The Dutch Auction
An opportunity to get rid of your unwanted games, while buying someone else's unwanted games.
How it works and what to do if you want to buy or sell games...
When and Where?
Upstairs - 8pm on Friday
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Register Games from 7pm on Friday
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How Does it Work?
A Dutch Auction works in reverse to a standard auction in that the auctioneer reads out the starting price and waits for bids.
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If noone bids the starting price, then the auctioneer lowers the price and waits for a bid.
The auction continues until someone bids the current price and that person wins the lot.
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So, for example, a game is in the auction at a starting price of £50.
During the auction:
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No one bids £50.
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The auctioneer lowers the price to £45
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Still no bid.
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The auctioneer lowers the price to £40
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Someone bids and that person secures the game for £40
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The buyer pays and the seller recieves £40.
​All games are sold as is. The Auctioneer’s decision on any issues arising is final and highly capricious.
Selling Games in the Auction
If you have games to put for auction, please take them to the table upstairs at 7pm for registration.
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Due to an expected deluge of games we restricting everyone to selling a maximum of 5 lots each (many games can however can be bundled into each lot of a maximum of 3 games).
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The team will supply you with stickers for the back of your lots, assign you a unique seller number and take your details for payment of your proceeds (electronic or for smaller amounts cash)*
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For each lot - write clearly and legibly on one of the labels provided and attach it to your game(s).
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On the label please complete as follows:
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Your name
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Your email address or phone number
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The names of the game(s) in the lot
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The maximum (starting) price for the game/lot
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The minimum (final) price for the game/lot (this can be £0.00 if you wish)
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The total number of lots you are selling (this helps the team know when they've sold all your lots)
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Any notes about condition, promos included, etc.
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Leave empty the space for the auctioneers to write the actual sale price in
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Pre-printed labels and rubber bands will be provided. If you’re selling a bundle, wrap the games together with a rubber band. Hand them across to the auctioneers.
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At the appointed time, games will be selected in a random order and auctioned off, lot by lot.
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The auctioneer will call out the maximum (starting) price and then count down the price until someone bids and wins it. Should the minimum price be reached without bids, the game will go unsold and be returned to the seller.
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At the end of the auction, the team will tot up what is owed to whom, and those sums will be doled out to the respective sellers. Money will be ready at approximately 9.15pm (15 minutes after the auction ends).
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*Seller should either provide bank or paypal details when dropping off their games. For smaller amounts we may be able to pay in cash. All transactions will take place the morning after the Dutch Auction and any cash amounts can be collected immediately after the Raffle. If you are unable to collect a cash amount at that time it will be held by LoBsterCon and you will have to provide electronic payment details at a later date.
Buying Games
First person to bid the current price wins the game(s). In the event of a tie, the auctioneer will reverse the bidding and highest bidder of the tied bidders wins.
Please step up and claim your new game(s) from the cashier who will be handed the game(s) by the auctioneer.
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Try to bring cash in small denominations, change is always at a premium.
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We will accept cards or cash for games, but please try to pay with cash. If paying by card, there will be a small surcharge of £1 per transaction to cover card fees (transactions cannot be rolled up).
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Once you have paid the cashier they will hand over your game.
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All games are sold as is. The Auctioneer’s decision on any issues arising is final and highly capricious.