helping aquarists become more successful since 1931

  • Auction Rules

Rules & Guidelines for Online Auctions

How it works

  • start of auction (Wednesday): MAS members may use the online system to register the species they are entering into the auction. Once an item is listed, members may bid on those items.
  • Tuesday evening: All items need to be listed at least 24 hours before the auction closes.  Fellow members may bid on these items until bidding is closed.
  • Wednesday evening at 10:00pm (Central time):  bidding is closed.
  • Thursday:  Winning bidders will be required to pay online at https://aquarium.mn/pay.  They will have a link to view all the items they won.  Note:  there will be a $5 late fee applied to any late payments received after Thursday at midnight.
  • Friday evening:  By Friday evening, we will attempt to notify any seller of items that have yet to be paid for.  If this happens, the seller is not required to bring the items that have not yet been paid for. 
  • Seller responsibilties: Sellers will have access to a link to print MAS-formatted labels for what sold.  These are to be attached to each bag.  (This helps us sort the items to the correct buyer.) 
  • Saturday: Sellers need to drop off the MAS-labeled bags between 9:30am and 10:30am.  Sellers may pick up their winnings starting at 10:30am.  All others should stop by to pick up their bags from 11:00pm through noon.  For this auction, Distribution Day will be held at the Bloomington Church gymnasium where our previous in-person auctions had been held.  Due to the inclusion of tanks and hard goods, we ask each seller and buyer to come inside – no curbside this time. 

This Auction:

  • Hard goods (aquarium-reatled) will be accepted. 
  • Tanks of any size will be accepted.  Tanks over 10 gallons will be considered a large item. You are responsible for carrying any large-sized tanks or similar items to/from the facilities.
  • No limit on the number of tanks you enter.  
  • Maximum of 25 items per seller. 
  • No more than 3 items of any given species/varieties of animals or plants.
  • Seller share is has been raised to 75% of the selling price.
As previously:
  • Keep in mind each item has a minimum bid of $5, so please do not list junk.
  • We include an Autobid feature.  Explanation and Rules of the Autobid feature.
  • Sellers may set a minimum bid on any of their items using the Autobid feature.

Guidelines - please read the sections for "Buyers" and Sellers" (below)

  • If you are unable to drop off your bags at the given time/location, you should not be submitting items or bidding on items. 
  • If you fail to deliver or pickup your items, you will not be allowed to participate in future auctions. 
  • Any items not picked up during the pickup time are subject to being forfeited and without a refund.  (We need to enforce this rule as those working the distribution event are volunteers and cannot be expected to wait for late-comers.)
  • If you run into a problem or want more information, please contact us using the MAS contact form.

Social Distancing

To ensure the safety of everyone involved, masks are required for dropping off and picking up your auction items.  All volunteers will wear masks when handling the auction items. 
>>> Please pay online and do not expect us to handle cash.

Buyers

All auctions will begin at $5.  Buyers must pay the total amount of their winning bids at https://aquarium.mn/pay before the end of day Thursday, April 15.  Payments made after Thursday will incur a $5 late fee - as late payments create more work as we prepare for Saturday.  The website's payment portal accepts either credit card or PayPal payment.  

Sellers

We recommend you provide as much information as possible to spotlight your item.  One or more pictures can be helpful, particularly for tanks, hard-goods, and high $$ value items.  You can also link to a site that provides more detailed information. 

MAS will remit your portion of the sale via PayPal - unless you contact us to make other arrangements.

For this auction, volunteers will have to sort a large number of items in a very short amount of time.  We ask that you help us by properly bagging your sales items.  All fish and shrimp should be double bagged.  Plants should be bagged just slightly damped, not floating in water.  Items in glass containers will not be accepted.  Items that require re-bagging will be charged $2/item. 

We are providing a page of formatted labels for each seller to print and use.  At the end of the auction, you will receive a link where you can print your set of labels for your bags.  Please print them out and attach to each bag appropriately.  We are using the Avery Presta® 94207 format, which prints 2 columns of 5 labels each.  If you cannot access this format, just print the labels on plain paper, cut out the label and tape securely it to your bag.  We need this label for proper sorting.

  • Seller split is 75%.
  • Items that do not reach the $5 minimum bid are considered "no sale" and no fee/split is incurred.
  • Sellers that use the Autobid feature to increase the minimum bid on their items will incur a $2 minimum bid fee.