What is a Chinese auction?

Search: chinese auction

Why: Jeff said:

Is it racist to have a "Chinese Auction"
at a Boy Scout flea market.

I thought it was and told them so last night,
but they said "You're no expert on how they hold auctions in China".

Answer: It's a kind of silent auction / raffle hybrid!

In a chinese auction, customers buy a number of tickets for a set price, then use the tickets to bid on the items on display by dropping them in a bowl next to the item.

Buyers are free to put as many tickets as they want in the bowl. At the close of the auction period, the winning ticket for each auction item is then drawn from the corresponding bowl.

Obviously, the more tickets a person deposits in the bowl, the higher the chance that he'll win the item. That means that highly desirable items will draw a lot of tickets, just as they would draw a lot of bids in regular auction.

That's part of the big draw for a chinese auction. Ticket costs are low compared to the ultimate value of the auction items, so lucky winners will get a great deal.

I've never heard of such a thing, but it seems so obvious and smart. What pains me, though, is that even if you put in 20 tickets each worth $5, another person could put in only one $5 ticket and still win. Can you imagine? I would be livid.

There are a few variations of such a thing; you can read about them here in case you're planning a fundraiser.

Source: Fundraiser Help

The More You Know: If I had to guess, I would say the idea of a "Chinese auction" did not really originate in China (although it seems like something they would like, whatwith their affinity for communism and all). Other misnomers associated with places:

• Chinese checkers did not originate in China (nor in any part of Asia).
• Guinea pigs do not come from Guinea (nor are they pigs). The "Guinea" may be a re-analysis of "Guyana,"- though they originate from the Andes, and Guyana.
• Arabic numerals originated in India, though they came to be associated with the Arab world.
• The Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus) did not originate in Norway, but from North China.
• French horns originated in Germany, not France.
• The English Horn is, in fact, neither English nor a horn.