Game on

You all know I am not a competitive person right?  

As long as you stay out of my way I won't mow you down.

But in this one thing I can be a tiny bit competitive.

Silent Auctions. 

I know, I know.... doesn't sound like a sport to you but you are quite wrong. 

It is a highly competitive and strategic matter. 

Training is required.

Rookies go around writing down their names willy-nilly,  all excited..... spreading themselves thin across multiple items.  This requires much rushing around the room in high heels to keep track of the bids..... exhausting....one needs to be in shape.

And then the strategy.  

One must protect the bids of highest desire.  

If this means standing chatting and sipping wine in front of the the bid sheet obnoxiously blocking all others...then one must do so.  

If the bid sheet slides under the table cloth or something else....well....it can happen.  

If the fire alarm goes off with just seconds until the bids close.....

If the pen disappears just minutes before the auction ends....it can be sad. 

For others.  

The exclamation of "I won I won" while flourishing the sheet and credit card should be done with some decorum.....you "won" after all ...no need to make a big song and dance about getting your taxes prepared for $60 for the next 3 years.....its for charity.... win win win.... ok maybe the accountant didn't exactly "win" in this instance.  

Allan argues that if one pays for the item it isn't exactly "won"

Whatever.

Needless to say I have "won" a fair number of items over the years.  Most of them I have needed or wanted.  At least 3 jackets hanging in the front hall closet and more than one painting on my walls have been "won".

So when my friends and colleagues introduced me to an online FB Bidding site....it did not take 5 minutes for me to be HOOKED.

Only for Richmond residents (back off Vancouver, Delta, Surrey, the world!) someone posts an item for sale and the sale lasts 24 hours.

Exactly 24 hours.

You can follow without bidding and then set your phone to alert you to the last 5 minutes and then wait and with surgical precision strike at the last moment with the winning bid.  Oh the joy!  

I have sold 2 items from my kids rooms and I have just spent the afternoon picking up some winnings around town for the new child care centre.(and that new pair of shoes for Lindsay)

Amazing bargains......or they would be if my "friends" stopped bidding against me.  Emily Vera owes me at least a latte for bidding up the table I won at 10:21pm last night.... as we were drinking beer together!!!!!!!

My strategies from live silent auctions to online have yet to be perfected..... but trust me.....I am honing them.

It has been great fun and the sell prices are generally good bargains which is great - we all have stuff others could use and this allows us to get rid of them and get a little $$ too.....the two families who bought the huge set of fisher price electric trains (20) and the Wii Band Hero (25) both messaged me to say how much they are enjoying their new stuff..... Nice!

So anyone local who wants in on the action.... message me.

But a warning to you.....don't get in my way....Not that I am competitive or anything......