After a week of frenzied bidding, the Sixth Annual ARRL On-Line Auction ended with a bang on October 26. The 2011 running of the auction featured almost 200 items, ranging from high-end Product Review equipment to a great assortment of antique books. In addition to bidders from the US, the auction saw winning bids from Canada, Italy, Japan, China and Brazil. According to Auction Coordinator Deb Jahnke, K1DAJ, bidding was fierce for the Yaesu FT-DX 5000D HF/6 meter transceiver that ultimately went to a bidder in China who placed a winning bid of $4925. This rig was featured in the December 2010 issue of QST as a Product Review item.

“The Sixth Annual ARRL On-Line Auction was a great success,” Jahnke said. “In the end, all of the items that were up for bid were sold. Not only did we have a lot of new bidders this year, we also had many repeat bidders from the past several years.”

Jahnke said that she is always amazed at the interest that the On-Line Auction draws each year: “Bidders are not just interested in the many pieces of Amateur Radio gear that we have, but also in our tremendous selection of vintage books. All of the books in the auction received high bids, but the one that topped the list was a copy of the 1927 ARRL Radio Amateur’s Handbook. Originally offered in 1927 for only $1, a lucky ham in China walked away with this historical book with a winning bid of $220.”

Once the results were tallied, the Sixth Annual ARRL On-Line Auction offered 180 items, attracting a total of 1230 bids and 94 winning bidders, many of whom had winning bids on multiple items. “We have certainly grown since we held the First Annual ARRL On-Line Auction in 2006,” Jahnke said. “Back then, we only had 109 items for bid. Even though the auction is closed for 2011, you can still view all items that were up for bid and the results. If you missed out this year, make sure to place your bids in 2012 when we’ll do it all over again!”