Auction History The first Tiptree auction Ellen Klages ran happened almost by accident at the Tiptree Award ceremony at Readercon 7, July 10, 1994. It hadn’t been planned. Nobody had thought to bring along auction items, so we had to scrounge a few items at the convention, including a Freddie Baer t-shirt, and a copy of the current Tiptree-winning book, Amonite, signed by the author, Nicola Griffith. Ellen got up onto the stage ... and magic happened. People laughed so hard they had to hold their sides, and bids rapidly escalated past expectations. Ellen’s rapport with the audience was amazing. Within a half-hour she had raised just $45 short of $1,000 and a member of the Tiptree motherboard hastily looked through her notebook, found a snapshot of the Tiptree quilt in-progress and offered it to Ellen to auction. Ellen said “we need $45 for this item!” and someone promptly bid $25. Ellen glared at the miscreant: “Didn’t you hear what I said?!” and the bidder promptly changed her bid to $45. Thus, the Tiptree auction was born. Our big fund-raising event each year is the Tiptree Auction on Saturday night at WisCon. A little fund-raising, a lot of entertainment, some Extreme Auctioneering. It’s Bread and Circuses, non-stop live action, and it’s all for a good cause. Ellen Klages has become internationally notorious for her auctions. Come and find out why. Anything might happen. She has sold her own hair (all of it), a hand-knitted uterus, and a kangaroo scrotum pouch. She has organized the Dance of the Founding Mothers, and been paid not to sing or do a wretched Scottish accent. She sometimes takes off parts of her costume and sells them to the highest bidder. You just never know. How to donate items to an auction Send an email to auction07@tiptree.info. Describe the item you’d like to donate to the auction. And we will get back to you with details of where to bring or send it. Thank you! |
A sampling of auction items from the 2006 Tiptree Auction Yellow Nude, scratchboard art print by James Tiptree, Jr. (sold for $250) Lab Technician Set—For Girls! circa 1955 (sold for $300) Mary Doria Russell’s Bra Returns (sold for $150) The Witch & the Chameleon fanzine with the original art by James Tiptree, Jr (sold for $660) Secret Feminist Music Box that plays secret feminist song, constructed by Ellen Klages (sold for $190) Jane Yolen postage stamps, by Ellen Klages (sold for $100) Fish without Bicycles, quilted cotten applique, sewn by Terry Garey (sold for $150) Magic for Beginners, by Kelly Link, typeset manuscript (sold for $120) Parable of the Talents, signed by author Octavia Butler (sold for $200) Spacebabe Pillow, 12"-square patchwork, sewn by Madeleine Robins (sold for $125) Communipath Worlds, paperback signed by author Suzette Haden Elgin (sold for $50) Spacebabe Action Figure (Ellen Klages doll), customized by Gregory G. H. Rihn (sold for $225) Tiptree T-Shirt, year 1, by Freddie Baer (sold for $200) Fan Letter from James Tiptree, Jr. to Carol Emshwiller (sold for $700) King’s Last Song, signed by author Geoff Ryman (sold for $253) Ellen Klages, Auctioneer Barbie, by Nonie Rider (sold for $150) The Sparrow, signed by author Mary Doria Russell (sold for $100) Kimono, created by Kate Schaefer (sold for $250) “Desperadoes of the Galactic Union,” postcard fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin (sold for $40) |