* All auction lots are only to include fish, aquarium plants or other aquarium related products.
* Non-Members are welcome to attend and may make purchases in the auction, but only current financial members can sell.
* There is a maximum of 10 auction lots per seller during regular monthly meeting auctions.
(unless otherwise authorised by the Auctioneer, Vice President or Auction scrutineer committee member)
* There will be a limit of 3 lots of the same item per seller. This is to avoid 10 bags of 2 of the same fish/plant per bag which is less likely to sell and will take up more auction time than say 3 bags with 6 fish/plants per bag. If there are 10 of the same item in individual bags the auctioneer is authorised to make up 2 lots of 5 items for example - this is at the Auctioneer’s, Vice President’s or Auction scrutineer committee member’s discretion.
* You may not offer for sale, or sell to any buyer, any items that violate applicable laws or regulations within the ACT.
Preparation and booking in lots
* Fish must be properly bagged in appropriate sized bags. All lots that are not bagged correctly will be required to be bagged properly or the Vice President or auctioneer may decide to pass the item in. Sellers are to ensure that there is adequate water and air space for the number and size of fish in the bags. Water should be clean and free from excessive debris/waste matter.
* If re-bagging of fish is required it must not be done on the carpeted area. Re-bagging must be done before the auction begins and not during the auction.
* All auction lots it must be scrutinised by the Auctioneer, Vice President or Auction scrutineer committee member before acceptance into the club auction. Auction items, under no circumstances, are to be sold with out scrutineering first.
* If club members do not register their auction lots they will not be put through the auction process. Auction lots may be registered up until the mid break where it is up to the Auctioneer’s, Vice President’s or Auction scrutineer committee member’s discretion to allow or disallow lots.
* All items to be auctioned must be booked in for the auction as soon as possible, preferably before the meeting starts at 8pm. They will be auctioned off in the order they are booked in i.e: first in first sold. Late bookings will only be accepted under the discretion of the Auctioneer, Vice President or Auction scrutineer committee member.
* All sellers are required to submit a completed CDAS Auctioneer Record Form when submitting their lots. Only official and approved CDAS Auctioneer Record Forms will be accepted. Official auction forms can be obtained from the committee or online prior to the start of the meeting.
* The seller is responsible in ensuring that each lot is given a proper and separate lot number. The lot number should also be placed on the bag/item with a WATERPROOF texta or on a sticky label.
* All items labeled with the same lot number will be auctioned as one lot. If you are careless and book in 10 lots with the same lot number, they will be auctioned as one lot. This includes fish and dry goods.
* All lots must be adequately marked on the Auctioneer Record Form with the name and number of fish/plants, plus the reserve price (if any).
* Once a lot has been booked in it can only be removed at the end of the auction, or at the discretion of the Auctioneer’ Vice President or Auction scrutineer committee member’
* No one, except under the discretion of the Auctioneer, Vice President or Auction scrutineer committee member, may open boxes or rummage through the booked in lots. Buyers may however come up and look at the Auctioneer Record Forms which will be on the top of each seller’s lots - these sheets are not to be removed for any reason.
During the auction
* Anyone wishing to visually inspect lots during the auction should position themselves in a position in the room where they can see the lots as they are walked along the front of the auction area.
* Only people bidding with CDAS Auction Cards will have their bids accepted – unless there is a shortage of bidding cards.
* Everyone attending the auction is requested to keep conversations and other distracting noises (such as mobile phones) to a minimum so as not to interfere with the running of the auction.
* Neither the Society nor the auctioneer will be responsible for the sizing of fish or general descriptions. If a buyer wishes to check the sizes or appearance of fish they should be ready and able to inspect the lot as it comes around.
* Neither the Society nor the auctioneers will be responsible for the sexing of the fish or any defects in them but all precautions will be taken to identify these problems if they should arise. Sexing of the fish by the auctioneers is to be taken only as a guide and carries absolutely no guarantees of correctness.
* The seller will be responsible for the labeling of bags, sexing of fish etc. and any lots entered as pairs, trio’s etc must be joined together. At the discretion of the Auctioneer, Vice President or Auction scrutineer committee member, fish lots that are not labeled with the correct name of the fish or without a name can be immediately passed in or sold as a nameless or random fish.
* All dry goods, equipment etc. are purchased AS IS and are non-refundable or returnable for any reason. Sellers are required to identify any faults at the time of presentation for auctioning.
* Purchased lots can not be returned for any reason. It is the responsibility of the buyer to be prepared to accept the lots immediately after the hammer falls.
* Lots without a reserve marked on the Auctioneer Record Form will be auctioned as if no reserve exists.
* Sellers of any lots that have not reached the reserve price have the option of selling at a lower price obtained by the auctioneer.
* All bids will start with $1. $1 increments from $10 to $20 and $2 increments from $20 to $50. $5 increments beyond $50.
* The society regrets that it cannot be held responsible for the security of items presented for auction. That is before, during or after the auction. Any loss prior to sale will be born by the seller; any after sale will be born by the buyer. This rule applies to any fish that may die at the auction.
* The auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw any lot or part lot for any reason.
* Passed in lots will be placed back in the fish box / container they came from. CDAS takes no responsibility for passed in lots.
* Sellers must keep track of their lots when being auctioned. They must be ready to answer the auctioneer immediately if he/she asks a question such as “will the seller accept this bid”. This is to speed up the auction and if the seller is not following the auction and the auctioneer makes any decision, this decision is final.
* The society reserves the right to not auction dry goods if there are excessive fish lots.
Payment and Collection
* Purchases must be paid for on the fall of the hammer with the club treasurer (or delegate). The lot is to be picked up at the time of payment – immediately.
* It is advised that all buyers bring a water proof container (ie. Bucket, esky, bin or anything that can retain water if the fish bag/item within leaks.) so as to minimise water spillage on the floor.
* A commission of 10% applies, and is paid to CDAS on settlement at the end of the auction. The exception to this being any fish deemed by the Breeders Award Chairperson, either in writing or in person, to have met the ‘Species Preservation’ criteria.
* Any lot passed in may be purchased at the reserve price or a price negotiated by the seller after the auction has concluded. These lots will still attract a 10% commission. Any person, member or non member who bypasses the system and trades on the side without paying the society will be banned from future auctions. This does not include private transactions organised between members prior to the meeting.