As you know, Joplin, MO was just devastated by an extremely deadly EF5 tornado. For many of us here in Springfield, and the surrounding area, this is scarily close to home. A tragedy many of us are only seeing on the news. Because of this we wanted to help out the Red Cross in their Joplin Relief efforts.

Valar Midwestous, with the support of our local store, Meta-Games Unlimited, are holding a silent auction via Facebook, starting on June 6th and Going throughout June 11th. Offering you a chance to bid on some cool swag while helping a good cause. All profits will go to helping the Red Cross aide those whose lives were violently ripped apart by the fierce winds, earlier this week.

How you can help:

We're on a tight schedule. If you have any cool promotional materials from earlier aGoT events that'd you'd be willing to part with, please contact me. We're looking for Power Counters, Stone/Crystal/Limited Run House Cards, Promo Cards, Card Coffins, uncut sheets, playmats, T-Shirts, anything like that. Below is a link to my facebook, just toss me a message. I know how kinda and generous this community can be when it doesn't matter...I expect great things from this community when it really does. In times like these, we are as Rich as Lannisters... but lets share that wealth.

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Thank you

Alex Wirges

Check this thread for more information as we get it.

UPDATES - An event page for the auction can be found here, it is an open event. javascript:void(0);/*1306447153736*/

A list of Items so far... more still coming.

Items in the auction (please note that this list will grow as we get the items in hand):
Warmachine Weekend Vintage '04 Shirt and '11 Weekend Pass
The Graveyard Book Signed by Neil Gaiman
The Hedge Knight: Sworn Sword GN Signed by George R.R.Martin
Song of Ice and Fire: Campaign Guide (RPG) Signed by George R.R.Martin
Song of Ice and Fire: Narrator Kit Signed by George R.R.Martin
Song of Ice and Fire: Peril at King's Landing Signed by George R.R.Martin
Wild Cards: Mutants & Masterminds Campaign Setting Signed by George R.R.Martin
Wild Cards: Aces & Jokers RPG Supplement Signed by George R.R.Martin
Aces Abroad: GURPS Wild Cards Supplement Signed by George R.R.Martin
A Feast for Crows: Pre-Publication Excerpt Signed by George R.R.Martin
A Game of Thrones: Signed by George R.R.Martin
The Voyaging: Signed by George R.R.Martin
Busted Flush: Wild Cards Novel Signed by George R.R.Martin, Melinda M. Snodgrass & John Jos. Miller
Suicide Kings: Wild Cards Novel Signed by George R.R.Martin, Melinda M. Snodgrass & Daniel Abraham
Inside Straight: Wild Cards Novel Signed by George R.R.Martin, Melinda M. Snodgrass, John Jos. Miller, Daniel Abraham, Michael Cassutt & Carrie Vaughn
Evil Hat Productions Mega Lot: Dresden RPG Vol 1&2, Happy Birthday Robot, Spirit o/t Century, Don't Rest Your Head, Swashbucklers o/t 7 Skies
Martell Crystal House card and counters

Fotonurth said:

I have a glass Martell house card, some uncut card sheets from this year's and last year's regionals, and some old-school Martell house counters that I can donate. There might be more counters too...I'd have to look around. If you're interested, I can also throw in some CCG-era cards (including promos...I don't play with them, so they may as well go to good use), but I don't want to send them if you don't want them. (I'm guessing I have about 70 rares/promos from various sets.)

I don't feel like using Facebook, so shoot me an email at danstrouhal[at]hotmail[dot]com if you're interested.

Will do. Your generosity is appreciated and I'm sure the Martell stuff will be pretty popular with the house's dominance at Regionals this year.

I obviously can't guarantee anything, nor should I speak too much too soon, but I just want to let folks know that I'm putting out some feelers for some potentially very cool stuff.

Keep your fingers crossed that my contact efforts work and that people are generous.

Kennon said:

Thanks, Will. Here's hoping it all pans out.

What is the timing? I am not back for a few days, but probably can scare some stuff up in my aGoT boxes...foreign cards, that type of stuff.

Good luck!

And get Dobbler to sign 1,000 of his cards, that will bring in the big $$!

I'd like to have everything in hand by June 4th, at the latest. And I think foreign cards would be popular, especially if they're heavily played cards. Haha! Not a bad idea!

Thanks to Kennon, this thing just hit a new level of awesome. I'll leave the details to be a surprise later on, but Thrones Fans, hold on to a little extra cash. You're gonna need it.

I just started playing last year, so I don't have anything cool to donate...except cash for whatever Kennon dragged up!

Can you create a Facebook event or something so that I can sign up and get an e-mail alert or something when the auction goes live? I'm liable to forget about it otherwise.

The auction will be done via a group that will be up on the 5th, I'll post a link here as soon as it is. We're still organizing all of it. A list of items will also be posted before the auction goes live.

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I'm going to go ahead and say this much at the moment so we can get the word out and start building excitement.

I've spoken to George R.R. Martin and he has confirmed shipping a box of signed items for the auction.

What those items may be, we're not entirely sure of until they arrive, but this is pretty big, folks. (At least in my mind, and for this community, I like to think it is). So get the word out. We're going to wind up with some really cool stuff that many people, AGoT players, boardgame players, roleplayers, fans of the books, fans of the show and more will want to get their hands on. And above all, remember where the proceeds are headed.

Have you posted this to the forum on westeros.org?

No I have not, Thank you for the suggestion! I'll make it over there this weekend.

So there's no way for people without facebook accounts to get info on or participate in the auction?

I have not lot of stuff cause I'm in the game from few times but I can offer the paint I won in stahleck: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/5075840607_8de25d4944_z.jpg

This is hand made by the author so maybe can be a good item for the auction.

Only problem. How can I send it to you? I live in italy. I fear that maybe shipping cost are greater than the money you can get from it.

Anyway contact me via mail if you have some ideas andrea . gualdoni @ gmail . com

PS if you open also a donation send me a link.

I think that even with shipping, Gualdo, it still won't be here in time. Thanks though!

At Saturine:
Not as of now. BUT, I will discuss it with Meta, since I'll be up there today, and see if there's something we can work out.

Fotonurth said:

Would be nice, but I understand it might not be worth the effort to cater to a small minority of people. After all, creating a Facebook account (with fake info if one is concerned about Facebook's liberal use of personal data) is easily done .

Alright guys, we've had another bite. Neil Gaiman is sending an auction item. This could wind up being big. I'll keep you updated as we go, but I hope to get more. I'm in the midst of setting up a gmail account [email protected] and a twitter account by the same name so that we can organize a little more thoroughly.

you guys are rocking it. keep up the good work.

Sure hoping to keep this up. Please, I cannot reiterate enough, spread word of this around to anyone you know that might be interested in person and online. Particularly with authors like Martin and Gaiman sending an item, I want to make sure that there is a wide enough range of bidders to justify having pestered such busy men.

Also, if there's any chance at all that any of you have a contact with someone in the gaming/comic/fantasy/sci-fi realm, please don't hesitate to give them a shoutout and direct them our way. I've set up a gmail account that would be great for them to contact: [email protected].

Kennon has done excellent work so far in making this bigger than I could have imagined by contacting some big names.

Good news for facebook haters. They will be posted on eBay.

Donator excitement and Bidder Excitement is through the roof. You guys are gonna make me cry!

Slight tweak based on Twitter feedback. I've now started a public Facebook Page so that people not on Facebook are at least able to view it. Come like us and follow there!

Kennon said:

Cheers!

The auction will be now be held online via a Ebay, which will be posted on several pages and sites including this one and the Metagames Unlimited website at www.mguinc.com . Considering the people that we have donations flowing in from and the transit time for those items to get here, we're looking at running the auctions a little longer than originally stated.

Please, if you're sending donations, send them to:
Metagames Unlimited
Attn: Carl Morgan/ Joplin Relief Auction
3309 E Sunshine
Springfield, MO 65804

Also, get the word out to as many folks as you can. They don't have to confirm here that they'll be bidding, but larger profile we can get for this the better. We are currently expecting items from George R.R. Martin, Neil Gaiman, Wyrd Miniatures, AEG, Jeremy Haun, a multitude of gamer donated promotional materials, and we have more contacts waiting to be made that will hopefully pan out as well.

Thank you guys! This thing is spreading quickly! Keep it up! The more people who know the more money we raise for Joplin!