IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN, Welcome to Auction #3!
Words Post
Hey folks! Welcome to ROUND THREE of gulf_aid_now!! We've changed the rules a bit to make things as easy as possible for everyone (yes, again), so if you're new to the auction, please read them carefully, and if you're a returning offerer or bidder, please reread them so you know what's changed.
This post is for words auctions, such as fanfiction, poetry, or original fiction. If it's of a literary persuasion, it goes here! As a note for those who plan to offer fanfiction: due to concerns about libel and other legal issues (such as breach of privacy), we must ask that offerers refrain from using any real people in their stories who are not historical figures (e.g., King Tut or Albert Einstein). You may identify them as belonging to the universe in which you are writing (e.g., "wanna go see the new Johnny Depp movie?" Tara asked Wynn), but they may not be used as characters.
This set of auctions will end 14 August 2010. Deadline for delivery, unless bidders and offerers work out something privately, is 10 September 2010 (thanks to misura for catching the unedited date for me!). We'd really like to get items to the bidders as soon as possible, so please try to stick to the given date.
Any item that is not illegal in the United States (where this community is based) and is not easily available at a chain store (such as Target or Walmart) can be put up for auction in the appropriate post, including but not limited to fanfiction, fanart, hand-crafts, AMVs, out-of-print manga, imported or foreign items, and original photography. If you can think of it and it meets those two criteria, you can auction it, with one caveat: if the item you are auctioning has an age limit (e.g. alcohol, erotica, etc.), you must state so in your post, and you must also get some kind of confirmation (such as a scanned driver's license or proof that the winning bidder paid their donation with a credit card) that the bidder is 18+ (or 21+, if applicable). This isn't because we're grumps, it's because we don't want to be shut down for doing illegal things. Also, I'd like to give a thanks/shout-out to everyone who did this last time! We really appreciate it.
If you are auctioning something, you must include both a SUBJECT LINE and the template below, filled out. Your subject should be in the format "Type of item: fandoms" or, if you are auctioning something that is not fandom-based, "Type of item with sufficient description" (e.g., "hand-crocheted coaster set" instead of "drink coasters"). The post itself should use the template below:
Username:
E-mail: [other contact information can also go here as long as it's marked]
Offering:
Fandom: [if applicable]
For reference: [links to your work go here, if you have them]
Starting Bid: [$1 minimum]
Preferred Charity: [optional]
Extra Info: [any details not previously listed]
If you are bidding, reply to the comment you are interested in, not this post. If there is already a bid, reply to the bid (so the seller can click one link and see the entire bid history in case there are bid repeats, and any previous bidders know they have been outbid). This means that Bidder #2 replies to Bidder #1 and Bidder #3 replies to Bidder #2, instead of Bidders #1, #2, and #3 all replying to the offerer.
Also, after a couple of snags from the last auction, we are banning the use of multiple accounts. Again: we're not grumps. But this makes it a lot harder on our end, especially when someone goes "technicolornina donated $40!" and because that user only won $15 worth of auctions, we assume the rest is extra . . . except that technicolornina also won $25 worth of auctions while logged in as thejewelergem, and donated a lump sum to cover both usernames. It's also unfair to other bidders, so please don't do it.
And just to keep in mind, since we had some European offers in their home currencies in our first round: the current big exchange rates are $1.49 to one British pound, and $1.25 to one euro. If someone makes an offer in a currency that is not USD, GBP, or Euros, you can convert it here: http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html.
If you need a charity to donate to, there are links provided in the sidebar to some (but by no means all) of the charities working in the Gulf. If you know of a charity that's doing work in the Gulf area that is not listed and you think they should be, feel free to PM a maintainer and we'll try to add it. Please remember that while I ("I" being Nina) have checked sites to make sure these organizations are legit, any organization not listed is one I have not checked. Make sure you know where your money is going--if you suspect a scam, do some research!
And finally:
Please do not chat in the auction posts. Every post should contain either an offer, or a bid (yes, that also means no thanking your bidders until someone has won). Again, this isn't because we're grumps--it's because comment space is limited. If you do so, your non-bid comments will be deleted.
Let the bidding begin! Let's make a difference for those on the Coast!
Hey folks! Welcome to ROUND THREE of gulf_aid_now!! We've changed the rules a bit to make things as easy as possible for everyone (yes, again), so if you're new to the auction, please read them carefully, and if you're a returning offerer or bidder, please reread them so you know what's changed.
This post is for words auctions, such as fanfiction, poetry, or original fiction. If it's of a literary persuasion, it goes here! As a note for those who plan to offer fanfiction: due to concerns about libel and other legal issues (such as breach of privacy), we must ask that offerers refrain from using any real people in their stories who are not historical figures (e.g., King Tut or Albert Einstein). You may identify them as belonging to the universe in which you are writing (e.g., "wanna go see the new Johnny Depp movie?" Tara asked Wynn), but they may not be used as characters.
This set of auctions will end 14 August 2010. Deadline for delivery, unless bidders and offerers work out something privately, is 10 September 2010 (thanks to misura for catching the unedited date for me!). We'd really like to get items to the bidders as soon as possible, so please try to stick to the given date.
Any item that is not illegal in the United States (where this community is based) and is not easily available at a chain store (such as Target or Walmart) can be put up for auction in the appropriate post, including but not limited to fanfiction, fanart, hand-crafts, AMVs, out-of-print manga, imported or foreign items, and original photography. If you can think of it and it meets those two criteria, you can auction it, with one caveat: if the item you are auctioning has an age limit (e.g. alcohol, erotica, etc.), you must state so in your post, and you must also get some kind of confirmation (such as a scanned driver's license or proof that the winning bidder paid their donation with a credit card) that the bidder is 18+ (or 21+, if applicable). This isn't because we're grumps, it's because we don't want to be shut down for doing illegal things. Also, I'd like to give a thanks/shout-out to everyone who did this last time! We really appreciate it.
If you are auctioning something, you must include both a SUBJECT LINE and the template below, filled out. Your subject should be in the format "Type of item: fandoms" or, if you are auctioning something that is not fandom-based, "Type of item with sufficient description" (e.g., "hand-crocheted coaster set" instead of "drink coasters"). The post itself should use the template below:
Username:
E-mail: [other contact information can also go here as long as it's marked]
Offering:
Fandom: [if applicable]
For reference: [links to your work go here, if you have them]
Starting Bid: [$1 minimum]
Preferred Charity: [optional]
Extra Info: [any details not previously listed]
If you are bidding, reply to the comment you are interested in, not this post. If there is already a bid, reply to the bid (so the seller can click one link and see the entire bid history in case there are bid repeats, and any previous bidders know they have been outbid). This means that Bidder #2 replies to Bidder #1 and Bidder #3 replies to Bidder #2, instead of Bidders #1, #2, and #3 all replying to the offerer.
Also, after a couple of snags from the last auction, we are banning the use of multiple accounts. Again: we're not grumps. But this makes it a lot harder on our end, especially when someone goes "technicolornina donated $40!" and because that user only won $15 worth of auctions, we assume the rest is extra . . . except that technicolornina also won $25 worth of auctions while logged in as thejewelergem, and donated a lump sum to cover both usernames. It's also unfair to other bidders, so please don't do it.
And just to keep in mind, since we had some European offers in their home currencies in our first round: the current big exchange rates are $1.49 to one British pound, and $1.25 to one euro. If someone makes an offer in a currency that is not USD, GBP, or Euros, you can convert it here: http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html.
If you need a charity to donate to, there are links provided in the sidebar to some (but by no means all) of the charities working in the Gulf. If you know of a charity that's doing work in the Gulf area that is not listed and you think they should be, feel free to PM a maintainer and we'll try to add it. Please remember that while I ("I" being Nina) have checked sites to make sure these organizations are legit, any organization not listed is one I have not checked. Make sure you know where your money is going--if you suspect a scam, do some research!
And finally:
Please do not chat in the auction posts. Every post should contain either an offer, or a bid (yes, that also means no thanking your bidders until someone has won). Again, this isn't because we're grumps--it's because comment space is limited. If you do so, your non-bid comments will be deleted.
Let the bidding begin! Let's make a difference for those on the Coast!