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C N Y

i may start a forest fire by saying this, but so be it:
i think it sucks when we are all on an auction and
SOMEBODY bids a hundred dollars right off the bat
when the price will most-likely get that high after a few other incremental bids. or, maybe it won't.
i myself don't really want to pay more than a hundred bucks on any seed there is, although i have bid as high as like 120 on a rare, recent occasion. the main reason i am posting this is because half the time, WHOEVER sets the bar so high for everyone else...never bids again.
it is like seed auction arson. he's there. he's gone. and
now we pay a lot. now, i KNOW that half of the benefit of these auctions is to raise funds for the club/organization that is running the show. i TOTALLY respect that.
the other half of the equation is:
us growers getting seeds that we generally CANNOT get from basic seed trading otherwise, at a fair,
"competed-for" price;
we have bid against each other and the winner gets the seed.
therefore, everybody is happy. including the auction staff.
so, to those who bid and run, if you will, please think
of it as "Hey, i don't HAVE TO put all of my money on the table right away. Let's see how high she goes...before i show all of my cards."
like i said, the seed(s) will most-likely fetch the same amount of money. it just bugs me. please make it stop, lol.

1/5/2007 1:56:23 AM

West By God Virginia

I see your point, but do we really need to make auctions longer? I mean some auction take forever and to have someone make an opening bid of $20 on say a 1225 Jutras and then go up in increments of $5 until they get up to $120-200 or whatever would make the auction insufferable. I'm not criticizing auctioneers or clubs just making an observation.

1/5/2007 4:48:28 AM

Dummer Twp - Ontario

I know what your getting at - It's nice to be able to be part of the process and when bids start high we aren't able to bid but that's the way auctions go. Auctions do drag on and I've logged off for that very reason. Our club (GVGO) has a raffle and for the money invested the return is great. The old adage that something is only worth as much as one will pay is very true right now in the pumpkin world because of the lure of greatness and now the 1600 pound barrier.

1/5/2007 7:27:58 AM

Maine

Auction prices are getting crazy, Id like to grow a 1502 wallace but don't have a extra 250$ for a unproven seed. Also it gives people a false sence of what a seed is worth, now a days all i hear in trades are well this seed sold for 200$ so its better then that one? I don't think price has anything to do with how good a seed is does it? And as far as bidding its a auction I don't care what a person bids as long as if they win they honor it, but it would be nice to see prices go down a little.Sadly I don't see that happening anytime soon. This is just IMO.

1/5/2007 7:57:16 AM

Rhode Island

two comments regarding this post

1. possibly the time has come for the auctioning club to set an "OPENING BID" price for each seed in the auction.
note it in the auction lineup so that going in anyone interested in bidding on a seed knows the starting point.
2. your wish for that SPECIAL SEED will be granted come mid january here on bp. no bidding needed.

pap

1/5/2007 8:50:41 AM

[email protected]

I'm with Dick on this one. We had some proxy bids this year that were twice what we sold the lots for. I even LOST (as in MISPLACED) a proxy bid where the seed was awarded for ONE THIRD the proxy's offer to live bidder. Since it was the right thing to do we dug deep, found another seed & awarded BOTH growers the cut-rate deal. Reserve bidding could speed up the auctions as well as preserve the assets of the club that is offering the seeds.

Opening bids might be the best way.

1/5/2007 9:11:21 AM

Roselle, IL [email protected]

I have sat in and bought seeds from several auctions. Most seeds or seeds sets sell for $50 or more. We will be starting our IGPGA auction 1-27 with a $50 Reserve bid = all lots start at $50. Most of the lots are well worth that. I think it will save a lot of time getting to that $50 barrier.

1/5/2007 9:23:50 AM

Lexington, Ky

Bidding high right off the bat is an auction strategy, especially when done frequently.

1/5/2007 10:09:19 AM

Eugene,OR

Quite often I will place an opening bid on a seed that I'd like to have with a bid of $100. Quite often the following bids will be $120-$150-$175. I know what the seed is worth to me and I will continue to bid if I believe that it is a "good value." I've spend a lot of money at seed auctions here over the past four years. I do it to support the clubs and to aquire the seeds that I want. I also agree that the prices that seeds have been going for are crazy this year...but when I feel that someone else is "bidding too much" I stop bidding myself. That's how auctions work.

1/5/2007 10:47:34 AM

Minnesota

Pumpkinpal, I know how you feel, it overhelmed me when I saw those prices and I thought to myself," at this rate I will never get a top notch seed to breed back and forth with what I have". Then someone gave me some advice and I took them up on it. I spent the time to contact some growers and they were ALL very congenial sorts who were very hummble to have me contact them from accross the globe, just so I can see if I can get a seed from one of thier fruits. To me, that would be an honor. I wont say what seeds i have for my 2007 lineup, but take to the bank if I were to purchase these from an auction, I would have to pay 1,700.00 to replace them. All auctions have this happen and to wish it stops would say you don't care how much the fundraiser is making, but did I get a good deal. Your best deal is to contact some growers, make some new friends and have some fun. Take Care and good luck in 2007

1/5/2007 11:17:23 AM

Montoursville, PA

I believe the auction method of merchandising is soly controlled by supply and demand. If the buyer pays more than I thought the item was worth I feel one of two things.
First the buyer was willing and able to pay more and possiby I just did not want the item as badly as the buyer.

Anyone can win at an auction. Just put your hand up and keep it there. If the auction is honest to the higest bidder you will win at the lowest possible price in a given auction. Then you have a possible future auction chance to buy that item for less and cut your costs. You might also witness the fact that you got a bargain if the future offerings contiue to bring greater prices.

The only way I can see any concern would be if a youngster without parental permission should get swept into deep water by the excitement of an auction. When and if this should happen I believe all auction known operators would kindly work with the situation. All other situations are to the fact the individual was willing and able to make a purchase at the auction win price.

Having minimum starting prices or reserves is quite professional providing the situation is clearly pre-auction list advertised.

I am an experienced auction (other items) buyer and previous also seller. The only way any auction opperator can continue success is to maintain high ethics. My only other method of getting desired items is to drive thousands of miles and buy a similar item from a shop.

While not a frequent seed buyer I absolutely get many dollars worth of enjoyment watching and understanding the trends or market values being established. I smiled with understanding when recently a previous auction buyer declaired.......Crap I paid a bunch more a couple weeks back. I knew the turkey and dern near laughed out loud.

Adjust the auctions here if you wish but keep on keeping on.

1/5/2007 1:21:59 PM

Rexburg, Idaho

The reason for an auction is to raise money. That's all, no more, no less. If some one wants to start out with a high bid so be it. They are not called seed sales (nothing cheap about what is being sold), not blue light specials, not clearance. Typically they are auctioning of quality merchandise at a price. If you don't like the price don't bid on it.

1/5/2007 2:42:56 PM

Rapid City, SD

biting my tongue.............grrrrrrr!

1/5/2007 6:36:38 PM

Yadkin Valley North Carolina

this subject and answer could not have been put better than Vineman(Russ I believe)answered it...enough said, he put it perfectly..."good value"..."support the clubs"..."bidding to much" all those thoughts come to my mind,,,great answer

1/5/2007 7:09:26 PM

C N Y

the good news for me is, i have done seed-sending and
receiving for a few years now amongst my excellent grower-friends and have a fantastic seed
collection. yet,it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to see an auction
coming up and NOT attend it, so how it goes, it goes. i can see from the (most responses i have ever had to one of my
comments, thank you!) above replies that it will not change one bit but at least i got it off of my chest and got to
see how the wind is gonna blow----matt, don't bite it too hard---haven't i cut-back on chatting at the auctions?
i will assimilate all responses. thank u for them---eric g

1/5/2007 8:19:57 PM

ordinary,VA

Joe Pukos told me a funny auction story.
He was helping out a club with high bids when the bidding topped out he was on top!!
Joe said the fun part was telling the other half "HEY HONEY GUESS WHAT I JUST BOUGHT".
I have had to tell my other half the same thing:)
"but baby its for a good cause"
what do i care i have a sleeper couch...

1/5/2007 8:19:58 PM

White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Look at it this way. The person who puts out a high bid to start with, wins the bid, then has to wonder how much he or she could have gotten the seed for.

1/6/2007 2:54:50 AM

Ohio

Ill bid $1 dollar Bob!,,,,,,,,,,Eric, I know how this gets on your nerves, its kinda like the 5 bidders on the show "Price Is Right" that is bidding on a grandfather clock, The first bidder bids like $1200 and then the second bidder yells out "Ill bid $1 dollar Bob!",,,,,and there is still 3 bidders left that hasnt bid yet!!. Man I hate that!!! Then the person who made that stupid dollar bid gets on stage later in the show and ends up winning 50,000 on Plinko. Sorry , I know this isnt even close to what you guys are talking about but I just had to vent.

Brooks

1/6/2007 5:14:30 AM

Lymington UK

After the first few 1068 sold for $750 you know the wife won’t be to impressed when you start bidding for the next one. After paying $850 for one seed I was glade the auction was held at 2am with no birds looking over my shoulder. Believe it or not I really enjoyed the auction and it seams most of the people there did as well. The next week my brother was bidding for the 723 and got it for about $300 less than we expected. We’re happy that the money has all gone back in to pot for pumpkin growing. One thing we do believe in is that this is our hobby and we spend weeks of work on just 4 or 5 plants so we really don’t have a problem paying a bit over the top for the seeds. Over here I have friends that pay over $80 just to see a game of football, so pumpkin growing is a relatively cheap hobby to do. I must say though that living in the shed at the bottom of the garden for 3 weeks was no picnic, lucky for me Sarah has let me back in the house lol.
Wishing you all good luck in the patch this year Ian

    

1/6/2007 6:05:53 AM

Antigonish,Nova Scotia,Canada

LOL @ Ian...great stuff....prices are way too high for the average grower,(I think) HOWEVER, it is still a great attraction and very intersting just watching the whole process. I really enjoy catching as many auctions as possible....
QUESTION...why are they always held on week-end nights???(often conflicts with hockey = my other hobby)

Bill

1/6/2007 10:52:36 AM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

If you think about it, the money collected from these auctions a part of it goes to the prize money. and What do we growers do, we enter the pumpkin weigh offs trying to win the trophy and the prize money. So it's a full circle type of deal, That's why some clubs only allow club members to enter(only fair and everyone can become a memeber it just prevents some unkown from showing up and winningthe 1,000 first prize.. My problem is I have a small budget for seeds this yr, and well most seeds go past it quick. But I feel that this auction is great. Ya proxies are questionable, but it would be like saying proxie #3 is Captain Cold Weather you know who I am. The only difference is that the auctioneer know's who the proxie is and we don't.

1/6/2007 11:44:11 AM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

I've done plenty of buying and selling at auctions,If somebody puts in a high opening bid on one of my steers for instance I'm happy about that the only person that it doesn't favour is the bidder.If I put in a high opening bid on something it means I know what its worth and I want it and don't see the point wasting time messing about with lower bids.

1/6/2007 1:34:39 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

An auction is just what the name indicates "A public sale of goods to the highest bidder"

Being a racehorse owner, I have gone to many live auctions to buy horses with a top price in mind only to be outbid by the initial offering. Other times you can pick something up in auction for much less than you anticipated paying for it....that is the fun of auctions.

Too many rules and regulations take away from what is a very simple process.

Maybe someone should try a Dutch auction where the starting bid is very high and the auctioneer lowers the price until someone bids....that is the buyer.

1/6/2007 1:39:47 PM

ordinary,VA

$25 lot 2a

1/6/2007 6:31:54 PM

C N Y

i guess it is a matter of personal taste.
no, i KNOW it is, lol.

i just prefer the ramping-up process.
50 60 70 80 90 100

then, some internal mechanism starts going-off
in my brain and the ramping is done, lol.

i had a rather pleasant stay at the NYSGPGA
auction Sunday night and wish i had stuck with the
783/1325 lot. but, darn that 'mechanism'!
subjective, indeed! thank you all.

1/8/2007 2:54:16 AM