How to Run an Online Racing Pigeon Auction
A racing pigeon sells on its ring, its pedigree and its results, and the buyer may live on another continent. This guide is for lofts, breeders, clubs and one-loft races setting up a timed online sale of racing pigeons, from the first lot description to the bird leaving in its box.
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Decide what kind of sale it is
Most pigeon sales are one of four kinds, and the catalogue reads differently for each: a breeder sale of young birds and late-breds from a loft, a total dispersal when a fancier stops, a club or federation sale of donated birds where the proceeds fund the season, and the auction at the end of a one-loft race, where the birds that flew the final are sold to the highest bidders. Say which it is at the top of the catalogue, say who the seller is and who receives the money, and check your federation's rules on selling and transferring birds before you open bidding.
Describe each bird the way a fancier judges it
- Ring number and year, sex and colour.
- Pedigree: sire and dam, the grandparents and the line they come from, stated as it is on the pedigree sheet and no further.
- Results: the bird's own race results with distance and position, or those of its parents and siblings, with the race named.
- Whether it is offered as a racer, a breeder or a young bird, and whether it has been paired.
- Vaccinations and health, and the paperwork that will travel with the bird.
Keep the same order of facts on every lot. A buyer who reads thirty lots in an evening compares them, and a line on a pedigree that cannot be shown on the sheet costs more trust than it earns.
Photographs that sell a pigeon
Buyers expect a side view of the bird held in the hand, a view of the open wing, a close photograph of the eye and a legible scan of the pedigree sheet. Shoot in daylight against a plain background. A short video of the bird in the hand or in the loft can be hosted on a video site and linked from the lot.
Time the sale
Give buyers enough days to read the catalogue, ask questions and arrange transport, and close the lots on an evening when your buyers are at home, a few minutes apart so one person can follow several birds. Use soft close so a bid in the last seconds extends the clock, and let buyers leave a maximum bid in advance if they cannot be online at the end.
Reserves, registration and terms
Put a reserve on birds with a clear value, such as proven breeders and the parents of winners, and let young birds find their price. Require bidders to register and accept your terms before bidding, so you know who is buying and where the bird is going. State in the terms when ownership transfers, who completes the federation's transfer form, and that a bird is sold as described in the lot.
Payment, shipping and transfer of ownership
Take payment online before a bird leaves the loft, so the handover is only about the bird and its papers. State on every lot where the bird is, whether it can be collected, at a club meeting or at the loft, and whether it can be shipped. Live birds travel only with carriers that accept them and in approved boxes; across a border they may need a health certificate and import papers, and the buyer normally pays for all of it. Set a collection window, and say what happens if a bird is not collected in it. Transfer the ring to the buyer in your federation's records after payment.
When a bird does not sell
A bird that misses its reserve can be offered to the underbidder at their own bid, held for the next sale, or sold privately to a bidder who asked about it. In a dispersal sale, say in advance whether unsold birds will be re-offered.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell racing pigeons in an online auction?
Yes. Lofts, clubs and one-loft races sell racing pigeons online as a matter of course. Check your federation's rules on selling and transferring birds, and the transport and health rules for live birds in your country and the buyer's.
What should a racing pigeon lot description include?
Ring number and year, sex, colour, pedigree as it is on the sheet, race results of the bird or its relatives with the race named, whether it is sold as a racer, breeder or young bird, vaccinations, and the papers that travel with it.
How long should an online pigeon sale run?
Long enough for buyers to study the pedigrees and arrange transport. Close the lots a few minutes apart on an evening buyers can watch, with soft close so a late bid extends the clock.
Who arranges shipping and the transfer of ownership?
Normally the buyer pays for transport and any health or import papers, and the seller hands the bird over after payment and completes the federation's transfer. Write both into your terms before the sale.