The G4G15 Benefit Auction offers the opportunity to get gifts for friends, relatives, and yourself. Proceeds fund G4G scholarships, Celebration of Mind, and other G4G outreach initiatives.
- The G4G15 LIVE Benefit Auction, organized by Nancy Blachman, is taking place after dinner on Saturday, February 24, [during or after a dinner], 2024. Special unique items include hexaflexagons featured in Vi Hart’s hexaflexagon video series and a notebook with her drawings, a one week stay in Castello di Panicalem (an authentic 15th century castle in the heart of Umbria, Italy, hosting the World Puzzle Center, with a collection of 80,000 puzzles), and viewing of Martin Gardner’s files in Oklahoma, tea cup and saucer used by Paul Erdös.
- The G4G15 Silent Benefit Auction, hosted by Nancy Blachman, is taking place February 17 – 24, 2024 on eBay for Charity. Items include mechanical puzzles, original artwork, G4G Gift Exchange books, and more
Games &
Puzzles
Books &
Magazines
Artwork
& Crafts
Magic & Performances
Tutoring, Talks,
& Mentoring
Live Auction
If you enjoy the Gathering, we encourage you to participate in the G4G live and silent auctions. The proceeds from these auctions go to support the Gathering for Gardner Foundation, our events, and outreach.
Visit the Martin Gardner’s Files in Norman, Oklahoma
Check out Martin Gardner’s files. You and up to 5 friends get to spend an afternoon in Norman, Oklahoma, exploring Martin’s files. Here’s an opportunity to experience primary sources of information that Martin used to create many of his books and articles. This event will include a dinner hosted by Martin’s son, Jim Gardner, and a tour of Martin Gardner themed artwork. Dana Richards, author of the Martin Gardner Bibliography and cataloger of Martin’s files, will be present to share documents highlighting interesting topics and correspondence. Please note that these do not include any of Martin’s papers housed at Stanford University. The files are in an unheated/non-air conditioned location. Travel to Norman is not provided.
Hexaflexagons by Vi Hart
Vi Hart, well-known for creating mathematical videos on YouTube and popularizing mathematics, shared the history of the hexaflexagon in this video and then went on to make a series of videos on Hexaflexagons. Now is your chance to own some of the Hexaflexagons featured in the Vi Hart’s Hexaflexagon videos. Everyone who bids will receive this HexaFlexagon poster created by Vi Hart and the winner will receive the original.
Tea Cup and Saucer used by Paul Erdös
Paul Erdös stayed at Soni Huffman’s house twice between 1972 and 1976, doing research with her father. The china was her parents’ wedding china. Her mother only used it, in her lifetime, during the 2 weeks that Erdös visited.
One Week Stay in the World Puzzle Center
A one week stay in Castello di Panicale. This is an authentic 15th century castle in the heart of Umbria, Italy. You would be guests of George and Roxanne Miller in the castle that houses the World Puzzle Center, a collection of 80,000 puzzles all displayed and accessible for solving or just browsing. In addition to the intellectual stimulation, there are hiking trails and bike routes just outside the castle doors.
Vi Hart Notebook with Spirals, Fibonacci, and More
Vi Hart, a “recreational mathemusician,” well-known for creating mathematical videos on YouTube and popularizing mathematics. Wikipedia
Silent Auction
Vi Notebook Pi is Wrong, Plant Stuff, and Doodle Music
Decagon Depth Perception by Debora Coombs
Martin Gardner Portrait Maze by Elizabeth Carpenter
Rashmi Sunder-Raj Artwork
Chinese Puzzle Posters
G4G Exchange Books
Zoom Auction Preview
- Hosted By: Bob Hearn
- Date: Saturday, February 10, 1:30 pm ET / 10:30 am PT
- What: The Zoom Auction Preview features a few special G4G-style presentations, provides details on how the auction will work, and showcases a selection of auction items. Check out this sneak peek at the wide-ranging list of exciting and exclusive items!
Online Auction Fundraiser
- When: Saturday, February 17 through Saturday, February 24, 2023
- Timing: Auction items will open for bidding between 4:30 pm and 5:30 pm ET 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 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 we expect 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 gross sales from this week.
- What kinds of items will be in the auction?
- Puzzles & Games, Artwork & Jewelry, Mentoring & Tutoring, Performances, Books & Magazines, Services, and Tours
FAQ
- Can I donate an item/service to be auctioned?
- Not for this auction. But let us know if you want to donate something for a future auction.
- How does shipping work?
- For many 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, usually the fair market value of your item(s) is tax deductible. We advise you to consult a tax advisor.
- 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 everyone! G4G past attendees, potential future attendees, and the general public – all are welcome to join in the fun! 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 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.
PLEASE NOTE: G4G does not offer appraisal services; auction item values are estimates provided by the item donor. These values have not been independently verified by G4G.
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 Saturday, February 17 through Saturday, February 24, 2024 (the same days as our auction) to the G4G Foundation.
Kadon Enterprises – Gamepuzzles®
Kadon Enterprises sells combinatorial puzzles inspired by Martin Gardner’s writings on pentominoes and other recreational geometry. This online gallery of enchanting playthings in laser-cut acrylic and handcrafted wood has over 250 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 43rd 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 this year, and the auction offer applies to all of our sales in the last week of October 2022.” – Kate Jones, President
SB Crafts – Mathematical Clocks & Apparel
SB Crafts designs and sells;
- Clocks that illustrate many different branches of mathematics written about by Martin Gardner. One of the clocks is itself a JRMF® puzzle (meta-puzzle: find that clock on the website).
- A unique binary pi t-shirt
- A brand-new onesie that uses math to promote nursing
- Cross-stitch kits
Two Brass Monkeys – Precision Engineered Brass Puzzles
The two monkeys, Ali Morris and Steve Nicholls, are long time puzzle collectors and fans of Martin Gardner’s work. Their puzzle range includes trick opening puzzles, interlocking burrs, and some pure geometric fun! A mixture of their own designs and a few by designers who will be well known to the G4G community.
3. Direct Donations
If you prefer to give a monetary donation directly to G4G, you can always do so on the donation page on our website.