July 28 Orchid Auction at Roy's Pool

The Atlanta Orchid Society

Auction at Roy Harrow's House

July 28 Orchid Auction

July 28 Orchid Auction at Roy Harrow’s house, Rain or shine. Open at 10, auction at11, eat potluck at 1, should be over by 4. Bring friends, chairs, plants, folding cash and a little extra food. Drop off and park 7 houses South at the elementary school. Make sure your name is on the bottom of the bowl and chairs. Wear appropriate clothing, if you pass out from the heat, you might wake up with only your head held above water in the pool. We have had people bid from the pool. You don't have to buy or sell a thing, but if you do, remember the 10% surcharge that goes to the society from both the seller and the buyer. If you have never sold before make sure you get more details. There has been a free raffle of non-orchid plants at the end of the auction for the last several years of over 150 plants donated plants.

Orchid Auction at Roy Harrow’s house the last Saturday in July. In 2012, it is the 28th of July.

2872 Gray Rd, Smyrna Georgia 30081-1921. H-770 434 8059 c-770 639 7052

simplest (not the shortest) directions:

Highway 75 just north of 285 around Atlanta, Georgia, take Windy Hill west.

past (Cobb parkway, the golf course (speed trap), Atlanta Road and South Cobb) to Benson-Poole (left) South.

That only goes a couple of blocks to Milford Church (right) west. Across the creek to Gray Road (left) south.

Yellow house on the (right) west side of the road.

Norton Park elementary School parking is 7 houses further down the street on the left after you drop your stuff.

You can also come from the south by way of 285/Atlanta road north/Church street west/gray rd north. GPS helps.

Helpers at 9, public at 10 to sign in, tour at 10:15, auction at 11, eat potluck at 1, usually over by 4.

Bring friends, chairs, plants, folding cash and a little extra food beyond what you could eat, we usually share.

A grill is available. Drop off and park 7 houses back at the elementary school. We run a shuttle back and forth. it will happen rain or shine with no backup date. Only handicapped and helpers park onsite. Make sure your name is on the bottom of your food bowls and chairs. It's worth your time to make 2 lists of what you bought to sell. The one you give to the auctioneer should have a description and minimums (if any) to help improve the plants desirability. Some people bring pictures of what the flowers looked like. On the list you keep, write down how much they sold for in case we have any differences. Most people write their purchases on the back of the paper plate with their buyer's number on it. That same buyers' number is your free raffle entry so everyone should sign up for a number.

Wear appropriate clothing, if you pass out from the heat, you might wake up with only your head held above water. We have had 11 people bid from the pool. If you get too hot you can watch (not hear) from inside the house.

Many times un-named orchids will go for just $1. You don't have to buy or sell a thing, but if you do, remember the 10% rule. If you buy $10 pay $11, or sell $10 get $9, we will send a check to any IRS 501C3 organization you designate as long as it totals more than $5 with everyone else that designated the same place at signup.

Each of the sellers gets to offer ten things on the first go around. I personally sell 10 boxes of orchids. If you have more than ten to sell, you get to sell again, after everyone else has had their turn in the order of signing in. The buyers' money usually runs out toward the end. This is mostly a buyers' auction of amateur's plants and the prices are often very low. Remember to quarantine/treat your purchased plants before adding them to your collection. It wouldn't hurt to bring boxes to carry off what you acquire. Many other people have contributed to the free raffle.

History: This idea started around 1985 with an annual pig roast put on by Murray Delafuente at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens with Dave Holders help. We started bringing plants to trade and when multiple people wanted the same plant, it turned into a bidding situation. The pig roast then moved to Cullman Alabama where the meal cost $16 with great salad, fried rice, fresh mulberry cobbler and lots of drinks in addition to all of the barbeque pig and chicken you could eat. When the Highway department took the front of their property to widen the road and other reasons, I then started an auction here in Smyrna with limited invitations and pot-luck. After a couple of years, it was opened to everyone and then we started giving away other plants after the bidding that we had too many of. Some years we've given away (with a free raffle) up to 150 plants. This year there will be lots of Brugmansia, bromeliads, amaryllis and house plants.

The auction at my house has raised money for 5 different tax free organizations at the same time. This could not happen without all the people bringing their own plants to sell, helpers (up to 9) and great food brought by so many different people. (*) David Mellard won a blue ribbon in its class at the SFS with the free eye lash begonia he got from the auction. I believe Cheryl also won a ribbon for her free Clivia lily.