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Child's Play Charity Auction
By the by, I picked up Me and My Katamari for PSP, you can check out pictures and info at www.nwretro.org. ~N

Just came back from tonight's benefit held by Penny Arcade at the Maydenbauer, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

I hadn't planned on going, but on last Thursday's Penny Arcade news post, Gabe offered up 11 single tickets to the dinner to the first people to send him an email. I was among the 11, so I told Tina, and we split her ticket for the dinner.


The night was a blast! We arrived at 6:30 after a quick change after work into appropriate attire, and I was surprised at the level of dress at the event. Knowing the typical perception of gamers and their attire, We were surrounded by men in tuxedos and women in evening gowns. Tina looked beautiful and fit in, however I could have been a bit more dressed up, but I did alright. I spent a fair bit of time chatting with people about NWCGE and Sakura-Con, since I'm on the board of both, and it seemed like a good opportunity.


The Maydenbauer 4th floor lobby


The lobby outside the dining hall, where the silent auction items were


The auction book

After we checked in, we were given an auction book that detailed all the silent auction items and the live auction items, with the back cover being our Bidder number (for holding up during the live auction). There were about 35 items in the silent auction, ranging from gameworks game cards and spots on the Warhammer Beta to bath soaps and salts, and framed photographs of nature. The bent was towards games, of course, with Penny Arcade parephernalia, PC and Xbox Game packs, PSPs and DSes, Signed Console systems, PC hardware, and other geek items such as light sabers, custom dice bags, Marvel Comics lithographs, and signed everything.


A complete Penny Arcade Wardrobe, went for around 800 dollars


Marvel Comic Proofs, two sets to the highest bidders; I last saw it at over 250 each


Cardboard Tube Samurai Laser Cell #8. The Silent Auction one went for over 1600. There was a live auction one as well that went for over 2 grand I believe


One of two Penny Arcade Book publisher preview copies, sent to Jerry and Mike. I wanted this, but it quickly spiraled to several hundred dollars


Bidders checking out the long row of items available


One of the bidding sheets

Of course, all proceeds went to charity, so prices often spiraled out of the "bargain" category and into the "for the kids" category, but that didn't stop me or Tina from putting down our bids a half dozen items each. We were quickly outbid on some, and a couple saw only a few higher bids, but most everything closed at well above retail value. It was fun, however, to be a part of the process.


Me bidding on a Cooler Master complete Case/PSU solution, which exceeded it's 400 dollar value


A hopeful look.


Final bidding

at 8:15, silent auction bidding closed and we were seated for our dinner. The live auction took place while we ate. Since I had won my ticket and Tina purchased hers separately, we did not receive our original seating assignments, and were instead seated off to the corner, which was a little dissapointing. We also listened to some interesting conversation from the folks at our table, which included one loudmouthed movie reviewer for some website who dominated the conversation with rant-style ramblings about dead presidents and how we have nothing to learn from our past. The live auction cut that conversation short.

Nancy Schemke, the director for Seattle Children's Hospital, appeared and thanked everyone for their participation, and Child's Play for its efforts, as we were served a three course meal. During the dinner, and earlier in the lobby, Wine and champagne were provided by staff for free (including hors d'oeuvres during the silent auction). Our salad was a spinach salad with a cherry balsamic vinagrette (very tasty), and rare top sirloin with merlot/mushroom sauce, sauteed vegetables and mashed potatoes. Dessert was a very tasty but heavy chocolate cake with whipped cream and white chocolate shavings (the texture was more akin to a creamy, thick fudge).

Then Mike and Jerry came onstage, they MC'ed the auction, and sold off a TV appearance (with transportation), a trip to Iceland, a signed Xbox 360 w/games, two banners from PAX, a lifetime Steam account, another Laser Cell, passes to PAX, an HDTV, tours of Wizards of the Coast, Penny Arcade and Bungie, two Mystery boxes, a Master Chief statue, and several game bundles.


Gabe and Tycho

Last year's auction brought in $17,000. This year, heated bidding and deep pockets brought in a hair over $82,000! The auction for an appearance in a Penny Arcade strip alone sold for a whopping $20,000 dollars! It was a very, very successful evening, and one I was proud to be a part of.

And when all was said and done, I walked away with my own little donation to the cause. One of the silent auction items I bid on, one of 4 bundles of Xbox games, showed up with my name and bid among the four! For $120 dollars, I walked away with Shenmue II, Project Gotham Racing 2 (!), Outrun 2, NBA Inside Drive, Forza Motorsports (!), Fable (!) and Fable: The Lost Chapters (!!), MechAssault 2 (!), Halo 2 Collectors Ed., and the Halo 2 Multiplayer map pack, Kingdom Under Fire, and Conker Live & Reloaded! 12 games!


I did it for the kids, of course


Not a bad night indeed!