Auction Guidelines Cowtown Bonsai Convention June, 2010 By Mark Bynum Bidder's Guidelines: 1. Any adult can register as a bidder. Membership in a bonsai club is not required. 2. Bidder registration for the auction opens during the cocktail hour just before the evening meal on Saturday and continues to the beginning of the auction. 3. All adult convention registrants are automatically registered. Please pick up your bidder's number card during the bidder registration times mentioned. 4. Viewing of the trees for the auction will be all day Saturday in the dining area. 5. During the auction, a bid is given by raising your bidder's number card high enough for the auctioneer or assistants to recognize. Verbal bids are not necessary but are not discouraged as long as the number is raised. 6. Winning bids as declared by the auctioneer are final and legally binding. 7. Winning bidders are expected to pay for their items at the end of the auction by cash, check, or credit card (Visa, MC). 8. Upon payment, winning bidders should immediately take possession of their items. Security will not be provided in the dining area after the auction. Other security arrangements can be made available by the auction staff, if desired. Seller's Guidelines: 1. You must be a LSBF club member to enter trees into the auction. 2. More than one tree can be entered and must have a minimum value of $100. Have in mind your minimum acceptable bid price when you register your tree(s). 3. Security is the owner's responsibility before the auction registration opens on Saturday. Maintenance of trees is the owner's responsibility throughout the convention to auction time. Watering equipment will be available. 4. Saturday morning of the convention, please register your tree(s) with the auction clerk. Trees will be accepted all day Saturday. The sooner you register, the sooner your tree will be displayed in front of potential buyers. A very helpful suggestion is for you to supply a typewritten information sheet with the type of tree, botanical name, and any other pertinent information, such as the potter's name or history of the tree, that may help sell it. Information about the tree will be displayed (owner's name optional) during the viewing time before the auction. 5. At any time during the convention the owner may lower the minimum bid amount by first informing the auctioneer. If there are no bids for a tree, the auctioneer may ask for any bids from the floor and sell the tree for less than the minimum bid upon the owner's approval. Trees with no bids or bids that do not meet the minimum acceptable price will go back to the owner. 6. As this is a fund raiser for LSBF, please do not sell your tree outside of the auction area. 7. The final price of a tree will be split 80% to the owner and 20% to the convention. 8. All funds to be collected by the auction clerks. Owner's share to be distributed by the convention treasurer within a week of the auction. Please check with the auction clerk at the end of the auction for your total sales amount. Your patience during this time will be appreciated.