Raleigh Aquarium Society 2026 Spring Auction

WHEN?

Saturday, May 16. Participant check-in starts at 9AM, Auction begins at 10AM. Runs until all items have been sold (typically between 3 and 5PM)

Where?

Central Pines Regional Council between Raleigh and Durham at the Intersection of I-40 and Paige Rd

What items are allowed?

This auction is open to all live aquarium-related items (fish, snails, shrimp, plants, live foods, etc.)

No dry goods: for this auction, dry goods (such as tanks, stands, lights, hoods, filters, pumps, heaters, dry food, equipment, supplies, literature, etc.) will not be permitted.

How to participate

Buyers can simply show up and register at the event. Sellers should register and enter their items on MyGroupAuctions. All items must be clearly labeled with an item number as generated by MyGroupAuctions.

Note to sellers: registering items early (24H or more before the auction) allows people to see what is being brought, which encourages buyers to come. (People are more excited about coming if they see items they want to bid on!) Uploading an image with each item has also been shown to increase sales. Poorly labeled items that do not highlight an item can easily lead to people not bidding because they don’t understand what they are missing.

Auction Seller Rules

1. Any person wishing to sell items must complete all registration documents and agree to the terms of the auction. Use www.MyGroupAuctions.com to pre-register your items and print labels to minimize the morning traffic jam at the registration table (see MyGroupAuctions).

2. Live items must be properly bagged and of suitable size to maintain water quality throughout the duration of the auction (several hours). Proper fish bags must be used. Ziploc bags may be used only for dry items or plants, not fish (fish in Ziploc bags will be removed from the auction). Very large fish must be in a bucket. Fish must be bagged with the ample air and water proportions (1/3 water, 2/3 air). Do not overcrowd your fish. Multiple bags may be joined together as one item if necessary. For dry goods, we encourage bulking small items into 1 larger sale due to space restrictions.

3. RAS may re-bag items as necessary and will charge sellers a $1.00 re-bagging fee.

4. The Auction Chairman or Auctioneer has the right to remove any item from the auction that is incorrectly bagged, appears sick or diseased, or otherwise deemed unsellable.

5. Priority stickers can be purchased for $1.00 each. There is a limited number of priority stickers sold and they are available at the registration table (cash only). You can put priority stickers on any item at the auction.

6. Once an item is registered, it may not be withdrawn (except by the Auction Chairman). The Auction Chairman has the right to request that small single dollar items be consolidated into a single lot.

7. Sellers have the right to put a minimum bid on any of their items. This must be clearly labelled, or the item may be sold under a minimum price. Minimum bids must be at least $5.00. Unsold items must be taken home by the sellers. RAS is not responsible for unclaimed, unsold items.

8. Sellers may remove the minimum bid or their items with approval from the Auction Chairman.

9. Any item not claimed at the end of the auction becomes the property of RAS.

10. The first dollar of EVERY SALE will go to RAS. After the first dollar, the Seller will receive 70% of the balance (for RAS members) or 60% of the balance (for non RAS members). For example, if you sell an item for $11, a RAS member would get $7.00 and a non-member would get $6.00.

11. No payments are made on the day of the auction! Checks are mailed out promptly in full by the RAS treasurer after each auction. Ensure that all your registration information (name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, etc.) is correct. Although every effort is made to ensure prompt payment, RAS is not responsible for mail delays or incorrect/illegible seller information.

12. RAS claims no responsibility for any item entered in the auction or any personal injury that might result during the auction or on the auction site.

13. In all cases, decisions made by the Auctioneer and Auction Chairman is final on any dispute.