(08-26-2015 02:38 PM)Devilness Chant Wrote:  Originally, auctions were meant to be elite. And I also don't mean this to be rude either.

It used to be we only had a few auctions a week. Auctions were meant to sell those new traits, special kitties, so forth. The ones you didn't find a lot of in shops. They were the elite kitties. That is why I said, there just aren't enough special kitties to go in so many auctions and not enough lindens to buy in all the auctions there are now.

So now, instead of a larger group of ppl going to an auction. Ppl have split off to certain ones. That's why you don't always get those big turn outs. Ppl not bothering to show up. The same ppl buying and selling each others kitties. Ppl like me that are just burnt out on the whole idea. And so forth.

Lana, Don't get discouraged. I've had some bad experiences, but there are nice auctioneers that will kindly tell you if they can sell your kitty or not. Don't take it personal and keep trying. A kitty doesn't have to be a 9t to be a worthy kitty. lol
I personally love both eye shapes and pupil sizes. Some don't like shades on kitties.
If you ask someone and they're a bit rude about it, ask someone else till you find that person that knows how to treat your feelings with respect. And when you find that kind person, ask them what they're looking for to sell in their auction. In the mean time, enjoy your kitties.

(08-26-2015 10:36 PM)Kayleigh McMillan Wrote:  I think, and I always have done it that way, people should really breed for combinations they like.
Those kitties are often valued for their esthetics.
Maybe not by auctioneers, perhaps they look for the latest and the greatest even if it has one desired trait with a hyper recessive hidden, but there is certainly market for pretty.

(09-08-2015 12:17 PM)phoenixfire01 Resident Wrote:  Just noticed people were still replying on my thread (cool) yes it's just me

Just wanted to address something that's been brought up here by a few people and that's the types of kitties available at Auctions. I personally don't breed your average Kitty meaning I like to breed traits that are long retired or in danger of being completely bred out such as the Odyssey Splash eye, I mean when was the last time you saw that ?? (Today coz I'm breeding it lol, joke) but seriously, I breed traits you don't see every day and yes I have been guilty of putting kitties in Auction with that "One Trait", in my case it was snappy whisker on a Pink and White (shudders) but that was nearly because it was from a project and I didn't need it (it was the fur I didn't need, no offence). I also like to mix things up a little by breeding older/retired/dom traits and newer/recessive traits together on one kitty.

But I agree, Auctions are beginning to become carbon copies of each other, you get to the point where you can almost guess which kitties are going to be in the line up before you spy them or the line up. I personally put this down to three things. Investment, Imagination or lack of and Teaching.

Teaching: Too many newer breeders are hearing Recessive Recessive Recessive, Recessive is the best ............. sorry but NOOOOOOOOO it really isn't. As Poison likes to say, with recessive traits there's no wiggle room. Like when everyone bred the Dry Olive to the Onyx and now people are cursed with the Dry Olive coming through on the Onyx eyes, there's no wiggle room. Hands up, yes I did do that but since I got wiser and actually bred my Onyx to a Peach Bellini of all things BUT it it's doing the trick, so far from 3 lines, I've not had Dry Olive (YAY). We need to teach differently and stop telling newer breeders Recessive is best.

Imagination: This is where I'm going to get it in the neck (not the perosn, British saying) some (quite a lot) breeders have lost their imagination. I can sit at an auction and look at a kitty and think, what if I switched that eye for this eye or put this fur on it, is it even possible ? How many people ACTUALLY do that ?? Currently I'm working on the Maine Coon Silver Tortoiseshell with Odyssey Splash eyes. It looks very funky but at the same time, keeping to lesser seen traits alive.

Investment: Most people just aren't willing to invest time in working lines for generations and generations, refining them, making "pure lines" so to speak. Now I'm gonna let a secret out the bag, on a shelf in my cattery is a box with lots of little boxes in it and in each box is a pair of kitties from almost every pair of kitties I've bred in the past 12-18 months (I say almost because some pairings REALLY didn't work). In some cases I have two pairs. I understand some people haven't the time, money etc to do this but sooooo many breeders really could instead of pumping out the same kitties as Fred and Wilma on the next panel.

Looking at or changing at least one of these would soooooo help bring variety and the "Elite" kitties (Stolen from Devilness Chant) back to Auctions. Something else that'll make me more unpopular with Auctioneers than I already am (breathes) .......... Thinking outside of the box as far as Auctions goes. I know that a certain Auctioneer (Poison) has been doing things a little different with the Lives Auctions and soon the Boutique Auctions but I think more thinking outside of the box would help. Too many times you tp to the auction, sit down, have an hour plus long Auction of the same thing as the last one and then Auction over and to the next one. I KNOW how hard Auctioneers have it from experience BUT I think that's something the community can help with, people just need to reach out.

Well that's it from me, I'll go back to my little corner of SL but please have a think on what I've said and these are only my own opinions.
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Again, this is not meant as an attack on any breeder, Auctioneer, Auction, Sim or Sim Owner.

Have fun breeding those KittyCatS!

(09-08-2015 08:51 PM)Wendi Lavendel Wrote:  This is a fun thread to read, it's reminding me of the days when I actually had time to attend auctions regularly LOL I really miss them, especially the ones where we would laugh our butts off so much people couldn't type or couldn't see their screen because their eyes were watering. I used to go to auctions just for the fun and the social aspect, and walking away with a cat was just a bonus. Does anyone remember when Callie would show up at random to an auction and rename all the cats things like "GOING HOME WITH CALLIE" ? LOL And I will never forget Sanura's auctions: she'd be so into what she was doing and focused on cats and panels that I could cover her avatar in pickles or cupcakes or kittens and she wouldn't notice until the end... and everyone else would be soooooo patient and not say a word the entire auction except to make innocent and subtle comments like "...I'm in a pickle if I don't win this cat..."

I miss the themed auctions; a few people in the past have done them, such as a retired traits auction or all white cats auction (we didn't have many black cats back then besides the Russian muahahahaha but a black cat auction would be awesome (halloween?) You'd have me there for sure!





(When I cleaned up all those pickles, I purposely left the one that sat in her mouth. The next time she sat down there I got an IM, "YOU LEFT A PICKLE IN MY MOUTH!!" LOL)

(09-08-2015 08:51 PM)Wendi Lavendel Wrote:  This is a fun thread to read, it's reminding me of the days when I actually had time to attend auctions regularly LOL I really miss them, especially the ones where we would laugh our butts off so much people couldn't type or couldn't see their screen because their eyes were watering. I used to go to auctions just for the fun and the social aspect, and walking away with a cat was just a bonus. Does anyone remember when Callie would show up at random to an auction and rename all the cats things like "GOING HOME WITH CALLIE" ? LOL And I will never forget Sanura's auctions: she'd be so into what she was doing and focused on cats and panels that I could cover her avatar in pickles or cupcakes or kittens and she wouldn't notice until the end... and everyone else would be soooooo patient and not say a word the entire auction except to make innocent and subtle comments like "...I'm in a pickle if I don't win this cat..."

I miss the themed auctions; a few people in the past have done them, such as a retired traits auction or all white cats auction (we didn't have many black cats back then besides the Russian muahahahaha but a black cat auction would be awesome (halloween?) You'd have me there for sure!

(08-27-2015 07:36 AM)MsMagick Resident Wrote:  

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On the issue of buying and setting up your panel in advance:

I was at an auction the other day where the auctioneer and SIM owner said she wanted people to start setting up 24 hours in advance! Beyond the fact that there are some daily auctions where you couldn't set up that far in advance, in my experience, that would increase the likelihood of people not being there when it was time for their panel to be called. I used to set up the night before, but was going through issues in RL that caused me to miss auctions where I was already set up! Which also meant that the panel couldn't be released to someone else and the auctioneer - and everyone else - was left wondering where I was. I also find that if I do grab a panel too soon for an elite auction, I might not have anything for it, and wind up IMing the auctioneer in advance to release it. So, I'm finding it best for me to go to auctions where I can buy a panel and set it up 1 1/2 to 3 or so hours beforehand - basically when I have a better idea of how my health and RL schedule are going that day, as well as knowing what I plan to go on it.

I know that a lot of KC auctions have boards to select your panel days or even a week in advance. Why not go the other way: Don't allow anyone to buy the panel until they are open and reset from the previous auction - or, for those that only happen a few times a week, not until 24 hours before the auction. Also, only allow one regular panel, and one special panel if you have them, per person at this time. That way people still have a chance of getting one once they have a good idea that they will be there. Yes, RL issues still come up - they always will - but you're a lot less likely to forget that you have a panel if you just went to get it.

Then, if the panel isn't set up, and any required notecard submitted, by an hour before the auction, release the empty panels, without refund, to whomever is there and wants one.