The auction registration closed with 748 lots submitted and 629 lots accepted. The store ended just 2 short of maximum limit at 1,498.

Auction prices improved slightly for the sellers in 2023, with the average for items sold rising 6% from $35.75 in 2022 to $38.04 in 2023. The auction sold a total of 618 items, with no unsold lots and twelve no shows. All the items sold for just over $23K, up 10% from 2022 driven by selling 23 more games than last year. Only eight items sold for $200 or more despite large Kickstarter lots in the auction this year, Case Blue topping the list at $430. Other big dollar items included John Jacoby’s annual Circus Maximus $350, Oathsworn Kickstarter Bundle $260, Memoir ’44 Bundle and SPI War in the Pacific at $230 each, Takenoko/Chibis Wooden Collector’s Edition and Marvel United Kickstarter Bundle at $220, and The Witcher Old World Bundle at $210. Another 29 items sold for between $100 and $190, 104 items sold for between $50 and $95, and 124 items sold for between $30 and $49. At the low end of the scale, only 43 items sold for less than $10, 20% fewer than last year. Scroll down for an itemized list of sales.

The requirement of a $1 minimum bid worked well for the auctioneers and staff and will remain in effect for future years.

From a buyer’s perspective, 116 different buyers walked home with games from the auction, up 33% from last year. Nine buyers spent more than $500 and an additional 40 buyers spent more than $100.

At the auction store, the number of sellers was flat with 51 sellers in 2023 compared to 52 last year. A total of 1,482 items of the 1,498 registered, were delivered Monday night. The line to enter the store on Tuesday started to form before 8am, with the store opening at 9am. 89% of items sold, or 1,321, which is 16% better than in 2022. However, our problem is rising as 69% of the sellers had items that did not sell and only around 20% of them came to pick up their items after the store closed as required in the auction store rules.

Because of this, the handling fee will be increased in 2024 for those that do not pick up their games at the prescribed time in the Grand Ballroom after the auction store closes. This will be in addition to the fee for unsold lots. This is a large issue for the staff as they, like the sellers, are trying to get everything wrapped up so they can get back to gaming. The extra time to box all these items and get them to registration as well as the registration staff having to deal with unsold item pick-ups is work the volunteers do not need.

The average selling price for auction store items was $12.37, up 4% from last year. In the store, 113 items sold at the top price of $30, another 242 items sold between $20 and $29, and 447 items sold for between $10 and $19. The quality of the auction store declined this year. Most items that went unsold had prices between $20 and $30 that did not or barely change throughout the day.

The change in minimum lots for the auction continues to work well and will remain at 10, the same as the auction store.

Thanks to everyone who participated as both buyers and sellers at this year’ event and we look forward to seeing you again in 2024.