The "How to Bid in & Run an Auction" Guide

[Merilin]

The "How to Run an Auction" Guide
A guide by Hekomi*

Bidding in an auction? Click here to skip to the bidding guide.

Auctions are an important part of Chicken Smoothie and something a lot of people use to get and to trade pets. But like all things, there is a right and a wrong way to hold an auction. Recently, many people have become confused as to what a proper auction should look like and how it should be run. This guide will help you to run an effective and fair auction.

Step One: Choosing a Pet

So you've decided to hold an auction. Great. Sometimes it's very clear what pet you want to auction off, but other times it's a bit fuzzy. Here are some things to think about before even going any farther.

• Is my pet a rare or a very rare?
  
• Is my pet in high demand?
• Am I willing to part with my pet?
Most auctions are held for pets which are worth a lot, in order to get many bids. There isn't much of a point in auctioning a pet of a low value. Uncommons are great as additions to trades, not auctions. Auctioning pets that are not in demand is also a bad idea; for example, a rainbow draft auction would not go over well. No one really wants rainbow drafts, and there would be little interest in that auction. Lastly, a lot of people auction pets that they 'love' and then refuse to let go of them at the end. This is not fair to the people bidding. If you have such a strong attachment, DO NOT AUCTION YOUR PET. If you are just trying to see what you can get for your pet, don't bother hosting an auction. If you want to know what you can get for it, check out the "How Much Is This Pet Worth?" thread. Also, learn what your pet is called. Each pet has it's own 'name' and can be found by following the links in The Guide Index. A list of URLs will be placed at the bottom of the links to the naming guides.

Step Two: Familiarizing Yourself with Rarities

If you're auctioning a pet, you need to know it's rarity. You have to know how much it is worth, and what kinds of offers you should be looking for. I highly reccomend posting in the "How Much Is This Pet Worth?" thread to get an idea of what you should be looking for in your bids. Remember; just because a pet means a lot to you does not mean it is worth more. This is also the time to start thinking about what you are looking for for your pet. Don't start with the notion that you're going to get a Sunjewel for your Red Rose Dog. Sorry, but that's not happening.

Step Two and a half: Deciding on an Auto-Win

This step can be combined with the above step. An auto-win is a bid which is worth slightly more than the pet you are auctioning. This is because it should be an incentive to get the auctioneer to end the auction and give it to the auto-win bidder so they do not have to wait. An auto-win is not a ridiculous offer you are hoping for. No one is giving you a zebra for your rare '08 advent. Do not make that an auto win.

What I usually do is look at The "Rares" List Guide and find some pets that are just above the pet I am auctioning. For example, if I were auctioning a purple toxic, a good auto-win would be a Spotted Tribal, U-Nick-orn, or maybe a growing white July. I would stay within 2-3 pets above it.

It's exhausting seeing people wanting swirls, jewels, zebras, etc. etc. for common rares and very rares. If you're going to auction a pet, make a fair auto, or don't have one at all. The phrase "I can dream" is also just as frustrating. Auto-wins are not there for ridiculous offers, they are a way to get a little more than what the pet is worth. I can't emphasize this enough.

If someone offers your auto you are expected to accept it, not ask for more pets on top of that. That is just rude; an autowin means you will give the pet to them right there and then. "If you're worried that your autos might exclude people who might possibly bid a more valuable pet than you have listed, you can always say 'and any pets of greater value than the autos listed'" [Deja].

If someone does not offer an auto, that does not make it a bad offer. If you are continually changing your auto-wins, that will make your bidders frustrated. I would suggest deciding on an auto and sticking to it. People will strive to get your auto, and if you change it on them, then that is like a slap to the face for their effort. If you do have to change an auto, give ample notice and explain why.

Step Three: Creating the Thread

First and foremost, read all of the CS Auction Rules. Make sure you are abiding by them at all times, or you could be warned and your thread locked. Now that all those important bits are out of the way, you can create a thread. Usually auctions follow a similar format, with a small blurb at the top, rules, the pet, autos, boosters (things that will help a bid but are not autos), bids, rankings and anything else missed. Make sure you include the end date. Also, when making the subject/title for your auction make sure it is very clear. Ex: "Gearback Tribal UFA", not "08 VR UFA!". Below I have enclosed the format that I always use for my auctions;



Code: Select all

[center][size=120][b][u]X UFA![/u][/b][/center][/size]
Blurb; anything necessary the bidders should know. This auction will end [b]date here[/b].

[b]Rules[/b]
Any rules your auction should have* see guide for tips on rules

[b]The Pet[s][/b]
Your pet here!

[b]Autowins[/b]
See section 2.5 for help with autowins

[b]Boosters[/b]


[b]Bids[/b]
-
-

[b]Ranking System[/b]
[color=#FF0000]You definitely need to add more, sorry[/color]
[color=#FF8000]You could add a few more pets[/color]
[color=#FFD700]Looks almost fair; try adding one or two more pets[/color]
[color=#008000]Great Bid[/color]
[color=#004080]Awesome Bid[/color]
[color=#800080]I must accept this now or I will DIE[/color]



Feel free to modify it to your liking, or make your own entirely. Auction rules should be reasonable. Common rules are:

• Please only send wishlist pets
  
• Send your pets in a group NOT a trade
• Post in the topic when you send your bid
• Do not spam
• Do not whine if you are not in first/you lose
• I only want dogs/horses/bunnies/etc [Clarify what you are looking for]
• No commons/vc/uc
• Notify me if you change/add (to) your bid

They don't have to be these rules though! Feel free to make your own. Just don't make them unreasonable.

People also use various systems for rankings; emoticons, points, etc. Whatever works for you. I'll discuss this more in the next section. Also, when making your thread make sure the font size and colour are legible and it flows coherently. Usually making sections, like I have it above, helps. Also spell/grammar checks are your friends.

Step Four: Getting Bids, Maintaining your thread & Customer Service Relations

You've made the thread, and look, someone's offered on your pet! That's fantastic! Your job as the auctioneer is to promptly add their bid to the front page. There is nothing more frustrating than the front page not being updated as frequently as possible. It is your job to keep on top of the bids. As well, use a system to show who's in the lead and the placings. As I mentioned, colours, smileys and points are a great way to do this. Make sure though that it's always clear who's winning by either bolding their name or having a blurb at the bottom. This way your bidders will not get frustrated and badger you. They will also be able to add to their bid more effectively.

Though it can be frustrating when people drop out, it is a fact of auctions. Graciously thank them for their time, take their bid off, and let them walk away. There's no reason to make a fuss over it. If your pet fits the criteria in step one (rare, high demand, etc) you will have plenty of bidders. Be kind too; always accept people's bids, even if they're under par. Let them know they will need to add to their bid, and point them in the direction of someone who can help them learn rarities. If someone comes on your thread and tells you your autos are too high, or anything of that sort, don't get mad. Check with the "Is this a fair trade?" thread and they'll help you out with your autos. All these will encourage people to bid in your auctions and to bid well.

Step Five: Ending your Auction and Choosing a Winner

Once your auction has been going on for a while, and even sometimes near the very beginning, you will have to end it for various reasons. If someone offers an auto-win that you have stated above, this is a cue for you to end your auction. People will get very frustrated if you do not auto-accept an offer which included an auto-win. This is greedy, and frowned upon. Another reason to end your auction is that you have gotten a lot of great bids, and you want to accept one. If this happens before your ending date, I encourage you to give your bidders at least 24 hours notice before you end the auction. If on the end date, that's awesome. Another reason to end your auction is that even by the end date you have gotten no bids that are a fair offer for your pet. Usually this is an indicator that your pet is not in high demand, and thus, it might not have been the right thing to auction it in the first place.

If you have gotten some great offers, sometimes it is hard to tell which is the best offer. This is where the "Is this a fair trade?" thread comes in handy once more. Head on over there, and ask them which bid is the fairest for your pet. Also, don't discount a bid jut because it's offered something you already have. If it's a VR/R '08 you can always auction/trade it off again or use it as trade fodder. You can never have enough rares/VRs. Once you're figured out the winner, announce it, congratulate them, thank everyone for entering your auction, and wish them good luck in finding the pet.

Then you can either wait for your winner to send the trade or send a suggestion their way. Congratulations! You just hosted a successful auction!

Other Important Things to Consider

It is generally frowned upon to auction a pet and then offer it in other auctions. I discourage this.
Do not bump your auction thread more than is necessary; you should only bump it once it leaves the front page.
Do not have a conversation on your auction thread. Things like this can be taken to PMs and conversations are frustrating for bidders.
Advertise your auction in your signature via a link or a picture. It's a great way to notify people about the auction you're holding.
Sometimes people host quantity auctions, which are a neat spin on your regular auction. In these auctions, a rare pet is offered and the auctioneer makes a list of pets which earn points. The person with the most points get the pet. Usually people offer hundreds of common pets. Do not hold a quantity auction if you are looking for R/VR pets for your pet.
Some people accept more than pets in auctions; other things include art, CS$, or other site currency. Make sure you state whether you accept any of these.
Codewords are annoying. No one likes them. Don't use them.

Important Links

• "How Much Is This Pet Worth?" Thread by Chianya
  
• The "Rares" List Guide by Spock
• "Is this a fair trade?" Thread
• CS Auction Rules
• Guide to 'Official' names of CS Dogs by Atwood
• A Guide to Naming your Pets and their Groups by Chry
• Guide to 'Official' CS Horse Names by Minimanta
• Guide to 'Official' Names of Malk Pets
• Guide to Guinea Pig Names by MewMewMinto
• Guide to 'Offical' Lion Names by Princess_Mekka
• Guide to 'Official' Rat Names by BC

Please post here if there is anything I have missed and should cover. Also notify me of any grammar/spelling mistakes too. A "How to successfully bid in an auction" guide will be released soon and will be posted in the reserved post below. If this is better suited to a different forum, such as the auctions forum, please move it there. If there is already a thread about how to run an auction, please lock this. I searched for one but couldn't find anything.

*Much thanks to Deja, Feathered Beauty, Kohaku, TokinoMukou, Eucliwood and anyone else I may have forgotten for their help with this guide. I hope it helps.

[Hekomi]

The "How to Bid in an Auction" Guide
A guide by Hekomi

Sometimes the best way to find those hard-to-get wishlist pets is by stalking the auctions. A lot of the times you can find people offering VR pets there that you can bid on. Auctions are a great way to find them, and sometimes even get good deals. Below is a list of things to help you when bidding in an auction.

Step One: Finding an Auction

Sometimes the toughest part of auctions is finding an auction that has the pet[s] you want in it. Usually high demand pets are easy to find and on the front page. Rarer pets are tougher. Sometimes using the search function on the forum will help yield results. Just make sure when you do this that you search for something generic, like "wood angel" and then check when the last post date was and if the auctioneer has been on lately. Also sometimes people will have links to auctions in their signatures, which can help. Once you've found an auction, make sure it looks reasonable. I highly reccommend staying clear of people whose autos are ridiculously high, who have strong feelings to their pets, are looking to see what they can get for their pet, have no end date, or is a tentative auction. Also, look through all the posts. This will usually give you a good gauge of the auctioneer. Make sure the person is honest, reputable and fair.

Step Two: Making a Bid

Before you even think about making a bid, read through their rules. Make sure you know whether or not they are only looking for wishlist pets, whether or not you should send a trade or bid a group, or anything else worth noting. You do not want to start off the auction by breaking one of their rules. Once you've done all that, I usually start a trade with them if only to see what wishlist pets of theirs I have in my trading groups. Go through, add them, and if they dislike suggestions, manually transfer the pets into a group.

I suggest before bidding your group to check out the "Is this a Fair Trade?" Thread to make sure your offer is not ridiculously unfair. It's okay for it to not be fair, but if it's not, be prepared to add. Auctions generally start out with low bids. Post your bid, and then wait for your bid to be added.

Do not bid pets that you do not own. I don't care if you 'might' have it soon, do not do it. If you do not know the name of your pet, check out the threads posted in the guide below. They will give you all the answers you need.

If you are bidding the auto, prepare to pay a little bit more than what the pet is worth. An auto-win should be something worth just a little bit more than the pet as an incentive to make the auctioneer end the auction right there and then and trade you the pet.

Step Three: Adding, Being Outbid & Withdrawing your Bid

If you are bidding in an auction you will probably need to add to your bid at least once, possibly more. The point of an auction is to increase the worth of your group to beat other people. If someone bids higher than you, look for another pet to add to your group. Notify the auctioneer that you have added, and what you added. This way it's easier for the auctioneer to keep track. If you are outbid do not whine. It is annoying. Not everyone is going to win an auction, unfortunately. It's just the way it works. Be prepared before you enter that you might lose. It's not the end of the world. Try again in another auction and work on your trading fodder.

If at any point you need to withdraw, that is fine. You should not be penalized for withdrawing if you need to. Politely tell the auctioneer that you are withdrawing, and wish them good luck with their auction.

Step Four: Multiple Auctions, Scammers and other Unpleasantries

If you are looking for a pet and there are multiple auctions for it, by all means offer in all of them. This can be frustrating though for auctioneers; please be aware of this. Remember that if you're offering your pet as a prize in a contest of any sort it is against the auction rules to offer this pet in an auction.

Sometimes people get scammed in auctions. This can go both ways, with either the auctioneer or the bidder getting scammed. If you are bidding on a re-release, especially for pets like the dogtag/moon swirl, MAKE SURE that the auctioneer can offer proof that the pet is what they say it is. For good measure, do not trade until you know for sure which outcome the pet is. You do not want to be scammed. Same for butterfly wolves; all the cocoons look the same. A "UR Bwolf Cocoon" could very well be just a rare bwolf.

Sometimes auction threads can get ugly. If people are arguing about why their bid isn't in first, etc. do not reply. It is not your job to reply. If you are ticked about your bid not being in first, politely ask the auctioneer why. It is their right to deem what bid is in first, according to the auction rules. "Fairness is in the eyes of the auctioneer" says Ricorn.

Step Five: Winning & Losing

If your bid is in first and you win, great! It is your job to uphold your end of the deal and either wait for the auctioneer to send a trade or send a suggestion with your bid in it. You should not change your bid. This is unfair to the auctioneer. Accept your pet, and squeal with delight. You've won an auction! You worked hard and it paid off. Congrats.

Unfortunately, not everyone can win every auction. There will always be a loser and unfortunately they will be disappointed. Don't despair! You have tons of other opportunities to get the pets you desire. Congratulate the winner, thank the auctioneer and depart in search of the pet elsewhere. With hard work and determination you will surely get the pet your heart desires.

But, make sure you are not a sore winner or loser. Do not shove your accomplishment in the other bidders' faces, or whine that you did not win. These give you a poor image and are frowned upon.

Congratulations. You've just bidded in and possibly won your first auction!

Important Links

• "How Much Is This Pet Worth?" Thread by Chianya
  
• The "Rares" List Guide by Spock
• "Is this a fair trade?" Thread
• CS Auction Rules
• Guide to 'Official' names of CS Dogs by Atwood
• A Guide to Naming your Pets and their Groups by Chry
• Guide to 'Official' CS Horse Names by Minimanta
• Guide to 'Official' Names of Malk Pets
• Guide to Guinea Pig Names by MewMewMinto
• Guide to 'Offical' Lion Names by Princess_Mekka
• Guide to 'Official' Rat Names by BC

Please let me know if I am missing anything. :]

[Hekomi]

And one more for good measure.

[Seasonal]

This is amazing! Thank-you for taking the time to write this. Hopefully, it encourages members to offer fairly in auctions and run one correctly.

Personally, I feel that this should be moved to the CS Auctions board and be stickied. ^-^ d

[Ventru]

This is great :O

[Hekomi]

Thank you. :] I'm hoping it'll do the same thing. There's been quite a movement lately to try and get auction rules and things to follow for running auctions. I know the auctions I've been in lately, save a couple, have been wretched. I'm going to add a little bit more, since I realised I forgot a few things I mentioned.

I would have posted this in the auction board, but since all the other guides are here, I posted it here. I do hope it gets put in the auction board and pinned. If people followed a format for auctions more clearly there would be far less people unhappy with unfair auctioneers/bidders.

Do expect the second half, how to bid, soon enough.

[Ventru]

Is it also in this thread? xD

[Zopix]

This is a great guide! Now I might actually start an auction soon.

[Hekomi]

It will be posted in the second post once I finish it. ;] I just posted it right after I finished writing the first part.


Adding a few more sections I realised I missed about auctions to "see what you can get" for your pet and quantity vs. quality auctions.

[Kohaku]

voting for a sticky.
this is something all auctioneers should read.