I am an auctioneer and over the last 3 yrs I have done anywhere from 11 a week (which is INSANE) to just the 3 I cut back to recently. I see the value in auctions is not just in buying or selling, its also in learning. This is especially important to new breeders. At my auctions I explain not only what is seen, but how it got there and what the possibilities are and what Each cat brings that make it special.
But the First and Most Important advice I give new people is Dont' But Every Cat You Think Is Pretty! There are thousands of pretty kitties, but we dont have to own them all! Take time to look, decide what you like and then shop with a project in mind or you will end up feeding 200 cats that aren't doing anything for you and you will eventually burn out and leave in frustration. Auctions, kittycats and breeding are all great and fun activities.
Its like planning a meal: Get the ingredients you need and then cook them up; Keep an eye towards Quality - Learn what the Quality traits are and beware the "cheap" stuff because that apparent bargain will not get you the results you want. Besides, it costs as much to feed a quality cat as a mediocre one. Or if you can't resist and think you may have a future project that involves that tempting little haired houseperson, buy it but Dont Open It! Boxes dont eat - Live cats do. Breeding! Again, look around. Use the
http://tad-carlucci.com/Build-a-Cat/ page to try different combinations and then Design your kittycat! Dont' be afraid to color outside the lines - If no one did we would not have Picasso!
But like all, Moderation is key. You can learn Alot about breeding even without buying a single cat just by listening and looking at the pedigrees! These are the best things I love about auctions. I meet alot of new breeders and can help them along! And the auctions I make time to go to are the ones where I can see the auctioneer is not just trying to sell me a cat, but takes the time to really analyze it. The *
Bad* thing about auctions for auctioneers is that we spend an awful lot on drool rags due to the Gorgeous Cats my patrons bring me! LOL
The Auction Experience - Why or Why Not?
