Auction Rules and Procedures

(Revised June 2023)

Auctions take place as a regular part of each monthly meeting. Items sold at auction must be related to the aquatic hobby, such as fish, plants and equipment. Any species of plant or animal that are restricted by either federal or provincial statutes ARE NOT allowed to be sold at auction.

Only ASW members in good standing can sell items in the auction. To learn more about becoming a member or renewing your membership, please click here.

New members that sign up and pay their dues at the beginning of a meeting are eligible to sell items in that meetings auction.  If you are intending to do so, please email us in advance to ensure your chosen Seller ID is available. This will avoid the frustration and time-consuming task of relabeling items and refilling out forms if your chosen Seller ID is already taken by another member. For our record keeping purposes, each member must have a unique Seller ID.

The ASW retains 25% of all auction proceeds to cover essential expenses, such as venue rental fees necessary to sustain and support the club’s activities. For example, if an item is sold for $1.00, the seller will receive $0.75 and the club will keep $0.25. Occasionally, members will choose to donate items (thank you!), meaning that 100% of the money from the sale of that item goes to the club! To learn more about donating items to the club, click here.

Before You Arrive

All members are encouraged to package and label their items clearly before arriving so that they receive proper credit and to keep the auction running smoothly. Preferably all required auction forms should be completed before arriving, though extra forms will be available on-site.

At our regular monthly meetings, sellers are limited to 20 (twenty) ‘standard’ items in any one monthly auction event. Submissions for HAP and BAP are not included in this limit in order to encourage participation in the HAP and BAP award programs. Sellers are also restricted to selling a maximum of five (5) items of a similar nature, species, colour and/or size. The ASW reserves the right to limit the items from any one consignor or consolidate like items.

Packaging Items

Proper fish bags must be used for all livestock. Fish bags can be purchased at many local fish stores or online (ex: Amazon). For the safety of the livestock, flimsy or leaking bags, bags secured using twist ties or press and seal (ex: Ziploc) bags are NOT allowed. Livestock must be given ample amounts of water and air space. A $1 re-bagging fee will be assessed against those items that the ASW is required to re-bag.

If you are planning to bring a larger fish that cannot be safely contained in a fish bag, please contact us to arrange alternative packaging instructions.

Any items that contain water (ex: plants, worm cultures, etc.) must be package in such a way that they will not leak. All items will be sold with their packaging (i.e. bags, boxes, containers etc.).

The auctioneer retains the right to set aside any items deemed not suitable for sale, such as items that have been improperly bagged, items that are not clearly labeled, livestock that appears sick or deformed or badly damaged equipment).

All possible precautions will be taken to ensure the safety and well-being of all items. Nevertheless, the ASW assumes no responsibility for loss or damage incurred as a result of the auction.

Labeling Items

All items must be labeled with your Seller ID followed by the item number (ex: ABC-01).  If you have forgotten your Seller ID, please contact us. All items within one auction, from one same seller, should use unique auction item IDs. For example, if selling 5 HAP items and 5 BAP items, those items should be labeled ABC-01 to ABC-10. Any additional items should now continue in the same way (ex: ABC-11 and counting).

When selling equipment, you must also include the following information on the label: working condition (including when last used / tested if known), whether there are any missing parts, any other pertinent information that may help the auctioneers and buyers identify the item and how it is used.

When selling livestock, you must also include the following information on the label: the common and/or scientific name, sex (if known), quantity (including number of males and females if known). If selling a pair / group that have previously successfully spawned, the seller may label the livestock as a Proven Pair/Group.

All items start with a minimum $1 CAD bid, and bidding will proceed whole-dollar incremental amounts. Sellers are allowed to label an item with a minimum bid prior to listing in the auction. Any item not purchased for the listed minimum bid will be returned to the seller.

Auction Forms

Items being sold for HAP or BAP must be listed on the appropriate forms. All other items should be listed on the Standard auction form.

Please remember that all items within one auction, from one same seller, should use unique auction item IDs.

When You Arrive

Usually, the doors open for a meeting approximately one hour before the meeting begins. If you are selling items in the auction, please arrive at least 15 minutes before the meeting begins so that you have time to register your items. All items must be registered using the appropriate Auction Form. The completed form must be handed in prior to the start of the meeting. Once registered, items cannot be withdrawn from the auction or changed in any way.

Once registered, it is the seller’s responsibility to place their items on the appropriate table. All items being sold as a part of the HAP and BAP awards programs should be placed on those tables, which are usually at the front. All other items will be placed on the ten other tables according to their item ID number. Any items with an item ID ending in 1 should be placed on table one, items with an item ID ending in 2 should be placed on table two and so on. For example, ABC-05 and ABC-15 would both be placed on table 5.  

After The Auction

Payments are made to sellers at the end of the auction. If a seller must leave before the end of the auction, they need to speak to the volunteers running the event BEFORE leaving. With pre-approval, their seller proceeds can be e-transferred or paid out via cheque, subject to a $5 administration fee. We strongly recommend that sellers stay for the entire duration of the auction and then collect their proceeds before leaving for the day.