Charity Auction Rules (2008 v10.0)

Items to be auctioned:

• Items auctioned must be one-of-a-kind, unique items at the current Anthrocon that are not available in the art show or dealers room.
• All items should be in new or like-new condition.
• Most items are assigned a starting bid of $5, unless other circumstances apply.
• Please submit services, commissions, gift-certificates and similar donations to be delivered after the convention for approval ahead of time.
• In most cases, duplicate or slightly different items must be auctioned together as one item. Please do not donate multiple copies of a single item and expect them to be auctioned separately!
• Donations may be combined with other similar donations if time is limited or the estimated auction price of the item is below minimum auction value.
• Price tags must be removed from all items before donation.
• The Auction of pre-owned, legal merchandise (ex: art purchased at a previous convention) is allowed since the pre-owned merchandise is the property of the person who bought it.
• All items must be G-PG in nature at the Director’s discretion. Other items require special permission.
• Due to the increasing amount of items donated each year, we may have to selectively decline certain items.
• Please deliver any donated items at least 1 hour before the auction. It is very difficult for us to accept items that are delivered at the last minute.
• Make sure that any item you donate is described correctly on the display card at the convention. The confirmation emails before the convention are only for tallying and approval.
• The display card must be written legibly in front of or by a Charity Auction staff member.
• Items donated at the convention should be delivered to the Charity Auction display during the hours that it is open. We apologize for being unable to pick-up items from individual donors at the convention.

Items that cannot be accepted for donation:

• Used clothing, used plush toys, and threadbare merchandise.
• Commercially packaged food items that are not factory-sealed.
• Home-baked food items.
• Alcohol.
• Multiple copies of the same item, unless they can be auctioned as a single lot.

Bidding on items at the auction:

• Please, only request to inspect the piece if you are seriously intending to bid on it since this will delay the bidding process.
• Bidders must raise hands high and call out bids loudly.
• An item is sold when the Auctioneer says it is. Please decide quickly so the Auction may go smoothly.
• The audience should remain silent if not actively bidding.
• A bid is a legal contract to buy. If the bidder is not available afterwards to pay for the auctioned item, or does not have the appropriate funds, the item may be re-auctioned and the bidder may suffer penalties relating to the convention.

General:

• Payment will be made directly to Charity representatives on site by cash or personal check. Credit cards will only be accepted if processing is available at the time.
• Unless the Charity cannot be present at the Auction, the money raised will at no time be kept by any Anthrocon staff.
• Caveat Emptor! Let The Buyer Beware. Anthrocon offers no guarantees or warrantees of any sort on any item. All sales are final and items may not be returned.

- Brian Harris
charity-2008(at)anthrocon.org