ASC Dual Auction Instructions
Introduction
Henceforth our bimonthly stamp auctions at our Deerfield ASC meetings will be Dual Auctions: we will have an Online Auction Catalog for lots entered online prior to the auction and a traditional-type ‘local’ table auction of the kind we have held for many years. Most of the ‘online’ lots will be available for bidding by both our floor and Zoom attendees, while the traditional ‘local’ type can be bid on only by floor attendees. Please note that the online lots allow members to review and examine the Lots before the day of the meeting, a significant value.

Only ASC members may participate in the auctions. Each member has been assigned a permanent APN (Auction Participation Number).  APNs have been incorporated into a modified membership list and this has previously been sent out to all members.  This number can represent you as either a seller or a buyer and will be used for all ASC auctions. Every Zoom bidder should know his/her APN so it can be given to the auction team after they have won an item.

Each auction will be limited to 50 lots, no more than 10 lots per person, with a minimum starting price of $5 per lot and bidding advances of even dollars.

 

Online (Local and Remote) Lots
The seller is encouraged to enter his lots (via the Auction Input Form) into the Online Auction Catalog prior to auction day. Online lots are given priority and will be sold before Local lots.

Although a verbal only description may be entered, sellers are encouraged to include min. 300 dpi scan(s) or photo(s) of each item.  Maximum 5 images per lot. For mint hinged stamps the seller should submit images of both front and back.

Lot numbers will be assigned as the lots are entered, on a first come first served basis. Note that once you have entered a lot, you cannot directly edit or delete it. Contact either Jim or Frank by email if you need to edit or delete any of your lots.

Cutoff time for entering Online lots is 9 PM on the day prior to the auction.

On auction day the Online lots should be placed on the designated table at the left end of the row of auction tables. The auction team will place a sheet bearing the lot number and description next to each lot so viewers can associate each lot with the entries in the Online auction catalog.

For Online lots it is understood that sellers are willing to mail their smaller size lots to Zoom bidders, who must pay the shipping costs. Zoom bidders may not bid on bulky lots (large albums, books, box lots), unless the seller clearly specifies he/she is willing to ship them and the potential buyers understand that they will incur a significantly higher shipping cost.

Two kinds of bids for Online lots are available: floor/Zoom bids and mail bids. Floor/Zoom bids should be made verbally (by saying “bid” or the amount of the bid asked for by the auctioneer. The Online Bid Officer (usually Jim Haxby) will also observe the screens to make sure that no Zoom bids are missed.

For those who wish to bid by “mail”, bids can be emailed to the Mail Bid Officer (Frank Wheeler). Each mail bid should be a single maximum bid for each lot desired. No “buy” bids are allowed. Mail bids must be received by 12 midnight the day before the auction. Frank will execute your mail bids as any floor bidder would up to your maximum bid.

As each lot closes the winner (whether floor or Zoom) will say his/her APN (or the Mail Bid Officer will give the winning mail bidder’s APN) and the Treasurer will record the seller APN, the buyer APN and the hammer price for each lot.

Within 24 hours of auction close the sellers of Online Lots will receive a report showing buyer APN, buyer name and hammer price for each lot.

It is the responsibility of the seller to contact the buyer(s) of his/her lots and arrange for payment and delivery of the lots to the buyer(s) after payment.

If shipping is necessary, the cost is to be borne by the buyer.

The buyer may return a purchase within 30 days for a full refund.  It is hoped that buyers will bid in good faith and refunds will be requested only if there is an oversight or error in the listing.

Anytime following 24 hours after auction close one can go back into the auction catalog to review the prices realized.

At about the 10-day mark after the auction, the auction catalog form cleared in preparation for the next auction. 

Non-Online (Local) Lots
Lots for which no entry into the Online Auction Catalog has been made are automatically floor bid only lots and are to be placed on the auction tables by 1:30 PM latest. Their sale will be handled in the usual way our floor auctions have been conducted in the past (except the starting price must be at least $5). These lots will be sold after the lots listed in the Online Auction Catalog.

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