The 2026 MAS Dead of Winter Auction
An official Minnesota Aquarium Society auctionGeneral information
MAS auctions run from Wednesday (8 am) through Wednesday (8 pm), with
pick up on the following Saturday (see map). Invoices and labels will
be issued to buyers and sellers after the auction ends and payment is
due via PayPal by midnight Thursday. Payments made after Thursday are
subject to a $10 late charge. Sales for which payment is not received
by 10 pm Friday can be cancelled. Sellers will be paid within one week of the Saturday distribution. You must use your PayPal email
account for accurate invoicing and payment. Do not participate
if you do not have an active PayPal account. To maintain privacy, names
and email addresses are hidden from other auction participants. By
participating in this auction, you agree to abide by all auction rules.
Minnesota Aquarium Society auctions are limited to the members in
good standing (no outstanding debts). Buyers/Sellers who are not
members, or whose memberships have expired, will be enrolled in MAS and have the $15 membership fee
automatically added/deducted from their invoice. MAS collects a 25% tariff on the sales price
to defray costs. Big sellers will have their tariff reduced to 10% for
sales above $200. Each seller may list up to 30 items. Donations do not count against this limit. Inquiries to
auctionmaster@aquarium.mn.
Sellers can drop off their sales items on Saturday, September 20, between 12:30 - 1:30 pm. Buyers can pick up their purchases on the same day between 2 - 3 pm. (There is no refund if you do not pick up.) MAS has a number of other activities going on at the pickup location. A fish swap with ~20 vendors will sell aquatic goods between noon - 3 pm. The MAS So-shoal Hour is an opportunity to join the aquatics community to talk fish. This session begins at 1 pm. We may also organize a trip to one or more Partner Stores afterwards to take advantage of MAS member discounts!
Prohibited items
- You cannot sell anything banned by state law.
Rules
- Minimum bid is set at $5. A non-refundable $2 fee is added to each item where the seller sets a higher minimum.
- All lots must be properly bagged. If we have to rebag your item, a $2/bag fee may be imposed.
- BAP/HAP participants should mark both
the DONATION and BREEDER
POINTS boxes. A BAP submission form, available on the MAS website, must
be filled out to provide future breeders with spawning information.
HAP forms are to be filled out online. BAP/HAP submissions must contain the correct scientific (Latin) name.
- If a BAP/HAP donation sells for > $30, the amount in excess will be returned to the donor.
The following rules will be automatically enforced by this site:
- This is an online auction with in-person pickup
- You must place bids on this website
- Bidding will be open from Sept 10, 2025, 10 a.m. to Sept 17, 2025, 8 p.m.
- If last minute bids are placed on a lot, the end time for that lot will be extended. All lots will end by July 16, 2025, 8 p.m.
- You can submit lots starting Sept 10, 2025, 8 a.m.
- You can submit lots until Sept 16, 2025, 8 p.m.
- You can submit up to 30 lots. Additional lots accepted only as a donation.
- You will be charged 25% of the winning price per lot you sell
- There will be a minimum bid of $5 on all lots, and sellers can set their own minimum bids
Auction Rules & Details
- This is an online auction with in-person pickup
- You must place bids on this website
- Bidding will be open from Jan. 14, 2026, 9 a.m. to Jan. 21, 2026, 9 p.m.
- If last minute bids are placed on a lot, the end time for that lot will be extended. All lots will end by Jan. 21, 2026, 10 p.m.
- You can submit up to 30 lots. Additional lots accepted only as a donation.
- You will be charged 25% of the winning price per lot you sell
- There will be a minimum bid of $5.00 on all lots, and sellers can set their own minimum bids