February 24 – 28, 2021
Welcome to the 24th Annual Southwest Florida Fossil Society Auction!
For over two decades our organization has helped provide monies for research and education in the field of Paleontology. Auction proceeds are awarded to two undergraduate paleontology majors at the University of Florida; one for invertebrate paleontology and one for vertebrate paleontology. Many up and coming paleontologists have been aided by these scholarships over the years and many have later come and given fossil presentations at our monthly club meetings as thanks. The auction is
normally a live event (held during the February monthly meeting), but this year, thanks to the pandemic, we have decided to keep the tradition alive online and on Facebook.
Bidding begins approximately 11:00 AM on the SWFFS Facebook page and ends before midnight each day over 5 nights, Wednesday through Sunday, February 24-28. https://www.facebook.com/SWFfossilsociety
To make a bid on any of these items, you have two options:
1) Live bids- Bids can be posted right on Facebook as a reply to each posted item. This is the best way to ensure you win. Guests can begin bidding as soon as each item is officially posted. Be sure to follow the rules in the item description as each item will have a different reserve bid and bid increments. Bidding continues throughout the day so periodically check back to make sure you have not been outbid. The auctioneer will then begin calling auctions at random at around 8:00 pm, based upon the level of interest they have received. If there has been a lot of activity for an item, the bidding
will be allowed until a clear winner emerges. If there is little interest, the auction may be called early.
All auctions, however, will be called before midnight on the day they are posted. If the auctioneer replies “going once” this means the auction is preparing to close and prepare for a flurry of activity. “Going Twice” means the auctioneer can call at any minute, but usually will wait a few minutes to make sure there are no other bids. “Sold” means that the auction is now closed and the high bidder will be notified. The auctioneer has any final say in disputes over items.
2) Proxy bid- For guests who are not tech savvy or who do not have Facebook, guests can call in or text with their max bids the evening of the auction any time after 7:00 PM (605-210-1275). Please make sure you include the lot number and the name of the item you are bidding on. I will then post those bids as “proxy bids” from call in bidders. I will try to make sure proxy bidders are notified if they are outbid, but the best way to ensure you do not get outbid is to follow along and bid live.
Payment, pick up and shipping:
Successful bidders should send the auctioneer an email, text or FB message with their shipping address, phone number, email address and preferred method of payment as soon as they are declared the winner. Bidders can pay by Paypal or call in with a credit card number. Any local Florida bidders who pick items up in person may also pay by check. Please keep in mind, that Florida sales taxes and any applicable shipping and handling fees will be added to whatever the final high bid is for each item. Shipping will be by USPS ground for heavy items and USPS priority mail flat rate for small items.
Hope to see you there!!
The Southwest Florida Fossil Society 