Please read through the following rules and print for your records. Final charge will include a 3% Processing Fee.
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Eligibility Requirements
· Any auctioneer (excluding past champions and apprentice auctioneers) residing in the Commonwealth who is currently licensed and bonded to practice the profession of auctioneering in Pennsylvania is eligible to participate in the contest. Your license number must appear on the entry form.
· For the Rookie Competition (licensed less than 24 months), a copy of your PA Department of State certificate which shows original date of licensure must be included with pre-registration or brought with you to register on-site at contest.
· All competitions require you display your PA auctioneer license AND a photo ID.
Pre-Entry, Entrance Form, Late Entries
· The contestant must fill out an entry form to register for the competition. The pre-entry fee is $50 for PAA members and $125 for non-PAA members; the non-member amount includes a NEW ONLY 12-month PAA membership (those who have been a member in the past do not qualify for the free membership). To qualify for pre-registration, all entries must be postmarked on or before April 30, 2021 and mailed to the contest chairperson (listed at bottom of form available on the PAA website).
· Please make all checks payable to the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association or PAA; You may pay online using PayPal™ by making payment to info@paauctioneers.org; or by credit card on the entry form. You will receive confirmation that your entry has been received.
· All contestants (even those who pre-register for the contest) are required to register at the auction site between 5:30 and 5:45 pm. Any entries after 5:45 pm cannot be accepted.
· The contestant meeting and drawing for placement will start promptly at 5:45 pm; any contestants not present for the start of the meeting will be disqualified.
· Late entries post-marked after April 30, 2021 may still register in advance but will be subject to the late registration fee of $75 for PAA members and $150 for non-PAA members.
· Registration the night of the contest is at the late registration fees stated above. Although it is not required, it is requested that all contestants please register in advance. The competition is limited to the first 30 contestants who register.
Contest Rules
· Each Contestant is required to supply three (3) items to sell. The contestant will sell one of those items during the warm-up round and two of those items during the preliminary round. Items will be provided by the chapter in charge for the final round.
· It is the intention of the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association that the contest be conducted as an actual auction; all sales are to be bona fide, actual sales, and all items will be sold to Farm Show spectators.
· Professional dress/business attire is required for contestants as well as for the committee members conducting the contest, judges, etc.
· Each contestant will receive badges with his or her contestant number after the drawing for placement.
· The sound system will be preset and will not be adjusted during the contest. If you wish to test the microphone, please arrive prior to 5:45 pm. It will be available for contestants to do a brief sound check.
· The contest chairperson or designated individual will introduce contestants by number only. A contestant’s failure to appear when his or her number is called will be disqualified.
· Scores from the preliminaries will determine finalist contestants. The contestant who scores higher will break a tie in the preliminaries in the bid-calling portion. A tie in the finals round will be broken by the contestant with the overall higher score in the preliminary round.
· At least two ring people selected by the chapter conducting the contest will be used in the contest. If a contestant does not wish to use ring personnel, he or she may choose not to; the contestant will need to notify a stage assistant prior to going up to sell his or her items.
· Each auctioneer will be allowed a maximum of three minutes to demonstrate his or her ability. Each contestant will sell one item in a warm-up round that is not scored and two items consecutively in both the preliminary and the finals round (if you advance).
· Scores from the preliminaries will determine finalist contestants. In the case of a tenth place preliminary tie, all ballots (including highs and lows originally dropped) are to be used to determine tenth place to proceed to finals. If this still results in a tie, a coin will be tossed (off camera) by the MC.
· Any auctioneer competing in the Rookie category will compete in drawn order with all other contestants; his or her status will not be announced until the Champions are awarded at the end.
· The number of finalists will be ten (10), not dependent on the total number of contestants.
· The maximum number of contestants will be 30.
· Published competition rules shall be available to each contestant prior to the start of the contest.
· By entering this contest you give permission for the PAA to use photographs taken at the contest in which you may appear for advertising/promotion purpose.
Jury and Judging
· The chapter conducting the contest or the PAA Administrator will notify the judges of their responsibilities during the competitions. There will be 8 judges, to include an NAA representative, one representative from Antiques & Auction News, AntiqueWeek or Lancaster Farming (on a pre-determined rotating basis), and one auctioneer judge from each of the 6 PAA chapters. The immediate past champion, if a PAA member, will automatically represent his/her chapter.
· Judges shall refuse to serve if there is a conflict of interest with any contestant.
· If a non-PAA member wins the contest, there shall be 9 judges for the next year’s competition (six chapter representatives, NAA rep, publication rep, and previous non-member champion).
· A copy of the rules shall be given to each judge prior to the contest.
· Contestants will be judged on the following (a total of 100 points):
* Introduction/Initial Command/Overall Appearance/Poise (20 points);
* Voice Control, Clarity, Speed, Rhythm, and Voice Expression (45 points);
* Article Description, Eye Contact, Body Language, Holds Attention of Audience, Concludes Sale with “SOLD” and Salesmanship (35 points)
· Contestants are required to announce his/her contestant number to the jury. Contestants have the option of saying their name and location. If a contestant does not announce his/her contestant number as they begin, he/she will automatically be disqualified. Judges will be assigned the task of noting whether the contestant says his/her number before beginning the round.
· A contestant will not be disqualified during the warm-up round, only in the preliminary and final rounds.
· The high and low scores for each contestant on scorecards will be eliminated, using an average score except in the case of a tie as listed above.
Prize Categories
· The PA Auctioneer Champion will receive a $200 cash prize, a laser-engraved plaque and a gavel. The 1st runner-up will receive a $100 cash prize, a laser-engraved plaque and a gavel. All finalists will receive Finalist’s Gavels (up to 10).
· The PA Rookie Auctioneer Champion will be chosen from any qualifying contestants who have entered the contest. The Rookie with the highest final score will be awarded the championship regardless of whether or not he or she advances to the finals round. If more than one Rookie would advance to the finals round, the champions will be selected from the highest scores in the finals round. It will be possible for a Rookie to win or place in the regular championship as well. The PA Rookie Auctioneer Champion will receive a $100 cash prize, a laser-engraved plaque and a gavel. The top female competitor will be acknowledged.
· The top ten contestants will be announced by name in descending order and will receive gavels.
· At the close of the competition, the MC shall acknowledge the top scoring female, then the Rookie Champion, followed by the 1st runner-up auctioneer champion, and finally the PA auctioneer champion.
· If the PA Auctioneer Champion chooses to enter the International Auctioneer Championship Competition sponsored by the National Auctioneers Association, the PAA will award an additional $350 toward his/her expenses in entering the IAC Championship Competition during the next scheduled NAA Conference.
Responsibilities of Winner
· The PAA requests that the Auctioneer Champion and Rookie Champion be present at the Friday banquet during the annual conference for recognition and photo opportunities.
· The Auctioneer Champion shall automatically serve as a judge for the contest the following year, if available.
· Speaking engagements throughout the year for the Auctioneer Champion shall be scheduled when convenient.
· Laser engraving of the Auctioneer Champion’s name and year in which he/she won on the large trophy shall be the responsibility of the champion. It is suggested that a jeweler perform this task due to the complexity of the engraving. The Auctioneer Champion shall bring the trophy to the conference the following year.