The 2020 G4G Auction Fundraiser is now closed!
Many thanks to everyone who participated.
The auction included over 85 auction items including artwork, one-of-a-kind puzzles, games, rare books, mentoring sessions, virtual magic performances, and so much more. On eBay for Charity, 100% of the revenue was donated to G4G. On our partner websites, 15% of gross sales from this week was donated to G4G.
You can still support the G4G Foundation with a tax deductible donation at any time. Click the button below:
Purpose & Goal
The G4G Foundation is recovering from pandemic losses due to postponing the G4G conference to next year (April 7-11, 2021). In addition, there are short-term and long-term initiatives that could benefit from additional funds. We hope to continue to support the mission of G4G and we need the help of our community of people who share the curiosity and the playful exchange of ideas , math, magic, literature, and puzzles.
Fundraising Goal
Since this is the first time G4G has ever attempted an online auction fundraiser, it’s a bit difficult to predict what we might be able to raise and to set goals. However, given the fantastic quality and quantity of items donated for the auction, we hope to raise $10K, with a stretch goal of $20K. Every little bit helps!
Use of Funds
In the short-term, G4G is in the process of merging the G4G and CoM websites and making CoM events system and event resources more accessible and searchable online. In addition, G4G would like to organize all gift exchange paper PDFs in an archive database that is searchable by author, event year, and category.
Also, keep an eye out for upcoming news about this year’s unique Celebration of Mind outreach videos!
In the long-term, G4G plans to print G4G14 exchange books, publish G4G14 presentation videos and exchange papers on the website, and help fund G4G14 scholarships.
Zoom Auction Preview
- Hosted By: Bob Hearn
- What: The Zoom Auction Preview featured a few special G4G-style presentations, it provided details on how the auction will work, and showcased a selection of auction items. Check out this sneak peek at the wide-ranging list of exciting and exclusive items!
Zoom Auction Preview Timestamps:
00:20 – Bob Hearn – introduction and auction explanation
05:00 – G4G branded face mask give-away
05:45 – John Conway’s traveling backgammon game
06:00 – Autographed books
07:15 – Adam Rubin – ceramic puzzle/magic trick
16:25 – Tiago Hirth – mathematical games and mentoring
22:50 – Vickie Kearn – book proposal mentoring
25:55 – Matt Baker – The Buena Vista Shuffle Club signed book
31:05 – Roy Leban – puzzles & The Conjurer’s Almanaq
40:15 – Frank Farris – sculpture
42:20 – Kate Jones – Kadon Enterprises puzzles
48:15 – George Hart – sculpture
50:30 – Robert Fathauer – ceramic möbius sculpture
55:40 – Mark Burstein – signed book, tour of Alice collection, mentoring
1:02:00 – Tom Noddy – virtual Bubble Magic show
1:19:45 – Susan Goldstine – beaded pendant
1:30:35 – Jane & John Kostick – wooden puzzle & metal star sculpture
1:40:00 – Nick Baxter – puzzles
1:45:50 –Bob Hearn – wrap up
Online Auction Fundraiser
- When: Sunday, November 8 through Sunday, November 15, 2020
- Timing: Auction items will open for bidding between 10 and 11am PT and each individual auction item will close at the same time one week later. Individual auction items opening/closing times will be intentionally staggered to allow participants to more easily bid on multiple items.
- Where: eBay for Charity and Partner Sites (see details below)
- What:
- A wide variety of items have been donated that will spark the imaginations of the G4G community and like-minded friends. These items will be posted for auction via eBay for Charity where 100% of proceeds will go to support the G4G Foundation.
- At the same time, a few e-commerce websites have partnered with G4G to donate 15% of proceeds received during the auction to the G4G Foundation.
- What kinds of items will be in the auction?
Puzzles &
Games
Books &
Magazines
Artwork & Sculpture
Magic Shows, Performances, & Tours
Virtual Mentoring & Tutoring
- Can I donate an item/service to be auctioned?
- Not for this auction. But if it goes well we may plan additional fundraiser auctions in the future.
- How does shipping work?
- For eBay auction items, winning bidders will be responsible for covering shipping costs, which will be paid as part of the eBay purchase. Winning bidders may also be invoiced separately via PayPal after the auction closes for additional shipping insurance coverage.
- For Partner Sites, please contact the site owner for shipping details.
- Is my purchase tax deductible?
- If you donate an item to the G4G auction, the fair market value of your items is tax deductible.
- If you bid on an item on G4G’s eBay for Charity site, only the portion of the bid ABOVE the fair market value is tax deductible.
- If you purchase an item on one of our Partner Sites below, your purchase is NOT tax deductible. However, 15% of your purchase will be donated to the G4G Foundation.
- G4G will provide official tax deduction letters to all eBay auction participants (donors & bidders) after the auction concludes.
- Consult your tax advisor for your specific circumstances.
Who Can Participate
The Online Auction Fundraiser is open to the public. Everyone is welcome to join! This includes G4G past attendees as well as the general public. You don’t have to have a history with G4G to participate. In fact, we’d love new people to discover the G4G Foundation through this auction. So please share with your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors. The more bids the better!
How to Participate
1. eBay for Charity
The G4G Auction is primarily being held on eBay for Charity where 100% of auction proceeds will be donated to the G4G Foundation. The eBay auction features a wide variety of physical items (games, puzzles, art, jewelry, books, and more!) as well as services and virtual experiences (mentoring, magical performances, and tours). Functioning in the same way as the original Ebay marketplace, Ebay for Charity allows us to efficiently sell a wide range of donated items through their platform.
The auction is now CLOSED.
PLEASE NOTE: G4G does not offer appraisal services, auction item values are estimations provided by the item donor. These values have not been independently verified by G4G. Please request further information from the item donor if you have questions and bid accordingly.
2. Partner Sites
In tandem with the eBay auction, G4G has partnered with a few e-commerce websites who have graciously agreed to offer a donation of 15% of gross sales from Sunday, November 8th through Sunday, November 15th (the same days as our auction) to the G4G Foundation. Read more about our Partners below.
Kadon Enterprises, Inc., Gamepuzzles
Kadon Enterprises sells combinatorial puzzles inspired by Martin Gardner’s writings on pentominoes. This online gallery of enchanting playthings in laser-cut acrylic and handcrafted wood has 260 games and puzzles for minds of all ages. As their website says: so beautiful, they’re art.
“I have been designing, researching, developing, and producing these unique tessellations since 1979 (this is my 41st year!), and many of the G4G community know of my work and may even have collected them through the years. I have some exciting new sets to show, and will also include some of our award-winning and most popular best sellers.” – Kate Jones, President
Puzzle Mist
William Waite has been designing and making puzzles since 1998. With over 300 designs to his name, William continues to come up with ever new designs. Originally a chemistry major, William later switched to music and painting, eventually earning a Doctorate degree in Music Composition. While his mathematical training leads him to strive for the best version within certain mathematical parameters for any particular idea he is exploring, his training in the visual arts is key to designing the most beautiful puzzles that his imagination can conjure.
Almanaq
Almanaq is Roy Leban and Emily Dietrich. Roy is a lifelong puzzle constructor with thousands of puzzles, dozens of books, and many physical puzzles and games to his credit. He founded puzzle technology company Puzzazz and co-founded Microsoft Puzzlehunt. Emily is a novelist, poet, essayist, and puzzle lover. She’s the author of The Case of the Missing Mask and Other Stories (a book of puzzle mystery stories for kids) and was the story author of The Year of Puzzles. Emily is a Green Griffin. Together they create puzzles, puzzle books, and immersive puzzle experiences.3. Direct Donations
If you prefer to give a monetary donation directly to G4G, you can always do so on our website.
Featured Auction Items
Puzzles & Games
Six-Axis Star Sculpture
A foldable bronze star made of 30 bronze rods that bypass one another symmetrically around the center – donated by Jane & John Kostick.
Books & Magazines
Collection of 13 of the 14 original issues of Recreational Mathematics Magazine
Published and edited by Joseph S. Madachy from 1961 to 1964, these original issues are in excellent condition – donated by Mike Giesler.
Artwork & Sculpture
3-Half-Twists Möbius Band Ceramic Sculpture by Robert Fathaeur
This hand-built ceramic sculpture has the form of a Möbius band with three half twists. Made by Robert Fathauer in 2020 and signed by the artist, it measures approximately 6.5″ (16 cm) across.
Magic Shows, Performances, & Tours
Magic Show Book with Bonus Pieces and Virtual Performance by Mark Setteducati
Mark Setteducati’s out-of-print amazing Magic Show pop-up book and an inside look on how to make the tricks more amazing and a virtual performance by Mark.
Virtual Mentoring & Tutoring
Book Proposals with Vickie Kearn
Vickie Kearn will work with someone to develop a book proposal and suggest possible publishers.