The 2010 Northern Clivia Club Auction

The NCC is holding its third plant auction in the process of establishing a regular yearly auction. Various interesting plants will be on offer, as part of the club’s annual Clivia Show and Market.
As last he NCC Clivia Show and Market will take place on Saturday, 4 September and Sunday, 5 September at Anton van Wouw Primary School in Dey Street, New Muckleneuk, Pretoria. 

Introduction
The objective is to create additional excitement and publicity around the show and market, and as such the auction has been made as accessible as possible to the broad public. Similarly to the previous two years a cheese and wine function will be held after the close of the show at 16:30 on the Saturday – this will include the 2010 Show prize giving. The auction will then start round 17:30. 
Auctions are generally regarded as efficient price setting mechanisms, and as such can serve an interesting benchmark and reference price determination function within the clivia community. The commission from the sales are intended to cover the auction function related costs, but is also provides an income earning opportunity for the club.  
The auction will consist of two sections, each with a different format: 
a) A live auction; and
b) a silent auction.
The live auction will consist of approximately 20 to 30 selected plants and any 2010 Show winners offered by their respective owners. The silent auction will be limited to no more than 10 plants accepted and benched on the Friday afternoon before the show, or by the amount of space available to display this category of plants.

Selection process
To the extent required, a panel nominated by the Judges Committee will serve as the Auction Selection Panel (“Panel”). Such Panel will go through the entries and select approximately 20 to 30 plants for the live auction and up to 10 plants for the silent auction.  Entrants will be informed of the selection and/or non-selection of their entered plants.

Reserve prices may be specified on the application form for plants but preference may be given to plants were no reserve price is specified. Reserve prices dampen the enthusiasm of the public as it creates the impression that ‘bargains’ will not be had.
Entries
An entry consists of:

  1. An electronic photo showing at least the umbel of the entry plant [file size not to exceed 0.5 Mbytes].
  2. A fully completed entry form relating to the entry plant.

More than one plant can be entered per entry form. Only fully completed entries will be considered.

Rules and regulations

  1. The Panel will adjudicate all entries, using the information and digital photographs submitted, to decide on the auction plants.
  2. Only one specimen of a specific clone/cultivar (for instance “Potties Peach”) will be auctioned.   If submissions for more specimens of a specific clone (which is included in the list of plants to be auctioned) is received the most mature offset will be selected.
  3. Only mature plants can be submitted for selection, subject to the decision of the Panel.
  4. The Panel’s decision is final and will be made known on or about 23 August.
  5. A commission of 10% will be payable by the seller to the NCC following the sale of each item. The commission will be deducted from the selling price and the net amount will be electronically transferred, within 7 days of the auction, to the bank account of the seller specified in the original entry. Only electronic payments will be made.
  6. Setoff will not be allowed i.e. sellers cannot offset any of their sale proceeds against any purchases made by them. Purchases must be paid for in full.
  7. If a plant (applies to both live and silent auction plants) remains unsold due to the highest bid being lower than the reserve price, a commission of 10% will be payable by the owner on the highest bid received subject to a maximum of R250.00 and a minimum of R50.00. Such a payment is to be made to the NCC Treasurer immediately after the auction before the plant will be released to the unsuccessful seller.
  8. In the event of a buyer not being able to effect payment for a plant, such plant will remain the property of the seller. In this instance the minimum commission of R50.00 will be payable by the seller.
  9. Any plants not collected by 15:30 on Sunday, 5 September, will not be the responsibility of the NCC or any of its office bearers.

Conditions of sale

  1. Attendance at the auction is free. A bidder’s ticket will be R100.00, which will be refunded after the auction.
  2. The auction list of sale is final.
  3. Goods are sold “voetstoots”.
  4. Buyers or their agents must be present at the auction.
  5. The highest bidder is the purchaser, subject to the auction item’s reserve price (if any) being met.
  6. Bidding and payment will be in SA currency.
  7. Payment can be made by electronic payments (internet access will be available for winning bidders to be able to do internet banking transfers) within 30 minutes after the end of the auction.  Any other payment, except cash, only by prior arrangement. Ownership of plants is transferred to the new owner (buyer) on payment. No Credit is available.
  8. NCC Show Winners that are purchased in the auction will remain part of the Show until Sunday, 5 September 2010 when they may be collected from the de-benching panel between 15:00 and 15:30. All other plants sold in the auction must be removed after the auction, after payment.
  9. Although the NCC facilitates the auction on behalf of sellers, the NCC nor their office bearers are responsible or accountable for the authenticity of any item on offer, or responsible for any plant between the time of purchase and the time of collection.

Benching and display
The selected auction plants and the silent auction plants must be benched between 15:00 and 16:00 on Friday, 3 September at Anton van Wouw Primary School. They will be on display to the public from the Saturday morning, 4 September until the start of the auction. The public will be invited to submit closed bids for the silent auction plants during Saturday, 4 September. 
The silent auction display space may limit the number of plants that will be accepted. Silent auction reserve prices will be displayed with the plants and if no reserve price is specified in writing at the time of submission it will be sold to the highest bid submitted by the close of the silent auction.
Where any owners of Show winners decide to include their plant(s) in the live or silent auctions, their reserve prices will be announced or be included on the silent auction bidding list for such plants.  

Registration and bidding
Bidders for the live auction will be required to register. Only bidders with registration numbers will be allowed to bid in the live auction. Bidders must register prior to the live auction.
Anybody visiting the show can bid in the silent auction. A bid box will be placed with the silent auction plants. Silent auction bidding slips will be available at the bid box. Only fully completed bids placed in the bid box will be considered for purposes of the silent auction. After the close of the silent auction the bids will be collated in order of the size of bids per plant. The highest bidder will be telephoned and announced at the live auction. The silent auction will close at 15:00 on Saturday and winners will be informed telephonically by 16:00. If payment is not received for a silent auction plant by the time the live auction finishes, such plant will be returned to its seller.

pdfDownload the above auction invitation pdfDownload the auction application form.