Is this normal?

[2075turner]

I was going to participate in an auction held over in Quebec this coming weekend until I read the fine print....

“- The batches with a minimum price will be seen charging the commission on the price if these batches are not sold and/or are not withdrawn.”

So I emailed the organizer to find out if I didn't sell a bag of discus that I was intending on auctioning at $100 does this mean I would get charged $25 and he said yes.

Is this normal practice at fish auctions or is it just them? I have gone to other auctions that simply returned the fish not sold without charge.

I don't feel like selling 6 - 3" discus for $2 then get charged .50 in their auction fee's....just seems a bit to greedy.

I can understand putting a limit on how many bags you can bring but really charge for fish that didn't sell:confused:

[pcsb23]

I've not been to a fish auction for a little while but used to go fairly regularly when I was younger (much younger I may add :(). The deal then in the UK was to only pay a fee if the fish sold, kids paid less too if I remember right. Often the auction was to raise funds for the club as well as getting people to attend (which also raised funds, entry fees, refreshments, raffles etc...). So no imo/e it is not normal - but times may have changed :(

[Larry Bugg]

Our local auctions don't allow minimums. If it sells for a dollar then that is that. For that reason you won't find any discus larger than 1" to 2". It isn't worth the risk. The bags of 1" to 2" almost always go for $15 to $20 a piece so not too bad. If minimums are allowed then I can't see charging the full commission if they don't sell. Maybe a small fee for handling but really what did the one bag cost the auction to handle.

[Skip]

Evelyn..
i went to a Texas Cichlad auction in dallas..

the discus got a pretty good price.. Randy got 95 & 105 for 6" Blue Diamond and P.E.. the people at the auctions were just buying them up like crazy..

on the flip side..

a guy auctioned a Flowerhead that was too large to be pulled out of the plastic tub he was in.. it was like a 10 gallon bag!! LOL..

but he was very upset when it sold for only $50.. he was expecting $200..

thats why its an auction.. its a risk to the seller.. since the buyers have all power.. :)

[John_Nicholson]

We can have a minimum set and if they do not sale they are returned. No charge.

-john

[Altum Nut]

I was going to participate in an auction held over in Quebec this coming weekend until I read the fine print....

“- The batches with a minimum price will be seen charging the commission on the price if these batches are not sold and/or are not withdrawn.”

So I emailed the organizer to find out if I didn't sell a bag of discus that I was intending on auctioning at $100 does this mean I would get charged $25 and he said yes.

Is this normal practice at fish auctions or is it just them? I have gone to other auctions that simply returned the fish not sold without charge.

I don't feel like selling 6 - 3" discus for $2 then get charged .50 in their auction fee's....just seems a bit to greedy.

I can understand putting a limit on how many bags you can bring but really charge for fish that didn't sell:confused:

Hey Evelyn,

Myself, Joe(Moon) and Ron attend various auctions during spring and fall. The clubs always take their 1/3 cut on sales with the exception of one that only charges a buck a bag. Kind of hurts to lose 1/3 when selling quality Discus.
I remember when Barb Newell brought her 4+ beauties and sold for $25-$30 ea. Not worth the hassel and she never brought Discus again.

...Ralph

[ericatdallas]

This was discussed at the local fish club here... apparently they won't allow minimums but another club nearby does a 'buyback' ONLY for fish with minimums/reserves but I think it's a flat rate. This is to discourage reserved pricing because unrealistically priced fish won't sell and that slows down an auction.

Based on the discussion here though, I would say it's typical to prevent people from slowing down the auction with unrealistically priced fish. It also encourages you to keep the minimum low. 25% is a bit excessive IMO <shrug>.

[2075turner]

Well I have gone to other auctions as I mentioned that didn't charge for items that didn't sell....this is where I have the problem. I can see charging a fee like a couple of bucks for their time to register the item and have it go up but really 25%?

I also shrug at the 25% the collect in auction fees but I do realize that they are raising funds for their organization. Highest auction fees I've paid are 30% of the sold goods.

This organization also charges sellers and buyers at the door:confused: to even enter the building

[ericatdallas]

that's a bit excessive.... It must be a really established event with a lot of sellers? If not, then they might be shooting themselves in the foot. If the choke out their sellers, they're not going to make a lot of money. I think that's partially why you see sites that compete with eBay doing so well lately. The fees on eBay are high and keep getting higher.

[mmorris]

It is unusual to charge for items that don't sell. I've never heard of it. Some clubs charge a fee for buyers and for sellers and some do not. The fee for those who do is usually $2. In the northeast, most clubs charge 50% commission so 25% is really low. One exception that I can think of offhand is Rhode Island, which charges $3.00 a bag. Auctions are not, imo, a good place to sell juvie discus - adults tend to do better.

The auctions are the clubs' yearly (or twice yearly) fund-raising event and the survival of the club depends on a successful auction. Clubs must rent meeting facilities monthly, provide refreshments, put out a publication and pay for speakers. Hopefully there is enough money left over for the club members to make a trip somewhere. Clubs are finding it difficult to make ends meet in this economic climate. Attendance at auctions is down, company donations for the club auctions are down, and those who bid have a tighter budget than in past years.

[jimmyjoe]

I quit selling at auctions because my 2.5" fish were being purchased for $10 a pop and I was charged $2.50 for handling fees. Wasn't worth it in my eyes unless they were runts or something less than perfect. Jim in Ohio

[John_Nicholson]

I normally sale a few at the local auctions, but not for the money. I do it to bring new people into the world of discus.

-john

[Larry Bugg]

I normally sale a few at the local auctions, but not for the money. I do it to bring new people into the world of discus.

-john

Agreed John. I alway make sure my bags have my name and phone number on them so they can contact me. We hold big auctions twice a year. The last one was in Sept and I have carried on phone or email conversations with 5 or 6 people getting into discus from that auction. Heck one of them took a picture with their phone of my bag tag for the phone number and called me about two weeks ago. Came out to the house and spent a good bit of time.

[Rod]

Our local auctions charge 20% commision, no charges for items passed in and they allow reserve prices. But only 3 bags per variety and 10 bag maximum per species. Prices i have received in the past vary from great to miserable, but like John, i really only take discus to bring new people into the hobby. Auctions are probably not the best way to sell discus. For me, auctions are a social event. It is a time i get to see many familiar faces, and a great place to meet the new up and coming breeders.

[Moon]

Evelyn
I thought you did not like to drive to Quebec.
The Hamilton club has two auctions a year. We charge 25% of the selling price with no restrictions on minimum price and no charge for it.
We had some 1200 items at our fall auction. The revenue from the auctions help fund a number of club activities.
I don't sell or buy discus at auctions because there is no come back. "Buyer Beware" is the operational theme. Many times I have picked up deformed fish because I did
not check properly.
Bring some of your down to Hamilton in the spring. We get good prices for discus.