A cautionary note about bidding in auctions
 

For those of you who tend to get swept away in bidding frenzies at auctions (and be honest with yourself ... you know who you are :evil:), consider the benefits of having an auction "wingman" with you to be a voice of reason. A lady I know on another forum relayed this story to me.

Her OS was having a rather substantial auction (something they do a couple times of year) with a number of very nice plants donated by various members. After the auction was over, she and the other OS members went up to collect the plants they had won. While standing by the plant table, she heard a quick intake of breath and a murmured "Oh, my. I don't believe it." The woman behind her had apparently won the bid on a rather nice plant ... unfortunately it was the same plant that woman had contributed to be auctioned off.


:rofl:

Hilarious! But a little sad too...

Funny, but then again, I don't understand how that can happen.

Don't people see what they are bidding on?? lol

The point of an auction is to raise money. Mission accomplished! She made a nice donation to the society, got to keep a plant she obviously loves and knows how to grow, and she can donate it again next year. Win, win, win, win.

Yes. I fully understand that.

I went to the Bucks County OS Auction with the understanding that if I participated - and that meant merely signing up to bid, not necessarily actually bidding - I would get a free, $20 annual membership to the society.

My free membership cost me over $100. (But I did get some damned nice plants!)

That is pretty funny, Paul! I don't engage in auctions at all because I like having a definite price for something. :|

I can understand paying to support the orchid society, but, man, I think that's a little messed up.

At least have someone pull the person who donated the plant aside and whisper in her ear that the plant currently being auctioned off was the plant she contributed to the auction, idk.

Oh well…I guess like some of y'all said, win, win, win!