2025 Keystone Clash
Auction Rules
Rules for the Seller:
1. This is a public auction, and participation is open to anyone who is interested in selling aquarium fish, equipment, literature, food cultures, artwork, or related aquatic items only. This is an all-fish, all-aquatic animal, and related auction. Event staff reserves the right to accept or reject any item brought to the auction to be sold.
2. Registration - The event will be using an online auction website to manage the auction. You are encouraged to register your items at any time once the online registration opens, up until the close of registration on Sunday, September 28th. Use photos to help sell your listings as your description will be displayed from the auction database when your item comes up for bid.
3. This is a live goods auction. Most new and used aquatic equipment and decor is acceptable for the auction but must be a donation to the Clash. The following items are prohibited from being sold at the auction: Used light bulbs of any kind, open containers of food or medicine, used carbons, or filter resins. Aquariums and electronic items must be clearly marked as to condition. The event staff reserves the right to reject any item judged as unsuitable for auction.
4. All items will be distributed to their prospective auction tables (South American Cichlids, Catfish, Plants, donations, etc.). Items that are donations will receive a special sticker. The order in which items will be sold will be determined by the auction staff; however, 2 efforts will be made to ensure that a series of the same item or like item are not auctioned off sequentially.
5. All items must be properly labeled. All items must have an appropriate auction website lot number, proper description, seller’s name, seller’s phone number and/or email address, quantity, and condition. Fish must have scientific name, quantity, and sex distribution, if known. Accepted terms are PAIR=1 male/1 Female same species, TRIO=1 male/2 females same species, REVERSE TRIO = 1 female/2 males same species. Any other combinations must be marked as to # of males/females or as # of fish sex unknown. Event staff reserves the right to reject any items not properly labeled.
6. All fish and plants to be auctioned must be properly bagged. NO Ziplocks or baggies! Any fish that the auction staff determines unsuitable will be rejected and the seller will be able to re-bag the item or the ACLC/CCY will rebag the fish properly for a $3 rebagging fee. The event will have a limited number of bags of various sizes available for sale the day of the auction.
7. Sellers may list up to 60 lots. Sellers are limited to no more than 3 lots of a single species/color morph/fin type. Sellers are limited to only one lot of floating plants, 2 lots of pond plants.
8. The split is: The first dollar goes to the Keystone Clash, 70% to the seller, 30% to the Keystone Clash (unless it is a dry good which is 100% to the Keystone Clash)
9. No item may be removed from the auction once it has been registered unless it does not sell.
10. No sick or deformed fish will be accepted. If these are found they will not be auctioned, and they will be returned to the seller.
11. Any unclaimed items at the end of the auction become the property of the Aquarium Club of Lancaster County and the Cichlid Club of York.
13. Livestock restricted by either federal or Pennsylvania statutes will not be
accepted. This includes ALL CRAYFISH.
14. Minimum bids will ONLY be permitted for mail-in killifish entries. Mail-in killifish entries will have a $10 minimum bid. The minimum bid may be reduced at the time of auction if the minimum is not attained.
15. Payment to sellers will be sent after the auction along with a seller’s settlement sheet and a copy of the seller sheet. No payments will be made on the day of the auction.
Rules for the Buyer:
1. All buyers must register with the registration committee and receive a bidder’s card. The cost of a bidder card is $5 for those who did not purchase a full weekend package. No items will be sold to anyone without a bidder’s card. Buyers running a tab may pay with cash, paypal, or credit card.
2. All items purchased must be removed by 6pm the day of the auction.
3. ALL SALES ARE FINAL! All items are being sold “as is, where is” with all faults, known, and unknown. Please inspect any items you are interested in thoroughly to your satisfaction before purchasing anything. Once the auctioneer announces an item sold, ownership immediately transfers to the winning bidder.
4. You are responsible for your purchases and the security of them. Neither the ACLC, CCY, or their auction staff or committee, nor the venue where the auction is being held will be responsible for the security of your items once purchased.
5. Express bids will be available for $5. Express bid request slips will be available from auction staff, and lots that are expressed will be brought to the queue table after express fee is paid. All expressed items will immediately be placed at the front of the queue and auctioned off as soon as possible in the order they were expressed.
6. The Auctioneer's decision on all bids is FINAL!
7. No one will be allowed to remove any items from the auction room without proof of payment. Receipts for all sales will be provided by the Keystone Clash staff.