by Carla Ruschiva
Get ready to support the 2016 American Council of the Blind Holiday Auction, coming to you live on Sunday, December 4, from 7:00 PM to midnight Eastern Time (4:00 PM to 9:00 PM Pacific), or until all items are sold. The auction is packed with incredible technology, jewelry, home-baked treats, music boxes, crafts and collectibles. Some items include:
- A flash drive filled with 18,000 old-time radio shows, historical and sports broadcasts and much more;
- Incredible treats such as maple fudge, home-baked cookies and candy and cakes and bread and muffins, Maker's Mark bourbon balls, Garrett's Popcorn, See's Candy, Wisconsin cheese, and gift assortments from Michigan and Minnesota;
- Stunning topaz, freshwater pearl and crystal, rose gold and sterling jewelry;
- Hand-crafted blankets and a quilt, a beaded cashmere and fine wool scarf, and a wind chime made from salad tongs;
- Amazon Echo and Fire TV Sticks, an Olympus voice recorder, Beats Mixr headphones, and a SunLabz solar backpack;
- Music boxes by Thomas Kinkade and Ardleigh Elliott, and an Avon exclusive Disney musical train;
- Gifts for the kitchen such as countertop grills and an air fryer;
- Collectibles like antique German nutcrackers, a lighted gingerbread schoolhouse, and a Coca Cola T-shirt;
- Gifts for your dog and the dog-lover on your list
Originating from the iHeartMedia studios in Louisville, Kentucky, the auction will be live-streamed on five ACB RADIO channels and on ACB Radio's Audio Now telephone service; listen on your computer, through the ACB Link iPhone app, or on your telephone. All proceeds benefit ACB Radio.
Auction Details and Rules
Reminiscent of radio auctions from yesteryear, four items will be up for bid at the same time. Bidding on an item will begin when it is announced and described on the air. Bidding on each item will remain open for several minutes. We will do our best to announce bids as they are received. To place a bid, just phone us during the time that the item you want is open for bid. You may place one bid per open item per call. Once you place your bid(s), please hang up and listen to the broadcast. If you are outbid, you may call back and bid again; you may not stay on the line while others bid. Pre-bidding on items is NOT permitted. We will do our best to announce all bids on the air. We will announce when an item is about to close. All winners will be announced on the air. Several telephone lines will be available for bidding. The numbers to call are 877-904-1080 (toll-free) and 502-571-1080. If one number is busy when you call, be sure to try the other one. If a line rings when you call, hold on until someone answers. Remember that it may take several rings for us to get to your call; hanging up and calling back could cause you to lose your place in line. All items will be sold as is, and all sales are final. Shipping charges will be added to the final sale price. If you purchase multiple items, shipping will be combined whenever possible. Sorry, but we cannot offer international shipping. Bidders will be required to confirm their contact information during the course of the auction; bids will not be accepted and items will not be shipped to a winning bidder in the absence of such information. Payment must be made by credit card; no checks accepted. On Monday, December 5, the ACB Minneapolis office will begin contacting winners to obtain credit card information; this process will take at least two days. If a winner defaults on a bid, the runner-up will be contacted concerning the item. Most auction items will be shipped from our Minneapolis office during the weeks of December 5 and December 12. Cookies, candies and other holiday treats, as well as a few specialty items, will be shipped from the point of origin; ACB cannot guarantee the shipping date of these items. 70 items are in this year's auction. Click here to visit our Auction Preview Page where you will find photos and descriptions of each item. Items on the Preview Page are numbered and appear in the order that they will be auctioned. Bids will only be accepted on items when they are on air; please DO NOT call in advance to ask when an item will air. We will be on air until midnight Eastern (9:00 PM Pacific) or until all items are auctioned. Listen on www.acbradio.org, through the ACB Link iPhone app, or on your telephone by calling 605-475-8130. Happy bidding, and thanks in advance for supporting ACB Radio and the Holiday Auction.