Street Fair Auction "ballot box"

Mon 13 Sep 2021, 08:36

Blind or sealed bids are just another type of commonly used auction and we have had problems (and angry words) where some have been watching over their favoured item to "trump" the previous one. Which is fine, except when it overlaps into the cut-off time and there is almost an unseemly scramble and it is difficult to police. What if somebody is in the queue just at the cut-off. If we didn't have a cut-off time, then it's not a problem.

Also, doing it this way enables people to submit their bids by email.

It becomes difficult to police, and this was not just theoretical. We had complaints of bids being placed after the cut-off time (and just whose time do we use).

Hence we are trying it this way as it's not pleasant for volunteers to have to deal with slanging matches.

Sun 12 Sep 2021, 18:20

Isn't the point of an auction that people outbid each other, pushing up the sale price in the process?

Sun 12 Sep 2021, 11:10

Due to past controversies about late bids, the format of the Charlbury Street Fair silent auction is being changed to one involving the submission of "sealed bids". Basically filling in a strip of paper with the lot number, bid amount and contact details.

Consequently, we want some sort of secure "ballot box" with a slot, which we can use on the day and into which people can submit their bidding "slips". I'm sure I can adapt a cardboard box for the purpose, but if anybody has something that fits the description which we could borrow, then that would be even better.

Note, we will also be allowing bids be email to a dedicated address, and the administrator(s) of that will be banned from bidding themselves as will anybody who has privileged access to bids prior to the cut-off.