BCSS Convention auction

Northants News 17.2 Summer 2006

Going, going ...gone!

Trevor Wray

Report from the Conservation Auction

I am sure that the lectures at our National Convention were everything that convention lectures should be – professional, entertaining, educational and a touch of humour. However, you had to pay attention to get full value. By contrast the auction held at the end of the Convention dinner was relaxing, (except for the auction staff, oh and this NN reporter), great entertainment and packed with fun.

The object of the auction is to raise money for succulent conservation projects sponsered by the BCSS and there were very generous donations of plants, books and other succulent related items.

A few may have got a bargain, some got value for their bids but the main objective seemed to be to make a donation to the conservation fund and take something away. Some of these souvenirs were unique or novel as you will see.

Many plants were sold and bidding was spirited and generous. A touch of fashion (or perhaps only the realities of heating) saw £120 paid for six Copiapoa grown from habitat collected seed and just £45 paid for six similar Melocactus.

Several life subscriptions were purchased - £130 for Bradleya (Sorry Colin but someone said, ‘Is that the subscriber’s life or the life of Bradleya?’ £320 for life membership of the US Society. Your Ed was frantically balancing his life expectancy against the need to buy some food next week.

Above: DK puts two 'hardy cereus' under the hammer.

As a sign of the times, bidding was spirited for unique possession of the digital presentation that some of the lecturers gave. We were amazed when £44 was paid for Ernst Van Jaarveld’s Powerpoint presentation of his intrepid explorations in South Africa. A wonderful story and we just loved the family dog being towed on a raft down the river. Then later someone paid £40 for the Sunday presentation we had not even seen. Had Ernst saved the best till last? Yes, I think he had; what a bargain!

Right:

Proud owner Richard Barton holds up his original Kiesling. Bidding was spirited for this unique, beautiful and valuable item.

There were several prints and paintings for sale. A superb signed masterpiece by the emerging Argentinean artist Roberto Kiesling which had been executed only that day was snapped up for a mere £25. Northants News always tells the truth and I am afraid that some *WATB (and possibly a disgruntled under-bidder) claimed that if anyone bid any higher he might even finish it. Sour grapes this NN reporter thought, (who would have bid more if he hadn’t paid a fortune for the early years of some old Journals. Hopefully he might be able to give them back in four years time. If not they will have to go to Ebay – bound to be an article on Peyote in one of them).

Anyway we greatly enjoyed the evening and I am sure we bought a lot of barbed wire.

Thanks to David, David, Bill, Cathy and Susanne for their good humoured and efficient disposal of the items and the people who generously donated them in the first place to make it all worthwhile.

*WATB (Wag at the back) is the member who is always around at cactus functions. He is especially vocal at the Judges’ Course

Derek Tribble packs a giant Calibanus for the journey south. 'It's for a friend' he told NN's reporter.

Heard at the auction

£31 – who said that? WATB The pint of Guinness!

A very realistic pair (no a fairly realistic in bad light pair) of plastic Cereus were being sold (you don’t fool this Judge); Derek Bowdery, ‘I think they’ll stand a bit of frost.’

Gone at £13, I mean £12.

Giant Aloe polyphylla is auctioned, (it is too big to hold aloft). Auctioneer, ‘Who’s doing any decorating?’ This sort of humour deserves the response ‘Allo, allo, allo’, so the WATB made it.

A splendid Gasteria is held aloft. WATB ‘£1.99 for the washing up bowl’. Auctioneer ‘£199, are there any further bids?’

A substantial Lophophora is auctioned. WATB ‘What are those teeth marks?’ Auctioneer, knocking it down for £50, ‘I don’t want to see this on Ebay’.

Trev