I would like to invite you to Busy Bees Quarter Auction for Multiple Sclerosis. Oh, What Fun it is to Play!
Quarter auctions appear to be the “new thing” in some states. I’m not sure how or where they began (I think they started in Virginia, but they had their launch, and the rest is history…
From my experience with the auctions here in Texas, quarter auctions, are a venue where you go to bid and win items of your choice. Bidding is in quarter increments, thus the name.
Typically, a fundraiser group will plan the quarter auction for their organization to raise money. The auction items can be ANYTHING! I’ve seen brand new items such as restaurant gift certificates, jewelry, purses, food, home goods, toys, and tools auctioned off.
As a quarter auction participant/player, you’ll arrive at the location at least half an hour in advance of the start time, loaded with tons of quarters. The participants will want to come early. This way they have the opportunity to view all the items being auctioned off. Also, this will ensure you can get a seat. Some venues have been known to sell out!
When you arrive, you’ll find a table where they are selling paddles and making a change in quarters. Here you pick a numbered paddle (or two, or three) that you will use as your bidding number(s). You’ll pay a rental fee for the paddle that ranges from $1 – $3, and you’ll return the paddle at the end of the auction. The paddle money retained goes to the charity organization. The person selling the paddles will put a corresponding numbered chip/ball into a bucket.
When the auction begins, each item will be displayed to the crowd and auctioned off, one by one. At this time, you will use your quarters and paddle(s) to bid. Each item will have a retail value that determines the number of quarters required per paddle to offer. For example, one quarter for an article with a $10 – $25 value, two quarters for $26 – $50 profit, and so on up to 4 quarters. The costs and quarter amounts do vary from auction to auction.
Once you deposit the required number of quarters per paddle to bid (quarters are dropped into bowls on the tables and collected), you can raise your paddle(s) in the air. The announcer will begin calling numbers from the chips/balls in their bucket. If the announcer calls a name that hadn’t played (the person didn’t bid and raise their paddle), that person with the number will yell out, “No bid.” The announcer will continue pulling numbers until there is a winner amongst those who bid and had their paddles raised in the air.
Here’s an example:
Jane wanted this beautiful new necklace. Its retail value was $50, and it required two quarters to bid. Jane had two paddles, numbers 6 & 104, and since she wanted the necklace, she put four quarters in the bowl (two quarters per paddle) and raised both. The announcer called her first number, “2.” Joe had 2. He didn’t bid on the necklace, so he hollered out, “No bid.” The announcer called the next number, “104.” “Right here!” yelled Jane. The necklace was hers! So, for a $50 item, Jane won it for just quarters.
To sum it up, quarter auctions are good, clean fun and they don’t require a lot of money to play! Check your local papers or craigslist.com to see if there are any auctions in your area.
I would like to invite you to Busy Bees Quarter Auction in Haltom City. I am not confident of this, but it may be the first one in Haltom City. But not the first one for Busy Bees. This one is being run by Dan Walker and will be at the Expo/Auditorium in Haltom City.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie, and David Cates
