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If you live in an area where you are able to attend a tropical fish auction, you are in for a real treat. It is a great place to get fish that you won't find in stores commonly. Some fish available at fish auctions are never available in Pet Shops. What's more, without fail, there are certain to be some good deals to be made. With a little bit of experience and little bit of luck, you can turn a trip to a Fish Auction into a lot of fun fish for a real bargain of a price.

However, it does take a little experience before you are able to take full advantage of what a tropical fish auction has to offer. I remember the first auction I went to quite well. Honestly I thought I was in Disneyland with so many fish labeled with names I hadn't heard of. The auction started and fish began to disappear. Often I wasn't sure enough I wanted a specific fish at a specific price until after it had already disappeared.

With those thoughts in mind, I decided to share some of what I have learned by attending the 10 plus auctions that I've been to. Some of the information here is regional, so it may not help for the specific auction in the specific area you are at, but I'm confident that many of the thoughts here will make sure that you get the most out of the auction.

Buyers

Plan ahead of time. One of the key parts to any auction is knowing how much space you have at home. Before the auction comes, sit down and go through each of your tanks. Determine how much space you have available in each tank, how many tanks could be made completely empty by making a couple of switches, how many fish could be added to each tank, and what size and type of fish you could add to aquariums that are already set up. Also be sure to record what type of water parameters exist on each tank. If it is hard water or soft, acidic or basic, and the temperature will all affect what type of fish you will be able to put in the aquarium. Write all the numbers down! Be sure to take them with you to the auction so you can adjust the numbers as needed. You don't want to take fish home to no home...that leads to loss of your new prizes. You also don't want to be trying to figure out if you have space for a specific species of fish when you realize it is going to go for much less than you might have thought!

Bring a good book. NO not to read! A fish atlas such as the Baensh picture atlas, will help you to identify fish at the auction. Often I see a fish, but may pass on it because I don't know enough about a fish to bring it home and care for it properly. A good book can make all the difference between making the right purchase for you, and making a big mistake.

Show up early! One of my favorite things to do is to watch for times when there are 2 bags of the same fish species. I compare the quality of the fish in the two bags, and then see which one sells for more. Typically it is the lower quality one. The reason? Perhaps dumb luck! But here is the lesson, if you show up too late to see what is in the bags, you will be relying on dumb luck to get the best fish.

Show up early!! This is indeed an important point. Showing up early will also help you determine what is available. Write down what you consider your NEED and your WANT items. Figure a price that you would be willing to pay for each. Doing this will help you figure out if the price is what you are willing to pay, and if the fish is really that important to you.

Visit Pet Stores the week before! What!? you might ask. Well here is the principle. Every auction, I see fish that are common in pet stores, going for prices that are 50-300% more than the pet store price. The reason? Most of us don't have the price of all fish at the pet stores memorized. Visiting pet stores a few days before will help you see if you are getting a good deal, and will also make you aware when a fish is being sold at a really too-good-to-pass-up price.

Stay late! Typically prices for fish are cheapest at the beginning and the end of an auction. Many are gun shy when the auction starts, so many deals can be gained by bidding on the first few fish out of the gate. At the end of an auction, many have left, so the prices again drop. I routinely buy one of the last five bags of fish at an auction. It has always been a great deal and fun little surprise.

Watch-out! Every auction has a couple of fish that get 'hot.' What I mean by this is that everyone in the building wants that fish, and many are willing to pay unreasonable amounts to get it. This usually happens with a few nice show fish, or a specific species of fish that is difficult to get elsewhere. In the heat of the moment, you may find yourself bidding lots of money because it is 'cool' to do so instead of because you really want what you are bidding for. Look out for fish that are the 'cool' at the auction...they might be fun for the moment, but the bill will often bring a bad taste to your mouth.

Bring Food! Most auctions go for several hours. If you add that to an hour for showing up early and hour for being the last to leave, it can be quite an exhaustive endeavor. I strongly suggest you don't try to go without food for the entire time. Besides, you'll enjoy yourself more if every other thought isn't "man I'm hungry!"

Go Direct. Often a seller will have more of the fish he is selling available and will be willing to sell them to you on another occasion. Talking to the seller will likely NOT save you money and will be more of a hassle, but if you are smitten with a fish and somehow missed out on the auctioning of it, there is still a possibility of getting it through the direct route.

Sellers

Just for kicks, I thought I'd throw in some Selling strategies as well. If you are only going to buy, read these anyway, you might get a better understanding as to what the seller is doing and come away with your own strategy to get the best deal. If you are selling, these thoughts should help you come away with the most for your fish.

Fish per bag. Generally a bag with 3 fish in it will sell for just slightly less than a bag with 4 fish in it. Bags with 4 fish sell for nearly the exact same price as a bag with 5 fish in it. You will typically make more money by having 4 bags with 3 fish than by having 3 bags with 4 fish.

Too much of a good thing. Having the coolest fish at the auction won't help you if you bring too many bags of it. There is a negative psychological impact as people think it is too easy to breed and too common for it to be cool. In addition, the number of bags will mean less counter bidding among the interested parties. It is better to have fewer bags with the interested parties bidding against each other to drive up the price than to have too much.

Size matters! Larger fish often sell for more. This is particularly true of cichlids that don't reach their best coloration until they are more mature. By waiting and growing out the juveniles, you are likely to exponentially increase the money you will get back. In other cases, smaller fish are better. A full-size Oscar is not likely to get much money as most people do not have a tank large enough to house a fish that size. Always try to maximize the appeal of your fish to the largest audience possible.

Size matters !! Another strategy of growing out fish is to buy fish that are small for a low price at one auction, and then to raise them and sell them as full-grown individuals at the next auction. This works particularly well with African cichlids, which at a young age are not colorful, but when older demand large amounts of cash for their beauty. However it does require sufficient tank space to grow them out and food that won't cost more than you will receive for the fish.

Size matters !!! Another idea that is often useful for cichlids is to bring in a single adult pair and then several bags of juveniles. While you may be saddened by losing some beautifully matured fish, it is likely to greatly drive up the price of the juveniles when everyone can see the quality of the adults.

Label well! Among long-term hobbyists, nothing turns off interest in a new species more than finding out that there is only one sex available. On the other hand, selling fish as a "breeding pair" is always likely to net you a few more dollars. Do make sure they really are a breeding pair though, as your honor is at stake. I've seen people label fish as "pairs" when they really just meant that there were 2 fish in the bag to trump up interest, but I personally fell that is dishonest.

Variety. Auctions are always more interesting when there are rare things there. What might seem a boring fish to you, might be a treasure trove to someone else. Typically you won't make a lot of money on such a fish, but making the auction fun for everyone is some of your responsibility as a seller.

Don't get Greedy. Remember that auctions aren't for you. Typically they benefit 3 people. The seller, the buyer, and the group that is hosting the auction. If you start looking out for just you, you are hurting the hobby as a whole and individuals as well. Fish that are in poor quality or bad health will make for upset sellers who often seek for their money back from the group hosting the auction. You shouldn't sell any fish that you wouldn't be willing to buy yourself for the price you figure you'll get for it.

Summary

That is my brief look into the psyche of fish auctions. Certainly more could be said, and as I mentioned, some of these thoughts are too regional to apply specifically to an auction near you. However, I'm confident that if you read through the thoughts above you'll make that amazing experience that is a fish auction even better!