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Monster Media 1994 #1
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AUCTION.ZIP
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1994-01-26
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12KB
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246 lines
_______
____|__ | (R)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | ASSOCIATION OF
| | |_| SHAREWARE
|__| 0 | PROFESSIONALS
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| MEMBER
AUCTION program
Copyright Bob Day, January 1994
INTRODUCTION
One good way to raise money for your favorite charity or project is to
hold an auction. The concept is fairly simple. You gather together a bunch
of things or services and get someone who has showmanship and/or
understands the psychology of auctioneering to sell the items to the
highest bidders.
Before the auction you make up a list of all the items to be sold and
during the auction you must keep a record of which items were bought by
each bidder and the prices bid for the items.
Things usually go pretty well until the end of the auction when all the
bidders flock to the cashier to pay their bills and collect their items.
It can get quite confusing. Everyone wants to settle their account
"right now". Suppose you have 30 or 40 successful bidders trying all at the
same time to pay for a 100 items that have been sold at your auction. If
you are not properly prepared, the delays and confusion can be quite
frustrating and you may lose the good will of some of your bidders.
This AUCTION program helps to reduce the hassle. With it you can make
a list of items to be sold and they can be listed in the order that you
wish to sell them. Some of the more attractive items should be saved to the
last to keep up the interest of the people.
Before the start of the auction, each person is provided with a bidder's
number. The numbers can even be sold at a nominal fee with the idea that
the cost will go toward the price of any item bought at the auction..
As each item is sold, the bidder number and the price of the item are
entered into the program's file.
At the end of the auction a printed bill can be provided to each bidder
listing the items bought, their cost, and the total cost of the items.
The program will also provide you with the total amount of the sales
for the auction.
STARTING THE PROGRAM
To start the program type in "AUCTION". Once the program is running, you
will be presented with a registration notice. Press any key and you will be
prompted to enter a file name. After you have entered the file name a menu
of options will be presented to you on the screen.
M - MAKE A NEW BID LIST
A - ADD ITEMS TO BID LIST
D - DELETE AN ITEM FROM LIST
C - CHANGE AN ITEM
P - PRINT COMPLETE LIST
E - ENTER BID AND BIDDER NUMBER
B - PRINT BILL FOR EACH BIDDER
G - GRAND TOTAL OF SALES
Q - QUIT PROGRAM
MAKING A BID LIST
Enter "M" to start a new list. At the prompt, enter OK and the program
will intialize a file of 100 records. This should be sufficient for most
auctions. Once the file is initialized, select A to enter a description of
each item to be auctioned and an item number. You may enter the items and
and their numbers in any order into the records as they can be sorted later
into the sequence that you want to sell them. It's a good idea to put
some of the most wanted items later to keep up the bidder's interest.
You can make a partial listing and add to it later as more items are
acquired.
SORTING AND PRINTING YOUR LIST
When you select the "P" option the program will automatically sort the
list in ascending order of item numbers and then print out the sorted list.
MAKING CHANGES
If you want to add, delete, or change an item, select the appropriate
option and follow the screen prompts. You will often find that after you
have added some items to the list that you want to change the order in which
they will be sold. You can do that with the "C" option by changing the
item numbers on particular items. The list will be resorted during the
printout.
DURING THE AUCTION
When the auctioneer starts the bidding on an item, select the "E" option
and enter the number of the item that is being auctioned. When the item is
sold, enter the price of the item (whole dollars only) and the number of
the bidder. Repeat this process for each item sold.
AFTER THE AUCTION
The "B" option is used to provide a bidder with a printout of his
purchases and the amount that he owes. Enter the bidder number when
prompted on the screen. The program will ask you to make sure that the
printer is ready. Pressing any key will start the printout.
The "G" option may be used to obtain a grand total of all the sales
for your auction.
SOME FINAL HINTS
Make many copies of your bid list and give them to bidders to keep up
their interest and give them an incentive to bid on items.
I have found that 100 items are plenty to auction. It takes a couple
of hours to sell that many. More items tend to drag out the time and
people begin to lose interest. Cull out the less desireable items.
Sell the bidder's numbers at a nominal cost. It generates additional
income and tends to keep out people who are not serious about bidding
and may merely cause confusion and a waste of time. As an option, the
cost of the number could be deducted from the bidder's bill.
Only accept bids in whole dollars. Anything else is frivolous.
SAMPLE file
I have included a file named TEST on the disk so you can experiment with
the program. Use it to try some prinouts and add, delete, or change items
to become familiar with the program.
REGISTRATION AND SUPPORT
If you decide to keep using AUCTION you must pay a registration fee of
$20 to Bob Day 543 W. Walnut Ave., Monrovia CA 91016. Califorinia
residents please add sales tax.
The registration fee will entitle you software support for a period of
three months after the date of registration. Support beyond that date will
be at the option of the author. You may also call 818-358-35963 and leave
a message if no one answers.
This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware
Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle
works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with
an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help.
The ASP Ombundsman can help you to resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP
member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please
write to the ASP Ombundsman at 545 Grover Raod, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a
Compuserve message via Compuserve Mail to ASP Ombundsman 70007,3536.
Also, please read the following about Shareware.
DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE
Shareware distribution gives the users a chance to try software before
buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are
expected to register. Individual programs differ on details -- some
request registration while others require it, Some specify a maximum
trial period. With registration, you get anything from the simple right
to continue using the software to an updated program with a printed
manual.
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software and the
copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as
stated below. Shareware authors are accomplished programmers, just like
commercial authors, and the programs are of comparable quality. (In both
cases there are good programs and bad ones!) The main difference is in
the method of distribution. The author specifically grants the right to
copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a
specific group. For example, some authors require written permission
before a commercial disk vendor may copy their shareware.
Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should
find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's
commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs
easier, because you can try before you buy. And because the overhead is
low, prices are also low. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee
-- if you don't use it, you don't pay for it.
DISCLAIMER -AGREEMENT
Users of AUCTION must accept this disclaimer of warranty:
AUCTION is supplied as is. The author disclaims all waranties, expressed
or implied, including without limitation, the warranties of merchantability
and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for
damages, direct or indirect, or consequential, which may result from use
of AUCTION.
AUCTION is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user
for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do
not give it away altered or as a part of another system. The essence of
"user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with
quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for
programmers to continue to develope new products. If you find this
program useful and find that you are using AUCTION and continue to use
AUCTION after a reasonable trial period, you must make a registration
fee of $20 to Bob Day, 543 W. Walnut Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016.
The $20 fee will license one copy for use on any one computer at any one
time. You must treat this software just like a book. An example is that
this software may be used by any number of people and may be moved from
one computer location to another, so long as there is no possibility of
it being used at one location while it is being used at another. Just as
a book cannot be read by two different persons at the same time.
Commercial users of AUCTION must register and pay for their copies of
AUCTION within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn.
Anyone distributing AUCTION for any kind of remuneration must first
contact Bob Day at 543 W. Walnut Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 for authorization.
This authorization will automatically be granted to distributors
recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware
distributors, and such distributors may begin offering AUCTION immediately.
(However, Bob Day must still be advised so that the distributor can be
kept up-to-date with the latest version of AUCTION.)
You are encouraged to pass a copy of AUCTION along to your friends for
evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that
they can use it. All registered users will receive the latest version of
AUCTION.
End of Auction.Doc text
***************************************************************************
Cut off and mail with your registraton fee of $20 to:
Bob Day
543 W. Walnut Ave.
Monrovia, CA 91016
Registration for AUCTION program DATE:______________________
NAME _______________________________________
ADDRESS ____________________________________
CITY ________________________ STATE ______________ ZIP ______________
DISK SIZE _________________
California residents please add sales tax