Get your checkbooks ready!!!

[putnamgardens]

From Don Dean via Lisa Putnam:
Hi all,



Hard to believe yet one more year has lapsed and brings us to our eleventh annual American Hosta Society on-line auction; mark your calendars for January 12th - 26th. Events such as this require the efforts of many volunteers, representing numerous hours of dedicated time. Thanks goes out to those who are instrumental in providing the support, created the site, are vital to spreading the information, donors of materials being sold, and all those choosing to support the AHS with their bidding. Special thanks to Bob Axmear for allowing us to use his Hosta Library site again this year.



We all realize that this is a busy time of the year with spreading the cheer of the pending holiday season and participating in seasonal events. Each year many of you have kept our hosta society in mind and given generously. Let’s give it a go again this year. Besides, once the hustle and bustle of these weeks subsides, we all love to look at great pictures and dream of our next treasure to arrive in the mail next spring.



Amidst cleaning gardens and getting ready for the snow to fly or already clearing snow from the driveway? Thinking ahead and planning family get togethers or travel? Now is a great time to take a moment to list possible availability of plant and other donations for the AHS online auction before everything gets moving at a frantic pace.



BEGIN sending your donations any time beginning NOW. Include a paragraph description and digital photo. I can help with both of these, often getting back to you via email with questions or verification of info.


All proceeds go directly to the society’s treasury. Auctions are a primary source of revenue to bring one of the world’s best horticultural journals to its members and libraries across North America and abroad. Society all members are aware of the needed changes, like or dislike, leading to the new online journal. All bias aside, it is great and offers even more hosta information and pictures than any print copy could. Regardless, the online version does not relieve the need to continue support going forward in order for the society to continue two issues of THJ. The Hosta Journal can only stand to increase its standing as a premier publication as a result of all of your support!



Joanna Kovalcsik, AKA Jojo, will be joining me again this year to assist with donation descriptions!



We are set up to receive payments through the AHS website, something new instituted last year. All other elements of the auction remain intact. The following includes no changes from the past few years with the exception of the dates, January 12th - 26th. Give them a read though to refresh your memory. Once again, I will post any critical information, reminders, and tips in the “Non-bid Important News” category of the auction site. Be sure to peek at these periodically for updates or corrections as well.



Please communicate with your friends to see if they received this email, and ask those other hosta fans not already receiving these mailings if they would like to join us. Some long time participants will not have received this mailing due to not informing me of an email address change which resulted in them not getting this news. Last year resulted in several new members and non-members joining in for the first time! Either way, simply have them send me an email requesting to be added to the auction mailing list.



Looking forward to serving you again this year,



Don Dean





AUCTION INTRODUCTION PAGES … YOU ACCEPT THESE CONDITIONS TO PARTICIPATE





AHS Online Auction ’13 is gearing up for a January 12th through January 26th



Welcome to this year’s event. This auction is run like many that you may be familiar with from the past. It has some changes from previous AHS Online Auctions. Be sure to read all information carefully.

Note: all bidding closes on the same date for this auction but time of closing varies for each item posted! The official winners will be posted following the close of all items. Please ignore ALL other messages which may indicate otherwise!

General Navigation: You may navigate to any one of the anchor pages from any page using the links in the box at the bottom of each page. [You must be registered to submit a bid or to.]
•The Auction Home page: The auction home page has links to different categories of items that are for sale. Click on one of these links to view items in that category.
•Category Pages: Category pages are where you will find the individual items that you may bid on. They are listed with the Title, the closing date, the number of bids, and the current bid displayed.
•Item Detail Pages: The item detail page has the information that is available in the Category listing, as well as a more detailed description, a picture (if one is available), the Bid History, and an area for you to submit a bid for that item.
• Registration
•All activities on the auction site require registration.
•In order to register, click on the "Register" link in the box at the bottom of any auction page.
•On the registration page you must enter this information

1. Username: This is your "handle" for the auction site. It is what you see when you look at the bid history, and who has put an item up for auction. If you choose a Username that is already taken, you will be prompted to enter another one.

2. Your Name: Please enter your full name so that we may contact you for notifications and/or questions.

3. Email Address: Please enter a valid email address, as your account login information will be emailed to you, as well as any questions that others may have on items that you put up for bid.

4. Your address, City, State, and Zip: This is necessary for us to know where to send items that have been successfully bid upon.
•Change Password: Here you may change your password you must know your Username and present password to change your password to something else.
•Change Registration Info: Once you have entered your Username and password you are taken to a page where you can change your email and address information.
•You must read and accept the terms of the AHS Auction as set by the Auction Administrator. Acceptance will complete your registration, none acceptance will terminate your registration.



ADDING an item (plant or otherwise) will be done by the Auction Administrator. You will not be able to submit an item yourself due to changes in the software being used. To do so, send an email to Don Dean at dedean@q.com. Entitle ALL correspondence “AHS Online Auction” in the subject bar to ensure that your mail does not get lost in the spam! Include a title and brief paragraph describing your donation. Check out this model for ideas.

Plant name (hybridizer, year or NR) description stating general clump shape and size, leave, and any history or outstanding characteristics making it something to be coveted; amount or size of the division to be sent; when able to send; any terms (if any).

Example:

H. ‘My Prize’ (Dean, NR - pending) This compact, vase shaped mounding plant has both gold and gray-green streaks on an intense blue, round, puckered leaf. This makes a small to medium, vigorous grower. Easily fertile with an incredible pedigree [(Dorset Clown) x Sunpower] x Salute! Imagine the next generation! A mature OS division will be sent. Fall or spring delivery is available.

PICTURES, PICTURES, PICTURES are crucial for most of this type of plant to gain the attention they warrant. Take one and send it along with your commitment to donate a plant. We can work with digital images, preferably jpg format, sent via Email. On-line submission requires jpeg format, 200k or smaller in size. [Larger size pictures will be rejected by the auction server] If you need assistance reducing the size of your picture, attach it to your email and I will see what I can do to reduce it to a usable size.

Don Dean
AHS On-line Auction Coordinator
763-421-2475
dedean@q.com



All plants you have enjoyed will probably strike a spark of interest in someone else’s mind. Highly coveted, rare, hard to find, good breeding stock, and new breeders from your breeding program are being sought. Originator stock of plants often bring a good bid. Consider collections of plants with a theme: ‘Moon,’ ‘Tiaras,’ gold centered, from a particular hybridizer, plants which you think make a good group planting, etc.

Donor portion of auction rules:

DONATIONS … Donations will be accepted up to 72 hours prior to the close of auction. Donations may be added to the items available list throughout the duration of the auction. Bidders will need to keep visiting the site for the latest listings.

DONORS … Donors are responsible for shipping the plant (contiguous states, U.S.A., addresses only) or delivering the plant to the next hosta society event at which both donor and high bidder will be present. This is to be arranged and agreeable by both parties.

Note: all bidding closes on the same date for this auction but time of closing varies for each item posted!



(GO TO AUCTION AGREEMENT PAGE)



AHS Online Auction Agreement and Procedures



DURATION … The auction will run from 1/12/2012 through the final item closing on 1/26/2012 each item closes at the posted time for that item.

BIDDING … By bidding on an item you agree to be bound by the conditions of sale included in the description as provided by the donor. Bids are not retractable.

DONATIONS … Donations will be accepted up to 72 hours prior to the close of auction. Donations may be added to the items available list throughout the duration of the auction. Bidders will need to keep visiting the site for the latest listings.

DONORS … Donors are responsible for shipping the plant (contiguous states, U.S.A., addresses only) or delivering the plant to the next hosta society event at which both donor and high bidder will be present. This is to be arranged and agreeable by both parties.

HIGH BIDDERS … The official winners will be posted following the close of all items. Please ignore ALL other messages which may indicate otherwise!

High bidders will be notified via Email at the close of auction that they have successfully won the plant. The message will direct them as to how and where to make payment by check. In the event payment is not made in a timely manner, a second Email will be sent. No response within a brief period (10days following close of bidding) will result in the second highest bidder being offered the plant.

PAYMENT … Once payment is verified the donor will be notified via Email who the high bidder is and given data necessary to make contact. It is then the donor’s responsibility to arrange a mutually agreeable method and time for delivery with the high bidder.

RIGHT TO CANCEL … The donor reserves the right to cancel sale to highest bidder if bidder does not agree to the terms set out in the description by the donor. At this time the donor needs to contact the auction administrator, and the second highest bidder may be contacted.

AHS RESPONSIBILITY … The AHS is responsible to provide the vehicle for placing the donor and high bidder in contact with one another for the exchange of auctioned material. The AHS is not responsible for the condition of any material exchanged between the two parties. In the event that the item becomes unavailable, the AHS is responsible to refund the money collected for the item.
INDEMNIFICATION …You will indemnify and hold harmless AHS, its affiliated and subsidiary entities, and the successors, licensees, assigns, officers and directors of each from and against any and all claims, losses and damages (including reasonable attorney's fees) constituting and arising out of a breach of any of the provisions of these Terms of Use, including without limitation from your placement or transmission of any content onto Upland Enterprise (host for the AHS Auction) servers, and/or from any and all use of any American Hosta Society Sites.