MetaChat - MeCha Charity Mix CD Silent Auction!

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21 October 2005

MeCha Charity Mix CD Silent Auction! Based on a comment in this thread, I suggest we set up a charity silent auction of mix CDs by MetaChat folk. →[More:]
Here's how it would work:
1. Bunnies sign up to do a mix.
2. Mixers submit a photo of the cover artwork and a playlist. At the start of the auction, the covers are posted but the playlists are kept hidden until bidding is closed.
3. Bunnies bid on the mixes in the comments. (Order is maintained -- no fighting, but bargaining is fully acceptible.)
4. At a predetermined time, bidding closes , the playlists are posted and the winners are notified. Winners pay by PayPal and the money is passed on to the charity.
5. The mixers then send the CDs to the winners.

Cool? I think so. I'm happy to help organize (and will definitely make a mix) but I'm too busy to do it alone. Anyone able to help?

Also, who should we donate to?

post by: me3dia at: 18:08 | 27 comments

Here's an example of what I'm talking about ...sort of -- there's no playlist posted, and the silent auction was in-person. Click on names on the left to see mix covers.

posted by me3dia 21 October | 18:09

I suggest we donate the money to the GOP.

posted by mischief 21 October | 18:13

we bid based on the covers and usernames?

posted by amberglow 21 October | 18:13

Yep.

posted by me3dia 21 October | 18:18

I offered my aid and my charity nomination in t'other thread. I'm (really) too tired to re-type it right now, so I humbly ask that you go there and see. I need a hot shower. Followed by a hot bath. :-)

posted by WolfDaddy 21 October | 18:19

I'd be game to play along. Charities could be Red Cross or Tom DeLay's Legal Defense/Hooker Fund but I'm leaning pretty strongly towards the Red Cross.

One question, the covers are self designed? Just making sure.

posted by fenriq 21 October | 18:20

Yes, the mixers would create their own artwork -- as simple or as elaborate they want it to be.

posted by me3dia 21 October | 18:22

Saw your post, wolfdaddy. As I said there, November would be fine -- the mixers will need time to create anyway.

posted by me3dia 21 October | 18:23

In another thread Alex suggested Amnesty International and I think that's an excellent idea if you're going to do this. Apart from anything else they're very much a global charity and it's worth bearing in mind that many folk around here aren't in America. (I also believe that, unlike other charities, they're very "transparent" - make of that what you will)

Apart from that suggestion I'm not sure I can get involved - I'm very busy right now - but will try to submit something.

posted by dodgygeezer 21 October | 18:23

This might be interesting.

posted by interrobang 21 October | 18:33

Forget donating to the Red Cross for Katrina relief, it's been overdone. What the Red Cross needs is more donations for local causes. The big national events get tons of money, but local chapters are barely scraping by, according to all four of my local news channels within the last month.

posted by mr_crash_davis 21 October | 18:35

Since this is music-related, how about a charity that buys band instruments for schools or something similar?

Also, in addition to the cover art, how about a general description of the music? You know, something like "Redneck Whitetrash and Blue Countryfolk".

Finally, are we talking MP3s here or CD rips? I ask because all my CDs are a few thousand miles away.

posted by mischief 21 October | 19:06

Since it's a music mix, how about Sweet Relief as the charity? Or how about Rock for Kids, which is the site that me3dia linked to as an example? Or maybe splitting it between them?

posted by dobbs 21 October | 19:20

Oh, just so I don't catch shit, I should caveat the previous post: I've done a drive for SR before and I know Michael Nameche, the guy who runs RFK.

posted by dobbs 21 October | 19:21

I missed that Rock for Kids link. That would work for me.

posted by mischief 21 October | 19:32

isn't there some great charity that refurbs computers and gives them to schools?

posted by amberglow 21 October | 19:34

I absolutely want to do this!! Count me in! What a great idea.

mischief, you can still rip an audio CD from MP3s. I do it all the time.

I have no better suggestions for the charities than those suggested; the music-oriented ones sound great to me.

Are we going to publicize this to get other bidders in here, or is it going to be strictly an in-house event?

posted by BoringPostcards 21 October | 19:53

We should publicize and make it a big deal--we could raise good money.

posted by amberglow 21 October | 20:45

I'm in.

posted by Quartermass 21 October | 23:20

i will if i can, but i don't think i'm gonna get anything in the book either, or get the adjunct associated zine done soon either
but rock on

i still need to figure out my 'ween costume and was posting to ask for help there as well--

posted by ethylene 21 October | 23:29

you can still rip an audio CD from MP3s

Hmm, when I tried that, they sounded like crap. (I used WiMP) Can you suggest a freeware app that works well?

I'd like to see this kept semi-in-house, cuz my bids would be based more on the bunny than on the cover art.

In fact, I'll bid $10 right now on jonmc's offering.

Who'll start the bidding for what quonsar dishes out? ;-P

posted by mischief 22 October | 02:12

If you can get this thing off the ground I'm in. I'll use any occassion to make a mix. Of course, I'm not sure that Slack brand is much of a draw in terms of dollars...

posted by Slack-a-gogo 22 October | 09:36

I'll make a mix. I ain't got no money to buy one, but I'll make one.

posted by klangklangston 22 October | 14:16

ditto

posted by ethylene 22 October | 19:14

I agree that we should publicize widely -- at minimum, I think MetaFilter and MonkeyFilter should be notified. That will help offset any bunnies who can't afford to bid.

mischief, part of the appeal, I think, is to not know what you're going to get, but chances are the title and/or cover art will be enough to give the genre(s) away a bit.

I'm sure Rock for Kids would be thrilled to be the beneficiaries (you know Nameche, dobbs? what a coincidence) but I'm cool with whomever.

posted by me3dia 22 October | 20:28

well, i'm all for sweet relief and i am behind you as much as i can be. i'll do my bit and what i can.
tell ya what, how about i make some original artwork for the fold out cover and i'll mail it to you? even the pop under bit behind the disc.

posted by ethylene 22 October | 23:15

i suppose that would just make it more time consuming and tedious, so is there a favored pixel size/format/etc. for the imagery?

posted by ethylene 24 October | 09:27

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