Auctions

The NSW Cichlid Society regularly hosts auctions which are a convenient way for members to sell their fish and dry goods, and for members and guests to buy them! If you are the winning bidder, please proceed to the payment table to make payment and collect your fish as soon as bidding ends. Only cash can be accepted for payment.

Mini Auctions

At each of the Monthly Meetings held in Sydney, there is a mini auction unless the Member's Talk is presented by an International speaker. These mini auctions usually consist of around 70 lots with both fish and dry goods up for auction. All members are entitled to book in fish and dry goods into a mini auction. If you would like to book in fish and/or dry goods, please fill in the Mini Auction Book In Form and bring it with you on the night along with your lots. Please also ensure you follow the minimum sizing requirements for booking in fish.

For all members that intend on booking in fish and/or dry goods in any of our auctions, please read the Auction Rules & Limits and follow the Bagging Guide. Members can book their lots into the mini auction from 6.45pm to 7.30pm on the night of the Monthly Meeting. Please note, the scrutineer who is booking in your lots may ask you to re-bag your lots if they see fit. Re-bagging facilities are available at the trade table.

In addition to the Auction Rules & Limits, the New South Wales Cichlid Society has introduced Minimum Sizing Requirements. Different species have different sizing requirements so please ensure you adhere to these sizing requirements. Any lots that do not meet the sizing requirement will not be booked in.

Major Auctions

In March & October, the NSW Cichlid Society holds Major Auctions. These auctions tend to have around 500 lots. In these months, the auction starts from 2pm and goes late into the night and sometimes into the earlier hours of the next morning.

To book in fish and/or dry goods into a Major Auction, you must be a financial member for at least 3 months. For example, to book-in lots for an October Major Auction, you must be financial in July. Major Auction lots (book in sheets) will be given to financial members in the 2 Monthly Meetings leading up to the major auction. This means that in order for a member to receive all 16 lots for the October Major Auction, they must attend the August Annual General Meeting to receive 8 lots, and the September Monthly Meeting to receive another 8.

For all members that intend on booking in fish and/or dry goods in any of our auctions, please read the Auction Rules & Limits and Major Auction Rules and follow the Bagging Guide. Please note, the scrutineer who is booking in your lots may ask you to re-bag your lots if they see fit. Re-bagging facilities are available at the trade table.

FAQs

Can I see a list of the fish being sold? No - lots are entered on the day or night of the auction so it is not possible to provide a list of what will go up for sale.
Can I view the fish up for sale before the auction starts? No - viewing of lots is not possible, this is because of mishandling of lots in the past and for the welfare of the fish in general. When a lot is being auctioned the auctioneers will do their best to describe the fish, and a photo will usually be displayed on the big screen. You are welcome to come down to the front to have a closer inspection of it too.
Can I pay by card? No - only cash payment is accepted.
Who can sell fish and drygoods at auctions? Only financial members. Members must be financial for at least 3 months to sell at Major Auctions.
Who can buy fish and drygoods at auctions? All members and guests can purchase at Mini Auctions. Major Auctions require a bidding card to be able to bid and purchase. Members receive a free bidding card whilst guests must purchase a bidding card for $5.
Can I sell fish on the night I become a member? No - you need to be a member for at least one month to sell at Mini Auctions, and at least 3 months to sell at Major Auctions (as well as attending the previous two meetings in the lead up to the major auction).

Rules & Limits

The following are general auction rules and apply to both Mini Auctions and Major Auctions:

Auction lots can only be entered by a financial member
Only the member can enter the lots at the scrutineering table themselves. No other person may enter/present lots without prior approval from the Committee.
The auction is limited to the sale of fish and aquarium products only
Second hand electrical items can not be auctioned
All fish must meet the minimum size requirements
Any cichlid 7.5cm or larger must be bagged as an individual fish. If you want to sell multiple fish larger than 7.5cm together as one lot, bag them individually and tape the bags together.
Non-cichlids include any fish that is not a cichlid, as well as shrimp and snails.
Dry goods include any dry goods, as well as plants and live foods.
Single lots of multiple bags must be taped together with clear packing tape, around the sides and across the bottom.
All fish must be in clear bags. Coloured or printed bags will not be accepted. Fish in buckets or other containers will not be accepted.
You are responsible for labelling of bags and sexing of fish
A commission of 10% is charged to Members that are selling fish
Lots without a reserve clearly marked on the bag will be sold as having no reserve, regardless of what is on the book in form
Once booked in, lots can only be removed at the end of the auction OR at the auctioneers discretion. Please approach a committee member if you have an issue to discuss it
Passed in lots must be picked up as they are passed in - the club is not responsible for misplaced items
You must keep track of the lots being auctioned and be ready to answer any questions the auctioneers might ask. If you are not presented then the auctioneer's discretion is final
Fish lots that are not labelled with the correct name of the fish or without a name will be immediately passed in
Please note these recently added clarifications for non-cichlid and dry good lots:
- Non-cichlids include any fish that is not a cichlid, as well as shrimp and snails.
- Dry goods include any dry goods, as well as plants and live foods.

The following rules are Mini Auction specific:

Members must be financial for at least 1 month to be able to enter lots into a Mini Auction. For example, if you become a member in June you can enter lots into Mini Auctions from July onwards. You can not enter lots into Mini Auctions on the night that you become a member.
All lots must be adequalty marked with the name and number of fish, plus the reserve price on the bag in texta.
Auction lots must be booked in between 6.45pm and 7.30pm. Lots will not be accepted after 7.30pm.
Single members are entitled to enter a maximum of 3 lots in a Mini Auction, with a maximum of 1 of each species.
Family members are entitled to enter a maximum of 5 lots in a Mini Auction, with a maximum of 2 of each species. Note 2 Family Members must be present on the night to be able to enter more than 3 lots.

The following rules are Major Auction specific:

All lots must be adequalty marked with the name and number of fish, plus the reserve price on the label.
Labels must be stuck vertically on the bag, and have clear packing tape over them to ensure they stay stuck on the bag.
Auction lots must be booked in between 12.00pm and 1.15pm. Lots will not be accepted after 1.15pm.
Members must be financial for at least 3 months to be able to enter lots into a Major Auction. For example, to book-in lots for an October Major Auction, you must be financial in July.
Single and Family members are entitled to enter a maximum of 16 lots into a Major Auction, with a maximum of 3 of the same species, a total maximum of 3 non-cichlid species and a maximum of 3 lots of dry goods.
If possible, please pack 8 bags per foam box and number them from 1-8. This will ensure our auction steward will select lots in the correct order so that equity in our auction process can be achieved.
Major Auction lots (book in sheets) will be given to financial members in the 2 Monthly Meetings leading up to the major auction. As an example, in order for a member to receive all 16 lots for the October Major Auction, they must attend the August Annual General Meeting to receive 8 lots, and the September Monthly Meeting to receive another 8 lots.

Fees & Commission

$2 fish rebagging fee - If there is an issue with the bagging of your lot and you require assistance fixing it, the trade table can rebag your fish at a fee of $2 per bag. Please note the fee is per bag, not per lot.
10% auction commission - All lots sold will incur a 10% commission fee.

Bidding

If you want to bid on a lot, please do so early to save any disappointment when you miss out for bidding too late. All bids are to be made in whole dollar units.

Bids will be in minimum amounts of:

$1 increments from $1 to $20.
$2 increments from $20 to $50.
$5 increments beyond $50 and $10 bids after $100.

Note: auctioneers may accept bids less than the increments if they see fit.

Payment

Cash only. The NSWCS can only accept cash payment. An ATM is available at the nearby shopping centre, which is a couple of minutes walk from the meeting hall.

Members can collect their monies earned from selling lots at the conclusion of the Monthly Meeting / Major Auction.

Issues

If you have an issue with the fish or goods you have purchased from the auction, please approach a committee member and raise the concern with them as soon as possible. They'll try their best to help.

Document Downloads

You can download some useful documents on the below links: