Colorado Aquarium Society's April Happenings

[Jubs]

Nice meeting you Todd, hope those plants work out for you and have fun planting all that glosso haha.

[theinjected1]

spdskr, thanks for the offer. I actually picked some up at Neptunes the next day. I have a 5gal. project coming up, maybe I'll look ya up for the needs of that tank. Thanks for the offer!

[CAF]

Just a bump. The auction is next week I hope to see everyone who has nothing better to do (Come on who doesnt want to come to a fish auction instead of mowing the lawn?) We have a lot of really good stuff and we have some outstanding door prizes. Hope to see YOU there!

[theinjected1]

at the end of the auction and it is time to "settle up", is it cash only?

[TAF CAF]

No. Personal Checks; Credit, Charge, or Debit
cards; Cash; or CAS Auction Bucks are all fine.

[jebarj90]

Hey everyone,
I got off work this upcoming Saturday to go to the auction. I am sooo excited!!! I cant wait to go and meet everyone. Especially Jubs! Hes given me some plants and they are doing amazing. This is going to be my first time going and I honestly can't wait. I hope to see you all there.
Jeb

[saganco]

Just had a thought (ouch, that always hurts!)... Tally and Chris, how about listing some "tips" for the first timers to the auction. Like coolers, heat packs, water bottles, etc... What to expect, what to bring or not bring, etc... You guys are SO totally organized, I think all the newbies (and I'm one as well, but you've already coached me - thanks!) would benefit from your wonderful advice/tips. I agree though - I feel like the kid on the Disney World commercial ... "I'm too excited to sleep"!!

[CAF]

Originally Posted by saganco

Just had a thought (ouch, that always hurts!)... Tally and Chris, how about listing some "tips" for the first timers to the auction. Like coolers, heat packs, water bottles, etc... What to expect, what to bring or not bring, etc... You guys are SO totally organized, I think all the newbies (and I'm one as well, but you've already coached me - thanks!) would benefit from your wonderful advice/tips. I agree though - I feel like the kid on the Disney World commercial ... "I'm too excited to sleep"!!

All right here it goes. Try to plan to be there all day. The best deals generally are found at the end of the auction and that is when we do the best give aways via raffle. We have all sorts of goodies to be given away at the end. Not just one item this time. As for what to bring.

1. Yourselves.
2. A fun attitude.
3. Try to beg, borrow, or buy a styro for storing all of the live items you win.
4. A bottle of hot water or heat packs for said styro to keep your livestock warm and happy while they are sitting it out.
5. We will have drinks and food available, however if you want to bring in your own drinks, that is fine. We do ask that you not bring in food, unless of course you have medical or religous objections to what we have available.

And of course, enough money to get all the goodies you want!!! Trust me, this will be my 4th auction that is aquaria related I have attended, there is no such thing as budgeting. We try and try, but have yet to succeed.

LOL I KNOW we are going to have lots of fun and get lots of really cool stuff. I will see all of you there.


Members, please come to the board meeting the night before as we can really use everyone's help.

Thanks!!!!

[Agrippa]

I look forward to attending on Saturday- it'll be nice to meet the users here. Thanks for the advice. I think it's going to be well worth the drive!

[Agrippa]

Well, I don't know about you, but the auction turned out pretty well for me.

My haul from the auction:
30 (maybe more) Dwarf Green Shrimp: $9
15 Red Cherry Shrimp: $17
1 Anubias Nana Petite: $4
1 24" incandescent hood: $4 (yay for 40w spiral compacts)
1 BIG bag of Riccia: $10
1 Small piece of manzanita on slate (that I accidentally bid on): $3

The prices at which many of the plants sold surprised me- I've never seen someone pay $6 for four stems of Anacharis when they can just go to PetSmart and get ten of them for $4... The Salvinia also surprised me- $8+ for a floating weed is rather astonishing. At the prices the Glossostigma went for, I could have made a fortune by ripping out the foreground in my 10g... At least I'll know what sells well for the Fall auction. Other than that, most people got away with some rediculuous steals. This event was well worth the HOURS I spent there (and the resulting sore buttox... Who the hell invented folding chairs anyway?) Unfortunately, I didn't stay to see who won the huge aquarium- how did that turn out? I wouldn't know what to do with it if I won...

I found the whole day pretty fun- though I was hoping to see some nano fish, but hey, I happened upon some great deals. Oh, and I believe the cherry shrimp I bought were from Jubs- I spoke with you at the checkout table. I was the tall, skinny kid with a gray shirt and brown(ish) hair. I don't know what everyone else looks like, so I don't know if I met you... Anyway, how did everyone else fare?

[CAF]

Well, My wife and I spent far too much money... As for who we were, Tally was the person next to the podium filling out forms for most of the auction and I was the one running around with my head chopped off. I was an auctioneer, a runner, a item processor up front, a data entry person in the back, concessions, quick sale person, greeter, fish rebagger... pretty much everyone at some time another. Thanks for everyone who came out. Please remember to support all of the great businesses who supported us. Please go here to see all of our great sponsors: http://www.coloradoaquarium.org/index.asp?Doit=buslinks

[saganco]

Chris, I do believe that we would have had virtually NO auction were it not for the incredible amount of time and work that YOU and TALLY put in. I cannot even IMAGINE how many tireless hours of your personal time was put in for everyone's benefit! I am sure that I speak for the "masses" when I say "THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart". We couldn't have had what we had without you guys! I for one (and hubby makes two...) had a phenomenal time and got some amazing good deals - I'm so happy!

[CAF]

I'm glad you enojoyed it. As for time... lets just say around 40-50 hours (on my part) per week for the last 2 1/2 months. It has been pretty much a second job done for the love of it. Thanks again to everyone who came out, and to all those of you who could not make it to this one. The next is probably going to be held in October. Hope to see all of you at the May General Meeting.