NASC Auction info

[PlantAKiss]

Hi Everybody!

Very soon (when Andrew can get to it), the NASC Auction Forum will be visible (though closed to posting) so that you can review the rules and ask questions if you like. Please note the rules still need some tweaking and will not be final until the start of the auction. This is just a preview.

Each year is a learning experience and we make adjustments in areas where its needed. This year I'd like to call attention to the notable changes.

1) The auction will open and end at earlier times so that people don't have to stay up toooo late to bid at the end. We based the times on Eastern Daylight Savings time as that is the "latest" hour. The auction will close at 10 p.m. Eastern on a Saturday instead of midnite on a Sunday. We hope this makes some late bidding easier on folks.

2) The auction opens and closes by TIME. Since the opening and closing of the forum is manually done, we can't guarantee the opening and closing times EXACTLY. So this year final winning bids will be based on bids received (posted) ON or BEFORE the 10 p.m. EDST closing time; any bids posted after 10 p.m. will be VOID. It won't matter if the forum is open slightly past 10 p.m. Valid bids will go by the post time.

3) We are also instituting deadlines on payments and shipping. Each winner has 30 days to remit payments to NASC and to the donor (if shipping is required). If payment is not made by this time, that high bid is nullified and the item will be offered to the next highest bidder (and so on).

4) Each donor has 14 days to ship out the item once they have been notified by Schloaty that NASC has received the payment.

Please don't offer material you don't have (i.e., "I will have seeds in two weeks."). Sometime things don't go the way we think!


I think those are the main changes but my brain is pretty fried right now. Please feel free to ask any questions.

Also we have a banner prepared so if anyone would post an ad for us on their web pages, that would be great! Contact Noah, PR Man, at barefoot2@gmail.com for a banner.

Thank you all!

 

[Clint]

So like... I put up a plant, and someone wins, and then they send money to who? And when do I send them the plant? And if I win something, who do I send money to and when do they send me the plant? And does the originator of the topic (the person offering a plant) set the minimum bid by ... 5 bucks? 10 bucks? What?

 

[PlantAKiss]

I HOPE you are kidding. lol If not, I'm gonna strangle you. If you are...I'm gonna strangle you anyway!

 

[adnedarn]

okay, the 2006 NASC auction should be gone, the 2007 NASC auction should be open but not postable by members... I hope

 

[xvart]

Also we have a banner prepared so if anyone would post an ad for us on their web pages, that would be great! Contact Noah, PR Man, at barefoot2@gmail.com for a banner.

Woooohoooo! Nice banner on the front page! Very exciting!

xvart.

 

[Clint]

.. No lol. I really don't know how this thing works :-(

 

[phissionkorps]

wait so if i donate a plant, do i get stuck paying shipping? Because that would be pretty awful.

Also, someone brought this up in another thread, but minimum bid increments based on the current auction price is completely rediculous. Especially the increments that they are. $5 for anythign over $50? We're mostly poor hobbyists, and not rockefeller. Obviously, this rule is also stopping some people from participating. The most logical and rational thing to do would be to abolish it...or the very, and trust me, i mean very least that could be done is decreasing these amounts to something more manageable. But I have a feeling one stubborn person is in charge of deciding this, and the rule will remain how it is...

 

[adnedarn]

You put in your listing if you are paying shipping or if the winner is responsible for that.

But I have a feeling one stubborn person is in charge of deciding this, and the rule will remain how it is...

Is that directed at me and the conversation we had last month about the ability to buy and sell here on the forums? (If so) First off (again) I'm not even a member of the NASC, so please don't bring problems you have with the forum rules into NASC topics. The only link I have to the NASC is providing the space for them to do their thing. Second, it's the same rule as it has been since about 2001 and yes it will stay.

As to the NASC questions... I'll let PAK or Ozzy or noah answer those for you
Andrew

 

[noah]

JLAP: Check out the rules in the newly open forum section.

http://www.terraforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103673

You don't have to pay shipping unless you want to. In other words, when you donate a plant you can either say something like: "Winner pays shipping, $5" or "Free/included shipping"; your choice.

 

[phissionkorps]

Is that directed at me and the conversation we had last month about the ability to buy and sell here on the forums?

Not at all. I just have a feeling that instead of voting on what should be rules or not as some forums do, the power to decide a large decision has been delegated to a single person. Which apparently is the case, though I guess it's PAK in this case?

I don't have a problem with having to increase by whole dollar amounts. What i have a problem with is the amounts. Why is it one, two, then FIVE dollars? Horrible, horrible rule. I'm not surprized thought that no one is even willing to discuss it, and it yet again is a rule that is dismissed by "its always been like that and always will be just because". Change is good.

 

[adnedarn]

Woooohoooo! Nice banner on the front page! Very exciting!

xvart.

It's listed on my store's home page too. I hope this year is simply AMAZING for them!

 

[xvart]

Not at all. I just have a feeling that instead of voting on what should be rules or not as some forums do, the power to decide a large decision has been delegated to a single person.

This is not a forum thing. It is simply being conducted at this forum. If you have a concern then you should join NASC (if you are not a member already) and then work through these issues. Why should we, as terraforum members, have any say on how NASC should run their auction? That makes no sense.

Regardless, I think that the bidding is fine because once it reaches a certain point, $1 increments could get annoying. If some sweet sarr hybrid that will go for upwards of $100 happens to be listed it would be ridiculous to have a $1 bid.

$90!
$91!
$92!!!! OMG!
$93!!

I can only assume that most times when auctions are higher people will be bidding the minimum out of desire for the plant, and since people will continue to bid you might as well jump higher.

xvart.

 

[Not a Number]

It's SOP to have some sort of tiered minimum bid increments, at least with every auction online or otherwise that I've participated in.

Here's eBay's increments:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/bid-increments.html

 

[xvart]

It's SOP to have some sort of tiered minimum bid increments, at least with every auction online or otherwise that I've participated in.

Here's eBay's increments:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/bid-increments.html

Interesting. I never knew that eBay had bid increments. Of course I've never bought anything for more than like $50 and I always just assumed that sellers set a bid increment. As my father always says, "Son, you learn something new everyday whether you like it or not."

xvart.

 

[Est]

This is not a forum thing. It is simply being conducted at this forum. If you have a concern then you should join NASC (if you are not a member already) and then work through these issues. Why should we, as terraforum members, have any say on how NASC should run their auction? That makes no sense.

Thank you for articulating the point of the bid increment.

However, there is one thing I'd articulate from the NASC's standpoint, and that is that we WOULD like suggestions. If there's some rule that everybody hates or something restricing people from participating that we have control over, then bring it on. HOWEVER,

Accusations and finger pointing

Not at all. I just have a feeling that instead of voting on what should be rules or not as some forums do, the power to decide a large decision has been delegated to a single person.

Inflamatory wording

Why is it one, two, then FIVE dollars? Horrible, horrible rule.

And baseless flaming

do i get stuck paying shipping? Because that would be pretty awful.

will not cause things to change. Be rational, read the rules, and if you have a question, pose it nicely. If you've got questions or suggestions, you can post them here, PM most mods, and especially the NASC Board members (including me, Pak, Schloaty, Ozzy, Noah, Jeremiah...)

To address the issues brought up:
No, you declare whether winner, or you (the item donator) will be paying shipping. It's in the rules and it's been explained in this topic already.

The NASC is an organization independent from Terraforums. We are here because it's a great place, and because Andrew is a great sport and is helping us out (thanks again, Andy!) If you've got input, you can PM one of the previously mentioned people and either a) make your suggestion, or b) let them know that you'd like to attend one of our WEEKLY (every thursday at 8:00 central) NASC meetings, where you can address the Board in a chatroom setting.
The rules are something that the Board (and Suzanne especially!) has worked hard on. We've updated them to compensate for past problems and from feedback we've received. We appreciate articulate, non-inflamatory feedback. The decisions made are a group effort, so as EASY as it is to blame one person, it wouldn't hurt to, you know, do a little research before pointing fingers.

Thank you to all the people who have been helping explain things. I don't want to see any more rude or otherwise inflamatory rhetoric in this thread. Feedback is great, even when it's not positive, trolling (whether due to ignorance or in the spirit of being a jerk is not alright.) Rules apply in NASC topics as they do for the rest of TF- Be nice (or else!)

That last bit is from my capacity as mod.

 

[phissionkorps]

It wasn't meant to be "inflammatory" or "baseless flaming". Jeez, people are too sensitive these days.

If you don't like the way I feel about those rules, cool. I don't like the way you feel about them. That is my point of view, and my opinion. I feel as long as I don't tear into someone or use profanity (didn't get close to either), I should be allowed to express them. Which is exactly what I will continue to do.

 

[ChronoKiento]

Question withdrawn... I didn't realize they all ended at the same time..

 

[PlantAKiss]

But I have a feeling one stubborn person is in charge of deciding this, and the rule will remain how it is...

And who would THAT be? Me? No its not inflammatory at all to call someone stubborn and imply that one person is in control of the entire NASC auction alone without knowing all the facts. Actually ALL of the rules were reviewed, updated and approved by the ENTIRE NASC Board. The starting point was the previous year's rules and they were updated based on the input we got from last year. I was ASKED to run the auction...it wasn't something I particularly wanted to do this year as I have a lot on my plate these days. But I agreed to do it along with the assistance of everyone on the Board and the moderators here as well. I happen to be the one doing a lot of the posting at TF but that doesn't mean its all "my" show. All Board members have been involved in this endeavor although it might not seem like it judging simply by posts on the TF forums.

NASC meetings (weekly) are open to everyone and we take suggestions, ideas and criticisms from anyone who wants to participate. We welcome and need member participation to achieve our goals. If anyone doesn't like something, there are more effective ways to make changes than grousing about it after the fact. I am unaware of any NASC Board officer being approached with issues regarding the bid increments from the previous 3 auctions. Any NASC Board member can be contacted via the website, www.NASarracenia.org, and several of us are Mods here and can be contacted via PMs. So we are all available for comments and suggestions. Even better--get involved and come to the meetings! This auction has been thoroughly discussed for months at meetings plus heavy email discussions.

As a number of people have stated in addition to myself, bid increments are SOP for auctions.

 

[phissionkorps]

I think everyone seems to have missed the point. I don't really care about the increments, I care about the amounts of the increments. $5 on $50 is 10%. Even eBay's increments start at 2%, then decrease. 10% is really friggin high.

You know, I would join the NASC and come to the meetings and take this up there blah blah blah, but I guess this is one of those "pick your battles" things. Yeah it pisses me (and some other people) off, but having to pay to join an organization, put in lots of man hrs, etc (with probably no results) seems like overkill and a waste of my time. Judging how NASC does things sometimes, my complaint would probably get cuaght up in a bunch of red tape, and then ultimately after months of waiting and working, nothing would happen.

 

[adnedarn]

As far as I know (pretty dang positive) there is no "fee" to become a member... You just put your name in that topic they have. And then go to the meetings. To do that you just PM PAK on AIM and then be on your computer when the meeting starts and you're invited to the meeting. I've sat in on a meeting or two, even though I'm not a member just to check it out. I just sit there and read what people say. So you don't even have to be a "member" to check it out. It seems pretty formal, check out the "meeting notes" stickied in the NASC forum.
Andrew