Personal Con Experiences

[karjens40]

You left the auction? Oh, no! Auctions are always fun, wether you bid on an item or just watch the action.
I loved it how every time Sue said "Let's start the bidding with 10 £, do I hear 10 £?"
and the first she would hear was "50 £!”
lol

There were so many ways to donate to two worthy causes at AT3, the auction was just one part. They had several different raffles going on. The tea raffle, the 1 £ raffle, the instant raffle and of course "the bucket".

There were a couple of items where I thought about bidding just for the heck of it. It was clear to me that they would go rather high so there was no danger in doing the 50, 75, 100 thing and then drop out.

I actually did bid on an item but I guess it wasn't as funny as some of the other bidding matches that went on. It's always funny as heck when Amanda has to run from the front of the room to the back and then back again because someone at the front made another bid.
In my case, the person I was bidding against was sitting in the row behind me.

Yeah. I keep hearing all the funny things that went on after I left. I'm still kicking myself in the butt for leaving.. But we learn from experience eh? (though I really did want that Sanctuary tt-shirt. heheh)...But I did do the raffles anything else I could to take part. heh...And I am so happy that the charities raised so much money. Next year should be diffent since I will know what to expect and hopefully have some extra $. Just in case. heh. (*note: must start playing lottery* LOL)

[Mumsey]

There are also the silent auctions. These are usually at the Charity desk and involve bidding on paper. Each item has a sheet and you write your name and your bid on there. There is a closing time, and you have to keep an eye on it (much like bidding on e-bay). The last bidder gets the item.

These items don't usually get to the dizzy heights of the auction, and you may get a bargain there. Next time, go look for them.

Mumsey
(Miffed she missed the close and lost out on something she wanted )

[karjens40]

There are also the silent auctions. These are usually at the Charity desk and involve bidding on paper. Each item has a sheet and you write your name and your bid on there. There is a closing time, and you have to keep an eye on it (much like bidding on e-bay). The last bidder gets the item.

These items don't usually get to the dizzy heights of the auction, and you may get a bargain there. Next time, go look for them.

Mumsey
(Miffed she missed the close and lost out on something she wanted )

Rats. Missed those. How? I don't know.. but bidding on paper...no having to call out in public? I like that! .. *note to self....do the silent auctions!* Thank you for that information...

[lilferret]

I've won a couple items both ways at other conventions, and I much prefer the silent auctions for my actual bidding, though I LOVED the auction. I had my camera up the majority of the time anyway.

*hugs*

Next year we will both be prepared...right?

[karjens40]

I've won a couple items both ways at other conventions, and I much prefer the silent auctions for my actual bidding, though I LOVED the auction. I had my camera up the majority of the time anyway.

*hugs*

Next year we will both be prepared...right?

Oh yeah. We'll be old hats by next year. haha.... which I wish would hurry up and get here already. Work life is starting to but into my happy memories. haha..

*hug*

[moody-weasel]

Oh, I totally forgot about the silent auctions. I know I placed a bid on an item but was stewarding in the autograph room and never checked back.
I know I didn't win it but it would have been interesting to know how high it went.
I have to say that there should have been more info about the silent auctions. I know Sue mentioned it but I'm somewhat sure people missed it because they never went back into the reg room on Sunday.

Anyway, I got something in the auction that I have been looking for for a very long time.
Thanks to the G4 for donating it.

Also thanks for the steward's photo. I received it in the mail on Saturday. Love it! I need to get a frame.

[veinia]

Wow! Thanks for all the kind words.

With regard to the auction. Please don't feel badly at being disappointed not to be able to afford the items. This was a fact that I had to come to terms with very quickly in my con experiences. What I concentrated on was the fun aspect of the event. The guests let their hair down and run around the audience with a freedom that that they don't usually have, and we get to see the silly side of them too! And there's usually an opportunity to donate to the causes with the 'bucket' items. - usually an off-the-cuff happening (like John Ward's song). Last year the bucket went round twice - once to get Amanda to sing (Truly Scrumptious) and the second time to get Thomasina to stop singing! It's amazing how much goes into those buckets.

Next time - Baton twirling!

Mumsey

I was a baton twirler for 4 years in High School, I've even marched in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. I was so excited to learn Amanda used to be a twirler. I would have loved to see her twirl. Hopefully next year!!

[Kelspook]

Wow! Thanks for all the kind words.

With regard to the auction. Please don't feel badly at being disappointed not to be able to afford the items. This was a fact that I had to come to terms with very quickly in my con experiences. What I concentrated on was the fun aspect of the event. The guests let their hair down and run around the audience with a freedom that that they don't usually have, and we get to see the silly side of them too! And there's usually an opportunity to donate to the causes with the 'bucket' items. - usually an off-the-cuff happening (like John Ward's song). Last year the bucket went round twice - once to get Amanda to sing (Truly Scrumptious) and the second time to get Thomasina to stop singing! It's amazing how much goes into those buckets.

Next time - Baton twirling!

Mumsey

I was a baton twirler for 4 years in High School, I've even marched in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. I was so excited to learn Amanda used to be a twirler. I would have loved to see her twirl. Hopefully next year!!

Bring your baton along... you never know... LOL

[Becky_Preen]

I was a baton twirler for 4 years in High School, I've even marched in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. I was so excited to learn Amanda used to be a twirler. I would have loved to see her twirl. Hopefully next year!!

Bring your baton along... you never know... LOL

Got it covered

Hugs
becks

[Libby]

Kelspook wrote:
veinia wrote:



I was a baton twirler for 4 years in High School, I've even marched in the St. Patrick's Day Parade. I was so excited to learn Amanda used to be a twirler. I would have loved to see her twirl. Hopefully next year!!



Bring your baton along... you never know... LOL


Got it covered

Hugs
becks

Poor Amanda! She'll have no choice but to entertain us all with her high school skills
Great reports everyone, I miss AT3 so much*weeps*
Hugs to all
Libbs xx

[karjens40]

Poor Amanda! She'll have no choice but to entertain us all with her high school skills
Great reports everyone, I miss AT3 so much*weeps*
Hugs to all

Me too! And to think a few months before hand I was having total second thoughts about going. Shame on me. heh

[SamJackShipLover]

So, anyone else going to post a (link to) a report?? I would love to read

[karjens40]

So, anyone else going to post a (link to) a report?? I would love to read

I agree. I imagine there are a lot of good stories waiting to be told. <G>

[llperkiss]

Hi, I just got around to reading this so that is why the date will be 7/31.
However, I am one of the people who probably bid too high at the auction. I didn't mean to disrupt anyones chances at winning something. I generally picked on things that had hats for some reason. But the truth is that my mother died about two years before. She was a really big fan of Amanda as am I. So I took what she had left me including a lot of gold jewelry and sold it all. I used that money to come to England and just go to the AT3 convention. I then decided to donate a lot of that money to the charity because I still retained all the memories of my mother and that was the important thing to me. So when the bidding started on some of the items I did bid them up some and then my last bid was usually on the high side. I did that with 5 different items. I won on four of them and the fifth item i got anyhow because Amanda came over and asked if I was still interested even with the lower bid. That was the phone call from RDA. Anyhow, I didn't do this out of anything but love for my mother and great admiration for Amanda Tapping. I am sorry if I made anyone seem uncomfortable about the bidding. Trust me, it was not my intension. I only wanted to help by donating the money. Besides, I can't even right any of it off on my taxes because it took place in another country. So believe me when I said I did it from my heart.

[Mousie]

Good for you. I've read your story before and it's a very nice thing to do.

[suse_germany]

@ llperkiss... I had a blast meeting you at AT3!!!

I was so happy for you when you won your biddings... and even more happy when Amanda offered you the 2nd phonecall from RDA...
So I dunno how you come up with the idea that you could have made somebody uncomfortable... I really enjoyed it and at the end of the day it's all about charity, isn't it??? Personally I don't have the money to keep up with the biddings... I tried a couple of times but no chance... so I decided to spend as much money as possible for those charity thingys down in the registration room and my friend and I donated 200 BP for personalized autographs from Amanda (which seems to be nothing compared to the amount of money you folks donated but for us it was a hell a lot of money).

When I read your post about your mom a couple of weeks ago (when you told us about your phonecall with Rick) I really thought that's the greatest thing to do with the money.
So here's a lot of respect and admiration from my side

... OMG sometimes it's really difficult to write stuff like this with English not being my first language... I hope it makes sense - at least a bit ^^

[llperkiss]

Thank you for your kind remarks. I was only responding to the email from the person who made some comments about the bidding.

I must say you guys have a better memory them me. I don't remember anyone that I met with anyone's name. I remember meeting people, but I am terrible with names. And out of site out of name! From the event, the only person I can put a name with is Amanda and Mumsey. Everyone else forget it. I never noticed names on the name tags and few people ever told me their name. I remember places. I had a group of young girls next to me from France. I met a real nice person from Calcary. I would even be able to recognize many of these people. But in the end names will be lost on me unless I force myself to remember a name because I see the person all the time.

[karjens40]

Hi, I just got around to reading this so that is why the date will be 7/31.
However, I am one of the people who probably bid too high at the auction. I didn't mean to disrupt anyones chances at winning something. I generally picked on things that had hats for some reason. But the truth is that my mother died about two years before. She was a really big fan of Amanda as am I. So I took what she had left me including a lot of gold jewelry and sold it all. I used that money to come to England and just go to the AT3 convention. I then decided to donate a lot of that money to the charity because I still retained all the memories of my mother and that was the important thing to me. So when the bidding started on some of the items I did bid them up some and then my last bid was usually on the high side. I did that with 5 different items. I won on four of them and the fifth item i got anyhow because Amanda came over and asked if I was still interested even with the lower bid. That was the phone call from RDA. Anyhow, I didn't do this out of anything but love for my mother and great admiration for Amanda Tapping. I am sorry if I made anyone seem uncomfortable about the bidding. Trust me, it was not my intension. I only wanted to help by donating the money. Besides, I can't even right any of it off on my taxes because it took place in another country. So believe me when I said I did it from my heart.

Oh, I please don't let my personal thoughts about the auction upset you. I know everyone who bid did so with the best of intentions. This was my first auction and I wasn't really sure on what to expect and it was more embarrassment on my part than anger at the people who bid. The goal of the auction was to raise as much money as possible and the reasonable part of my brain understood and cheered the high bids. I was just embarrassed that I couldn't afford anything and I just sat there. That's all. Truly. I'm very happy that you were were able to win the items you did and that Amanda offered you the item for the lower bid.

[llperkiss]

Why be embarrassed for not bidding. I have gone to several auctions that I couldn't afford to bid on anything. Personally, I would trade anything to have my mother back. I only bid the money because it was not what I wanted to remember my mother by. I normally wouldn't have such extras. In fact, I am right about back where I was financially before she died. So now it is totally up to me to find the money for the next AT4. I am trying something new. I quit my job and trying to make money in another (totally legal) method. If I succeed even a little you will see me at the next one. If not, well life if there to try new things. Some work some don't. So be it. Now enough on this subject. I would rather talk about AT4 or the Vancouver convention. We already started a new topic on those subjects.

[EH-T]

Well, I'm very late to this party!

karjens40 I loved your report, well done!. I was one of the women at your table so I'm glad to see you had nice things to say about us. It was a wonderful table with very nice people, you included. We had lots of fun including watching you navigate the room in those shoes. I think we all had similar reactions to our discussions with Amanda. Would love to have the chance to do it again and be less goofy.

I hadn't realized you left the auction but hopefully you'll make it back for the next one. Bidding or not, it was fun.

llperkiss, we met as well. We had breakfast together the last morning and we tried not to bid against each other at the auction. No need to apologize, that was a beautiful way to honour your mother. Hope everything works out in your new venture.