114 replies to this topic

[bigjohnnofish]

although i have never been to an auction - prior commitment on tuesday nights... i would like to suggest some buy it now stuff that members can pickup prior to auction... eg. bags of feeder fish for a set price... perhaps a couple stalls setup for selling driftwood / limestone / rocks / plants etc... and any dry goods... maybe something sponsers should be given first option with...  with same sort of proceeds going to the club 10% of sales or a set price for a stall... stall may consist of a standard size table and anything you can fit on the table is permitted to be sold... to stop someone bringing a whole shop and perhaps restrict the auctioning part to just fish (livestock)...

stall can be open for sales prior to auction commencement but no selling permitted during auction.. this may speed up the night a bit... and people can still get their driftwood and drygoods at a reasonable price as bargaining can still be done... after the auction people with stalls may want to discount to move anything left or take it back for another time...

 

whaddoyathink ???

[Bermont]

+1 johnos idea, might be a damn good idea, it would definately speed up the auction and i think paying $10 for the night for non members and $5 for members would be fair, would make the intermission a lot more interesting but would have to be limited to like 3 tables at most otherwise there would be no room in the hall, maybe replace every 2nd auction with a fish fair, where sellers can setup tables as mentioned above

Edited by Bermont, 05 September 2013 - 02:33 AM.

[Androo]

Pencil auction?

Not sure if all pencil auctions are the same but I went to one that works a little like autobid on online auctions. Everyone writes their top bid on each lot they are interested and if say the bids written are $5, $15, $50, $100. The guy who wrote $100 wins at the price of 10% higher then the next highest ($55) unless exceeding their bid ie bid of $100 and $105 the winning bid is $105 and dosnt pay $110 (10% more then lower bid) or another was winner pays $1 more then the next highest bid.

Probably getting a little confusing now
But just one sheet for each lot. Say an hour for all buyers to walk around viewing and writing and then its a case of auctioneer walks to each item and says the highest price and bidders number. obviously people need to place the highest they are willing to go for it to work. Not place a bid and hope no one out bids you

Edited by Androo, 05 September 2013 - 12:57 PM.

[Bickley]

I think anything that is going to make the auction any longer Is a bad idea as it already gets hard when you get home and have 4 hours till work Plus some people bag there fish up at say 5:30-6 come to the auction they then sit there all night for example I got home at midnight that means the fish I bought were sitting in a bag for like 6 hours. I had. 1x dead Tanzanian when i left the auction the other one practically dead by the time i got home and 1x electric yellow still not looking so good. Should maybe put bag size limits on lots if there larger fish split then up to bag 1/2 & 2/2

[Bermont]

i suggested also bringing in heaters to make sure the temps dont drop too low, but there was a few lots at the auction that needed rebagging

[Poncho]

LOL...I’m not requesting Klienz, I’m suggesting – there is a difference.

 

And I would think non-attendance by members is totally relevant to “improving” auctions. Perhaps you have different criteria for what makes an auction or any other PCS event successful? Do share as I’m confused as to why my absence makes my comments non sequitur yet ironically my absence is relevant enough to be noticed – at least by Klienz?

 

Anyway, I’ll look forward to my dose of retaliatory sarcasm and explain my point better J – the auctions used to be standing room only, 200+ lots and work their way into the early hours of the morning. These auctions were and are raved about. Is this where the PCS wants to get auctions back to? I’m assuming it does to a degree, maybe not the late finishes, but I’m not assuming or suggesting that the current auctions are bad and that people aren’t enjoying them either.

 

Less frequent auctions were being discussed when I was on committee. It wasn’t my idea - I think bradfitzy first mentioned it, but I think it is an idea that has merit. Personally I think auctions are generally the most favoured events on the PCS calendar by the majority of members. Maybe though, if the members had to wait a bit longer for one to come around, then they may get a little more excited about it when the auction day finally comes and we may get greater participation. Is that what we want? I don’t actually know if it is but the amount of campaigning for lots prior to this auction suggests to me that we are looking for more participation and that things are stale – tbh they have been for quite a while.

 

You guys can take it or leave it, I don’t mind. And I’ve posted rather than pm’d, not to stick one up Anka but because I think it’s beneficial to get other members to put forward whether they think an idea is worthwhile. My suggestion may be the most unpopular one since the time I suggested Bowdy become a moderator and if it is then committee can dismiss it quite easily.

[Kleinz]

The idea has both good points and bad. Rest assured it will be discussed at length. I essentially don't think that that particular discussion belongs in this thread after we have wrapped up the auction and said thanks and well done to all, but in another.

 

Cmon, Poncho, you seem to be full of good ideas:) Maybe you should harness that energy and join the committee! There is a vacancy, you know

[Westie]

I saved for this auction, but couldn't make it.
On a positive note though, the little one will have plenty of dosh for the royal show
Out of interest, What time did the auction finish?

Edited by Jason82, 05 September 2013 - 07:55 PM.

[slink]

About 11-11:30

[Dylan Simmons]

maybe a place were people  could keep there fish after they have bought them? ,  a heated van with alot of aerated buckets. and the entry fee will cover the cost of van hire?  

[slink]

We don't have an entry fee to club meeting they are free we are looking at getting heaters for the colder months

[Dylan Simmons]

oh sorry i thought we were talking about the auction ahha, long day at schewl

[slink]

We are but it's still free

[Dylan Simmons]

im just saying maybe an entry fee or a fee to use the storage van could be added so people dont end up with dead fish from suffocating them , doesnt have to be a van could be a large tank or hydroponic system etc 

[Kleinz]

Out of interest, What time did the auction finish?

 

 Before 11. I think everyone had their fish by then. We closed the door and the last of us stood round chatting for a while.

[werdna]

The hall has a aircon to keep the room cool in summer.

If only it had a heater too, would be much nicer on fishies

[bigjohnnofish]

im just saying maybe an entry fee or a fee to use the storage van could be added so people dont end up with dead fish from suffocating them , doesnt have to be a van could be a large tank or hydroponic system etc 

 

not picking on you dylan but just highlighting something that should be a mandatory thing... people entering livestock lots into the auction need to bag them appropriately with decent sized bags and a decent amount of water to air ratio to keep the fish in its best possible condition... i ship fish all round australia and some places are so remote they require 3 plane trips and a courier to get the fish to the customer... but i have never had a fish "dead on arrival".... so if people cant bag fish appropriately to last in a bag for say 12 hours then they shouldnt enter fish in to the auction... 

 

simple thing really... in winter you bag with more water - couple reasons... holds temperature for longer and cooler water holds more oxygen so less air is needed in the bag...

in summer you bag with less water as warmer water holds less oxygen so you need more air in the bag.... 

 

when fish die in a bag its normally because they run out of air - not water... once one fish dies it breaks down and produces ammonia and a domino effect in a J-curve turning your bag contents in to a horrible paste/mush/stink.... 

 

another trick is to put one drop of prime into a bag of fish to detoxify any ammonia produced by the fish.. breathing / crapping all produces ammonia... 

[Bickley]

Exactly Johnno I should have taken that into count when bidding on them. Instead I now have 3 small bags and 3 dead fish and my wallet is much lighter lol

[Bermont]

maybe all lots should have a $1 fee to cover bagging and possibly maybe a few drops of stress coat to help keep the fish calm and provide some bacteria to keep ammonia down, means all lots will be bagged appropriately, just have 1 other person bagging up

[Androo]

Crazy idea.... If a bank of small tanks could be made. Similar to the rows of beta tanks you see in shops but a little bigger could be constructed. Say 20 tanks in a run and a few of them. It would be easier for people to view the lots, can't roll off the tables, i imagine slightly mire insulated then plastic bag and I'd even donate my air pump to run bubblers in every tank as I won't be using it very soon. People are intructed to bring the required water to fill each cube. The tanks could be made to the dimensions of a net of chosen size so it takes no time to catch and rebag the fish at the end if the night.

Second crazy but more plausible idea. Foam boxes are sectioned into squares to place the average sized bag. So they sit upright. Bags are opened at tops and have air stone in each bag from a air pump. And lid placed over to prevent escape artists. Then the bags can still be easily pulled out and paraded for auction as they are at the moment. And bags stay at better temp.

Or we come up with faster method so we all go home faster. I like the current operation but those are some outside of the box ideas.
I'm sure there are a lot of reasons people can bring up that these wouldn't work