Auction Info

C.O.A.S.T. auctions provide a unique platform for our members to offer their surplus stock and inventory as well as bid on the surplus stock and aquatic inventory of others. Auction items, donations, and non-paid volunteer hours provides the club with the ability to help upkeep the overhead costs to run our organization. All donations to our not-for-profit organization are greatly appreciated!


C.O.A.S.T. Proposed Auction Changes for 2025:

During November’s board meeting, the board members voted upon a change to the auction process in an effort to improve C.O.A.S.T.’s auction speed and efficiency. The changes proposed, which will be attempted as a “soft trial run” in December 2024, are as follows:

1. We have elected a ‘lead runner’, Kent Katz, whose role is to ensure that all bagged auction items are in their proper (5) categories/sections prior to the auction starting. He will also be ensuring all runners are working through the lot items in order, selecting from the five categories sequentially, which removes the need for auction runners to search about the table sections looking for something to bring up next to the auctioneer. Members and guests can help us to expedite the auction by writing in the FULL SPECIES / GENUS name, and provide quantity (# of fish) and sex, as well as any other information on the auction bag via label or sticker so the auctioneer doesn’t have to delay to figure out what we’re selling!
   
   The lead runner can also assist the auctioneer with writing the slips by the podium to help speed up the process for runners needing to fill that in when delivering the auction lot items to the bidders. The point of all this is to move the auction along faster, get done with bidding sooner, and ideally, have everyone leave happier.

The new auction categories are now being split into 5 main sections on the auction tables. The 5 category sections proposed will be the following:

1. Small fish up to 2″ (from tip of head to tail)
2. Medium fish from 2″ to 6″ (from tip of head to tail)
3. Large fish 6″+ (from tip of head to tail)
4. Live Aquatic Plants
5. Miscellaneous (auction items that don’t fit in the other categories, such as live food cultures, etc.)

From month to month, certain categories of fish that are popular in the hobby and at C.O.A.S.T. auctions can sometimes overwhelm their specific category based on the volume or number of breeders or hobbyists bringing in stock for that day’s auction event. This is to be expected, but given the frequency, we believe it’s in everyone’s best interest to get through the auction faster such that we can focus on other club activities, such as icebreakers or general hobbyist discussion, speaker engagement, or more raffles and give-a-ways.

As an example, bristlenose plecos and guppies are commonly traded and sold at C.O.A.S.T. Club, such that we may have up to 20 different bags of various sizes and quantities of Plecostomus fish and up to 20 different bags of guppies, bettas, or endlers for one auction meeting.

By having Kent and all runners pre-sort all auction items into categories, and then visually allowing our auctioneer and runners to see how many types and kinds of fish we have in each category, this should allow the auction to move much faster if we can sell through all 15 bags of bristlenose plecos in the 2″ or under category before we move into the remaining 5 bags in the “medium” or “large” categories. Then we can work through the livebearers, and then finally the bettas.

While some may object to this change, or find reason to fault it, please be aware this is a soft-trial run and is a trial by fire test-run to see how to speed up efficiency. The benefit should, in theory, outweigh the short-term negatives, such as breeders being concerned they’re making less money per bag if they bring too many of one type of fish (see below #2 point). The reality is, if we can speed up the auction process, we can host more items for auction, and we will be out the door faster and with cash in hand faster for everyone.

2. We are considering raising the fish auction lot items to a minimum starting bid of $3.00, up from $1.00. If nobody bids on the item at $3.00, the item will be returned to the auction tables and will start at $1.00 at the end of the auction, after every other auction item(s) have been sold. By moving all $1.00 “no-bid” items to the end of auction, This will help speed up the back and forth for the auctioneer over just a couple of dollars per item. Alternatively, we may just drop the auction item to $1.00 as we typically have, but as a test run we’ll see if this is a faster procedure overall.
3. We are considering providing a new “express lane” expedited service option for C.O.A.S.T. members / breeders whom are busy and simply want to drop off their lot of auction bags at a cost of $1.00 per item (including the club’s 20% fee per item). Your cash earnings from the auction can be kept for you until you collect it at the next club meeting, if you so wish.
   
   All ‘express lane’ auction lot items will be sold first at the start of the club auction. This will allow any members who need to get in and out to leave if they are selling only that day, and not looking to buy. We realize that sometimes spending half a day with us at C.O.A.S.T. Club can run into other life priorities or activities, therefore this is a service for the busy member(s) whom may not have the ability to stay for a full speaker presentation and auction that day, but still want to sell their fish or plants at C.O.A.S.T. auction without having to attend to their items until the end of the meeting.
   
   NOTE: If any expedited auction lot items do not sell, they will need to be collected somehow by the member by end of meeting, or a friend at C.O.A.S.T. can help arrange a return trip for you (you would need to plan out with a member in advance), or you will have to forfeit your auction items to the club at no cost as a donation to C.O.A.S.T. Fish Club. In most cases, these auction items will be donated back to L.F.S. partners if they cannot be sold, such as Nolan’s Aquarium, or The Reef Tropical Fish, to name a couple.

We will propose #3 for a vote during December’s meeting in the suggestion box to see if our members like this express lane service suggestion. If members are interested in this ‘priority’ service, we will likely implement it for 2025. Most likely, you will have to pre-pay the cashier at the door when you drop off your items for the auction, therefore if you bring 15 bags of fish or plants to sell, you will be pre-paying the cashier $15.00 cash. If you bring 20 bags of fish/plants to auction, you will be pre-paying $20.00 cash, and so on and so forth.

Auction Files:

How to Buy at Auction

• Bring a bag or bucket to transport any fish / livestock you purchase
• Bring a Styrofoam box or cooler to transport any livestock if the weather is very hot or very cold.
• Arrive by 12:00 pm noon to preview items up for auction.
• If you are already a C.O.A.S.T. member pick up your yellow member card from the Auction Registration table;
• IF you don’t see your card it might just be out of sequence OR your membership has expired.
• IF so, then check with the Membership Registration Table and renew your membership.
• Non-members need to sign-up as a guest and be assigned a YELLOW Auction card.
• When bidding hold your card up so the auctioneer can see you!
• Bidding increments are at the discretion of the Auctioneer and will not be less than $1 each
• The winning bidder is determined by the Auctioneer when the word “sold” is said
• A runner will bring your items you won with a slip to initial.  Check that you got the correct item, check the price, lot #, and MOST importantly your member # and then initial the slip.
• Payment is at the registration table when the auction has concluded.
• Members can pay by personal check or cash. Guests must pay with cash only, no exceptions to this rule! Guests are allowed to attend up to (3) meetings at C.O.A.S.T. before requiring membership with the club.

How to Sell at Auction

• You must be a dues-paid C.O.A.S.T. active member to be able participate in the auction.
• If not, you may join the club right before the auction begins and become a paid member at the club’s registration table. You may also direct yourself to our paid membership form link on this website to expedite your new or returning membership processing in person.
  
  Usually we will have a number of guests or new members whom need to be processed at the start of every meeting. Each individual can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes to register, depending on having payment and forms readily signed. Please plan accordingly and help expedite the process by having any questions ready for the table, as well as having your payment readily on hand (cash preferred)!
• Sellers will receive 80%, the club receives 20% which helps pay for our organization’s overhead costs, such as rent, speakers, events, etc.
• Please do not bring sick, damaged, or illegal fish, livestock, or plants.
• Try and arrive early and distribute your items on the auction tables so as not to delay the start of the meeting.
• Sellers should always double-bag their fish and shy away from using Ziploc type bags as:
• Leaking bags have been a problem in the past!
• Bag adult males separately from females!
• Separate territorial or aggressive fish from each other to help minimize damage or death.
• Individual bags can be taped together to be sold as pairs or groups.
• Do not feed your fish the night before.
• Bag fish in clean water with a ratio of 1/3 water to 2/3 air.
• If you do not have an oxygen tank at home to fill your auction bags, consider using an air line attached to an active air pump. (The oxygen from the running air line from the atmosphere overall is better for the fish in the bag than the carbon dioxide ‘exhaust’ coming out from your mouth, and it’s more hygienic too!)
• Please bag and label all fish and plants at home!
• Plants may be single bagged and do not need to be submersed in water. You can provide a wet napkin in the bag to help provide/maintain moisture.
• Fill out the Auction Form BEFORE you arrive; place labels on the fish bag, etc.
• PLEASE include ALL relevant information for the fish or plant auction item being sold at auction. Include the full genus or species names and common trade name, sex, age, collection point, breeder origin (import / captive-bred / F1, F2, F3, etc.)
  
  *** This will assist the auctioneer and runners to identify your auction item for sale faster! ***
• ALL non-living related items, such as hard goods, soft goods, foods, packaged goods, new and used fish tank supplies, etc. are to be set aside for the SILENT AUCTION CORNER, hosted by club sponsor www.nolansaquarium.co. The SILENT AUCTION CORNER runs from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm, and it is run separately from the livestock auction event.
• Please number all your bags of fish and other items for sale with your member number, followed by a dash and the item number, starting with 1. (example. 888-1, 888-2, 888-3… and so on.)
• Remember, each bag should have the above information as well as the name of plant or fish species plus the sex IF known, and quantity. (Please don’t make the auctioneer and runners have to count or identify livestock for you, which just slows down the overall speed of the auction.)
• For ease in labeling your livestock, please try downloading the Auction forms at the top of this page, or writing on a label with a Sharpie will also suffice, 
• The interactive form is particularly useful as it also allows printing the auction summary page as well. 
• Hand in your Auction Form at the Auction registration table, NOT Membership.
• Find a clear spot on an auction table and set them up neatly for ease of viewing.
• At the end of the auction, collect your 80% share of the auction price in cash.  
• Your purchases will be deducted from your sales balance.