0 - $200
$25 bidding increments for items auctioning between $201 - $500
$50 bidding increments for items auctioning over $501+
$100 bidding increments for items auctioning over $1000
This is being done to avoid insignificant last minute bids to win an auction.

Winners will be notified with the amount due including cost of any shipping (if applicable); unless for unusual circumstances (overseas, oversize, overweight, overnight) shipping will generally now be included in your winning bid. Donors, please contact me or LoweTek for reimbursement of shipping costs. Payment must be received via PayPal (no account required) within 24 hours or the item will go to the next highest bidder unless special arrangements have been made.

In the case of last minute competitive bids: If it appears there are 'sniper' bids coming in at the last minute by bidders without a previous bidding history for that item for the sole purpose of winning an auction, or if there is a large amount of activity by previous bidders, or if the server appears too slow to quickly register bids, a "BEST AND FINAL OVERTIME" will be declared by the Auction Hall Monitors. At the close of the auction, the top 3 bidders will be named. To qualify as a "Top Bidder" one must have bid on an auction PRIOR TO and and WITHIN the final 20 minutes of the end of an auction with the highest bids. The 3 top bidders will then have the opportunity to send via PM one last BEST AND FINAL confidential bid to the Auction Hall Monitor (who will probably be me, Fris, Lowetek or an appointed deputy to be named later). The highest bid will be declared the winner and then posted in the auction thread along with the amount of the winning bid; if there is a tie, those bidders will be offered a chance to bid again, until a winner is declared. Not every auction might qualify for Best and Final OT.

A note about bidding: Each auction will contain an estimated “retail value;” this is not the point at which bidding should stop. Overbids add up to more money going to Curt’s Pitch; also, the difference between the retail value and the overbid is tax deductible. The auction is not necessarily a place to hunt for bargains. The end goal is to raise as much money as possible for Curt’s Pitch for ALS. Please see the auction as a place to find unique items donated by friends and neighbors you wouldn’t find elsewhere, with the sole purpose of the exercise to raise money.

Non-members are also welcome to bid on auction items, but must register with a $5.00 donation to Curt's Pitch; this is to ensure we have current contact information. To do this, go to the Donation site and click on the DONATE link under the SoSH logo or in the box on the top left of the page. This donation is tax-deductible.

PAYING FOR AN AUCTION
To pay for your auction, go to the Donation site and click on the "Pay for Auction Item" box on the top left-hand side, or by clicking HERE. You can also click the “Pay for Auction Item” link under the Softball Bash logo.

The instructions at the top of the donate page are as follows:

1. Please fill out the form below (Required for Drawing - Otherwise Optional)
2. Click Send Button (You will be returned to this screen)
3. Click the Donate button to make your donation (PayPal account not required)

This two step process was intentional based on certain security concerns (long story). It is two steps:

1. Fill out the form, be returned to the page, 2. click the Donate button, log in to PayPal (or enter payment information), make donation.

So it's first, fill out the form and confirm. Second, click the Donate button and do the financial transaction.

****RAFFLES****
Anyone making a $100 or higher donation, donating an item(s) worth $100 or more, or whose items bring $100 or more in an auction, will be automatically entered into the raffle. Drawings for the raffle will be held at the Softball Bash: a prize will be named and a winner drawn for that item. Prizes will be delivered or sent after the weekend is over, and everyone has recovered from their hangovers.

Special information for non-members:
Just to clarify, as there has been some confusion: registration is $5. A t-shirt is $15; if you do both it's $20. Even though a 'enter t-shirt size' prompt is there and you enter the size you don't get a shirt unless the correct payment is there. When you see the 'comments' box, please write out what your donation is for (e.g. "registration and shirt" or "shirt" or "registration" etc.), otherwise we have no way of knowing how to use your money for you. If you donate $50 your shirt is included in the donation (write: donation and shirt); if you donate $100+ you are entered into the raffle and get a shirt (write: donation, raffle and shirt). Thanks!

Unregistered non-member bids, welchers, fakers, scabs and scammers will be frowned upon, and treated with suspension or banishment in addition to the heaping on of scorn and derision.

Have fun! Bid high and bid often!

Edited by Candy LaChance, 23 July 2008 - 10:57 AM.

[Lose Remerswaal]

I'm not the smartest, but I don't see a link to the Auction page with all the fabulous prizes

[Candy LaChance]

The SoSH Softball Bash Auction is only days away from full launch. A few brave donors have put up their auctions early to give you a taste of what is in store. [If they're not here yet, they will be very soon. Really!]

They'll be here in this very place. . .just getting started. . .but because our donors have day jobs, we may have to wait till this evening.

Suspense, building. . .

edit: reason for delay

Edited by Candy LaChance, 01 July 2008 - 12:19 PM.

[Deathofthebambino]

The last posted bid to be date-stamped with the end time on the auction end date will be the lucky winner, so be sure to note the auction closing date and time.

I kind of think this should be discussed as it could pose a problem of it's not, as some folks may just wait until the very last minute to bid thereby depressing prices. I'm not sure what can be done to potentially alleviate the issue, but I think there needs to be some stressing that this shouldn't be what people do. This is an auction for charity and I hope folks don't think it's a time to be getting a good deal. You may and probably will find some good deals here, but the goal is to raise as much money as possible, so if you have a bid to make, make it as early as possible so you give the person you bid against a chance to re-bid (thereby increasing the money for charity, in case I wasn't clear) and so on and so forth, like any real live auction.

Just thinking out loud, we could impose some form of penalty on someone who takes this direction, unless they can prove that they were forced into waiting by other events, like being offline, etc. Maybe remove them from future bidding or some suspension or something. I don't know. but I do know that this is the danger of "silent" auctions where the auction is done in writing with a definitve time, and what you notice is people constantly standing around looking at each other and waiting until the last minute to get the last bid in, but spending the least possible on the item. It defeats the purpose of the charity auction, it sucks and it's just a shitty thing to do.

Put down the negotiating and strategy minds that are on full display on the main board here and pick up your wallet.

Edited by Deathofthebambino, 06 July 2008 - 07:32 PM.

[amh03]

I kind of think this should be discussed as it could pose a problem of it's not, as some folks may just wait until the very last minute to bid thereby depressing prices. I'm not sure what can be done to potentially alleviate the issue, but I think there needs to be some stressing that this shouldn't be what people do. This is an auction for charity and I hope folks don't think it's a time to be getting a good deal. You may and probably will find some good deals here, but the goal is to raise as much money as possible, so if you have a bid to make, make it as early as possible so you give the person you bid against a chance to re-bid (thereby increasing the money for charity, in case I wasn't clear) and so on and so forth, like any real live auction.

Just thinking out loud, we could impose some form of penalty on someone who takes this direction, unless they can prove that they were forced into waiting by other events, like being offline, etc. Maybe remove them from future bidding or some suspension or something. I don't know. but I do know that this is the danger of "silent" auctions where the auction is done in writing with a definitve time, and what you notice is people constantly standing around looking at each other and waiting until the last minute to get the last bid in, but spending the least possible on the item. It defeats the purpose of the charity auction, it sucks and it's just a shitty thing to do.

Put down the negotiating and strategy minds that are on full display on the main board here and pick up your wallet.

This is actually a very good point.

One quick suggestion - no auctions will be awarded to "first time bidders" date stamped at the conclusion of the auction.

In otherwords, if the first time I bid on an item, is at the exact time of its closing, my bid is automatically negated. And it will be awarded to the next highest bid. Does that do more damage than good? Can't tell...any other thoughts?

[Deathofthebambino]

I like the idea.

[Candy LaChance]

Good points, you guys. I don't know if there is a way to impose a concrete rule about this, but we'll put our heads together and see if we can come up with some ideas. Thanks.

[Trautwein's Degree]

Good points, you guys. I don't know if there is a way to impose a concrete rule about this, but we'll put our heads together and see if we can come up with some ideas. Thanks.

Holy crap what an auction.

Seriously, I'd be shocked if it doesn't raise north of $30,000.00 for Curt's Pitch. There's so much great stuff and it's a great cause.

Wow.

[Candy LaChance]

Holy crap what an auction.

Seriously, I'd be shocked if it doesn't raise north of $30,000.00 for Curt's Pitch. There's so much great stuff and it's a great cause.

Wow.

Thanks, Traut! But you ain't seen nothin' yet!

[sittingstill]

Just thinking out loud, we could impose some form of penalty on someone who takes this direction, unless they can prove that they were forced into waiting by other events, like being offline, etc. Maybe remove them from future bidding or some suspension or something.

While I agree with you in principle, the idea of taking such a negative attitude and actually penalizing the person who bid the most because they waited until the last minute astounds me. Particularly when you have multiple items at staggered times, such that one may not know what one's budget is until another item ends. amh03's idea is a good one, but suspending someone because they bid the most at the last minute? That's pretty harsh.

[Deathofthebambino]

While I agree with you in principle, the idea of taking such a negative attitude and actually penalizing the person who bid the most because they waited until the last minute astounds me. Particularly when you have multiple items at staggered times, such that one may not know what one's budget is until another item ends. amh03's idea is a good one, but suspending someone because they bid the most at the last minute? That's pretty harsh.

Like I said, I was just thinking out loud.

That said, I wouldn't call it a negative attitude. It's a fact of life with silent auctions, and it goes against what the auction is all about, raising as much money as possible for charity. If people want to get the lowest price they can for something, they should go somewhere else because a charity auction isn't the place for it. I don't care even a little bit if it seems harsh, I care about Fris' charity getting the most from this that they can, and if a penalty is necessary to achieve that end, I'm fine with it, although I like amh's idea better.

[Lefty on the Mound]

In otherwords, if the first time I bid on an item, is at the exact time of its closing, my bid is automatically negated. And it will be awarded to the next highest bid. Does that do more damage than good? Can't tell...any other thoughts?

I share in the sentiment of wanting to raise as much as we can. But I have real doubts about the prevention power of this approach and need to point out that awarding the item to the second highest bidder would deliver less, not more money to the charity.

I am thankful that we are not using eBay, where professional auction sniper software could be used to post last-minute bids automatically.

If the item is so attractive that someone wants the item badly enough to schedule time to sit by their computer to get in a last minute bid, perhaps there will be more than one such person who wants the item. In that case, if we were to extend the ending time of an auction by 15 minutes when a bid is placed within 10 minutes of the originally scheduled ending time and re-extend it by 15 minutes for each bid thereafter, it would give competing bidders a chance to up their bid and negate the power of last-minute bidding to minimize the final selling price.

For an extended auction, the bidding would end once there is 15 minute gap between bids.

[Trautwein's Degree]

That said, I wouldn't call it a negative attitude. It's a fact of life with silent auctions, and it goes against what the auction is all about, raising as much money as possible for charity. If people want to get the lowest price they can for something, they should go somewhere else because a charity auction isn't the place for it. I don't care even a little bit if it seems harsh, I care about Fris' charity getting the most from this that they can, and if a penalty is necessary to achieve that end, I'm fine with it, although I like amh's idea better.

I'm willing to guess there are plenty of people here who will do what I do which is to make an early bid at what they are willing to pay for an item and then sit back and see if anyone bids higher throughout the week and then check in at the last moment.

I really like and want some of these things so I'm not about to waste anyone's time or charitable money by bidding minimums on things I want.

That and there are a lot of charitable people on this site and a lot of people with a lot of coin. SoSH has never failed to step up to the plate for things like this and I think this auction is going to make a lot of money.

Edited by Trautwein's Degree, 07 July 2008 - 09:46 AM.

[amh03]

I share in the sentiment of wanting to raise as much as we can. But I have real doubts about the prevention power of this approach and need to point out that awarding the item to the second highest bidder would deliver less, not more money to the charity.

I agree - that is why I added my last comment...it would, to some extent, reduce the amount a bit.

I'm hopeful that enough interest will be generated by all of the items (which are really looking quite exciting), that there will be multiple bids ongoing.

If the item is so attractive that someone wants the item badly enough to schedule time to sit by their computer to get in a last minute bid, perhaps there will be more than one such person who wants the item. In that case, if we were to extend the ending time of an auction by 15 minutes when a bid is placed within 10 minutes of the originally scheduled ending time and re-extend it by 15 minutes for each bid thereafter, it would give competing bidders a chance to up their bid and negate the power of last-minute bidding to minimize the final selling price.

This might not be a bad idea, though it might need to be modified a little.

One other thought - say the item closes at 1:00 p.m. and there are 2+ bids for the same amount (or within a pre-determined amount of money which basically equates to identical amounts, like $105 vs. $107.75) time stamped at exactly 1:00. Could we develop a kind of sudden death competition between the tied bids? I'm not even sure we'd need to set a time limite on the sudden death...let them keep bidding against eachother until one of them stops. Kind of like that drinking competition being discussed in P&G. When someone pukes or falls over - the other wins.

Another tactic often taken in real auctions is that increment amounts are predetermined - say $25 increments (or $10). So, for example, you can't bid $113, you'd have to bid $125 if you wanted to go above $100? Would that help or hurt?

[Drocca]

Isn't the goal to make the most money for the charity?

I assume if someone bids at the last possible moment and it is the winning bid then their bid was for the most money, right?

And then it goes to charity. So, instead of taking the most money you take the second most money because the most money was sneaky?

[Trautwein's Degree]

Another tactic often taken in real auctions is that increment amounts are predetermined - say $25 increments (or $10). So, for example, you can't bid $113, you'd have to bid $125 if you wanted to go above $100? Would that help or hurt?

Circle gets the square!

This is a great idea.

[Deathofthebambino]

I share in the sentiment of wanting to raise as much as we can. But I have real doubts about the prevention power of this approach and need to point out that awarding the item to the second highest bidder would deliver less, not more money to the charity.

I am thankful that we are not using eBay, where professional auction sniper software could be used to post last-minute bids automatically.

If the item is so attractive that someone wants the item badly enough to schedule time to sit by their computer to get in a last minute bid, perhaps there will be more than one such person who wants the item. In that case, if we were to extend the ending time of an auction by 15 minutes when a bid is placed within 10 minutes of the originally scheduled ending time and re-extend it by 15 minutes for each bid thereafter, it would give competing bidders a chance to up their bid and negate the power of last-minute bidding to minimize the final selling price.

For an extended auction, the bidding would end once there is 15 minute gap between bids.

I like this idea too. This is why there needed to be a discussion because I think we can come up with something that works to avoid the problem before it occurs.

[Drocca]

What problem?

Whoever bids the most money before the deadline "wins" the auction and, in turn, the charity receives their money. Making it more complicated is just going to turn off people, and there are already a lot of items for auction. One man's opinion.

[Deathofthebambino]

Isn't the goal to make the most money for the charity?

I assume if someone bids at the last possible moment and it is the winning bid then their bid was for the most money, right?

And then it goes to charity. So, instead of taking the most money you take the second most money because the most money was sneaky?

The problem Drocca is that with last minute bids, you are preventing someone else from upping their bid. For example, let's say an auction opens at 100$, and the first bidder on Monday bids $150.

Now, everyone waits and waits and waits and one minute before the auction is set to close, someone bids $175.00 and they take it. The original bidder may have been willing to go to $200 or more, but now they don't have a chance. They lost out on the item and they lost the ability to up the bid, making more money for charity. What you could do is say to the person with the $150 bid, "you have the chance to match the late bid of $175" thus, the charity gets the same amount and the sneaky bidder doesn't get shit.

[Drocca]

I sort of see what you're saying, but it is my understand that that's sort of how auctions work.

[Trautwein's Degree]

I sort of see what you're saying, but it is my understand that that's sort of how auctions work.

Drocca,

Death secretly hates free markets. Don't tell anyone in V&N.

[Deathofthebambino]

I sort of see what you're saying, but it is my understand that that's sort of how auctions work.

No, it's really not. That's how "silent" auctions work. In a true auction, there is no time limit. The auctioneer just let's the bidding go on and on until everyone is done bidding. That's why they say "Going once, going twice, sold...." The auction could theoretically go on forever as long as two people want to bid on the item.

With an auction that has a time deadline, you have the issue I'm talking about, where one bidder may just sit on their hands and wait until the end, thereby reducing the amount of possible re-bids you could have. You could have a bidder willing to go to $1,000.00 on an item, but if time runs out right after someone bids $200, they are shit out of luck as is the charity, which is what we need to avoid here.

[Deathofthebambino]

Drocca,

Death secretly hates free markets. Don't tell anyone in V&N.

Au contraire, what I want here is a true free market. What we are trying to avoid is someone manipulating the market.

[Candy LaChance]

Thanks everyone for your input on this. Fris, LoweTek and I will put our collective heads together and try to come up with a solution that works for everyone. When we figure it out I'll let you all know here. It's cool how you all sincerely want this to work, and to find a way to make the most we can for the auction.

[Trautwein's Degree]

You could have a bidder willing to go to $1,000.00 on an item, but if time runs out right after someone bids $200, they are shit out of luck as is the charity, which is what we need to avoid here.

I may agree with you that this may be a problem if this auction was for a group of total strangers. We are a community here and a charitable one at that.

Fave posted that the men and women couldn't get the internet in Iraq and within a few hours a super delux internet satelite was on its way to Iraq with a subscription paid. The donations weren't deductible and there was nothing in it for any of us.

Compare that with the chance to sit in BSL's seats for a game or Pats tickets.

This auction will do fine.

[Drocca]

No, it's really not. That's how "silent" auctions work. In a true auction, there is no time limit. The auctioneer just let's the bidding go on and on until everyone is done bidding. That's why they say "Going once, going twice, sold...." The auction could theoretically go on forever as long as two people want to bid on the item.

With an auction that has a time deadline, you have the issue I'm talking about, where one bidder may just sit on their hands and wait until the end, thereby reducing the amount of possible re-bids you could have. You could have a bidder willing to go to $1,000.00 on an item, but if time runs out right after someone bids $200, they are shit out of luck as is the charity, which is what we need to avoid here.

I was referring to online auctions, since I assumed this was the type of auction this was going to be.

[kanga12]

Another tactic often taken in real auctions is that increment amounts are predetermined - say $25 increments (or $10). So, for example, you can't bid $113, you'd have to bid $125 if you wanted to go above $100? Would that help or hurt?

Like Traut, I think this is a good idea. The (retail) value of the item could predetermine the bidding increments (i.e. items < $100 in increments of $5, $100-$200 in increments of $10, > $200 in increments of $25 -- these are just possibilities)

To prevent last-minute snipe bids, why not allow the previous highest bidder one final opportunity to outbid the sniper-bid at the close of the auction? If the previous highest bidder decides to outbid the sniper bid, he/she wins. If he/she choose not to, the sniper bid wins. Knowing that the previous highest bidder has this option would in essence force any last minute snipers to bid "fair" value. I've seen this work fairly well in some other auction formats.

[LoweTek]

Like Traut, I think this is a good idea. The (retail) value of the item could predetermine the bidding increments (i.e. items < $100 in increments of $5, $100-$200 in increments of $10, > $200 in increments of $25 -- these are just possibilities)

To prevent last-minute snipe bids, why not allow the previous highest bidder one final opportunity to outbid the sniper-bid at the close of the auction? If the previous highest bidder decides to outbid the sniper bid, he/she wins. If he/she choose not to, the sniper bid wins. Knowing that the previous highest bidder has this option would in essence force any last minute snipers to bid "fair" value. I've seen this work fairly well in some other auction formats.

This is a doable idea, both of them. Any other comments on it before we huddle and settle the final rules?

[Jim Ed Rice in HOF]

This is a doable idea, both of them. Any other comments on it before we huddle and settle the final rules?

Similar to Kanga's idea, I've seen silent auctions that have a set end time for bids and then a 15-30 minute "overtime" open only to those who bid before the end time. The highest bidder may still end up being the one whose bid is placed earlier, but it does give everyone else that has been bidding a last chance if for some reason they couldn't counter right at the end.

[Deathofthebambino]

I may agree with you that this may be a problem if this auction was for a group of total strangers. We are a community here and a charitable one at that.

Fave posted that the men and women couldn't get the internet in Iraq and within a few hours a super delux internet satelite was on its way to Iraq with a subscription paid. The donations weren't deductible and there was nothing in it for any of us.

Compare that with the chance to sit in BSL's seats for a game or Pats tickets.

This auction will do fine.

Famous last words. And if I'm not mistaken, this is open to lurkers as well, so it isn't just the good folks that helped get Jamie his internet that we are talking about. I've seen guys who make millions hang around silent auction tables putting in bids at the very end for less than the value of an item, so that they can "steal" it without being reraised after they bid.

Like I said, I'm not trying to piss anyone off or cause a problem, it's just something that I've seen happen countless times over the years at charity events and it completely sucks when you have someone who is willing to pony up serious coin for an item only to be told that they couldn't because someone else came in right at the bell and then the auction ended. I have no doubt that the auction will do fine, but if it can do better, it should.

[LoweTek]

Famous last words. And if I'm not mistaken, this is open to lurkers as well, so it isn't just the good folks that helped get Jamie his internet that we are talking about. I've seen guys who make millions hang around silent auction tables putting in bids at the very end for less than the value of an item, so that they can "steal" it without being reraised after they bid.

Like I said, I'm not trying to piss anyone off or cause a problem, it's just something that I've seen happen countless times over the years at charity events and it completely sucks when you have someone who is willing to pony up serious coin for an item only to be told that they couldn't because someone else came in right at the bell and then the auction ended. I have no doubt that the auction will do fine, but if it can do better, it should.

We agree Death. We'll work with some of these ideas and work something out. Some combination of overtime, minimum increments, etc. will be announced. Watch the thread.

[Candy LaChance]

The opening post of this thread has been edited to include some bidding and end of auction changes.

[DLew On Roids]

If you want to maximize the money from the auction, use a Dutch auction. Then you get the most the highest bidder is willing to pay instead of one step above the second-highest bidder.

[Sille Skrub]

Leave my people out of this, Owen.

[William Robertson]

The opening post of this thread has been edited to include some bidding and end of auction changes.

Accuse me of SoSH fanboyism if you like, but I think Death was right about the problems endemic to silent auctions

AND

I think the overtime bidding program Fris, Lowe, and Candy came up with is pretty cool. Buncha geniuses.

[Candy LaChance]

Accuse me of SoSH fanboyism if you like, but I think Death was right about the problems endemic to silent auctions

AND

I think the overtime bidding program Fris, Lowe, and Candy came up with is pretty cool. Buncha geniuses.

I think I speak for all of us when I say:

[LoweTek]

Accuse me of SoSH fanboyism if you like, but I think Death was right about the problems endemic to silent auctions

AND

I think the overtime bidding program Fris, Lowe, and Candy came up with is pretty cool. Buncha geniuses.

Credit Death, Kanga, Amh03 and JimEd and Traut for inciting. We just try to be open to good input. Thanks though.

Edited by LoweTek, 08 July 2008 - 09:05 PM.

[Candy LaChance]

Credit Death, Kanga, Amh03 and JimEd and Traut for inciting. We just try to be open to good input. Thanks though.

Also Lefty and sittingstill

[Candy LaChance]

OK! Ready, set, GO!

[Orange Julia]

Hey, is someone going to do some serious press around this event once its done and the riches have been tallied? I hope?

[Saints Rest]

Is it too late to offer something for auction? If not, how do I go about getting the details up for bid? PM to Candy? Is there a thread somewhere with all the info?

[Candy LaChance]

New bidding increment added:

$100 for auctions $1000+