It’s that time of the year again when UBC’s quartlerly journal BC Studies hosts its annual silent auction online at www.bcstudies.com/auction
Local tourism attractions, museums, theatre productions, art galleries, and publishers contribute dozens of items to the auction which the public can then bid on. This year’s BC Studies auction goes from November 2 until November 9 at 12 noon.
I don’t know how I first discovered this auction, although I must have been a student at UBC at the time, as I used to read BC Studies for my BC history courses (with both Gail Edwards and Robert Galois).
Regardless of whether you’re a history buff, this auction’s book collection is impressive. Practically none of the books are mainstream but are nerdy, academically-oriented books on Vancouver and BC’s history, politics, geography, art, culture, cuisine, immigrants, First Nations… you name it.
Despite the beautifully-curated auction items, the auction itself isn’t as well-known as it should be. Perhaps it’s because BC Studies appeals to few outside of academia and thus, they’re unfamiliar that it even exists. Or maybe it’s just not well publicized. Either way, what this does mean is that there’s little competition to get the items you want, and then you can give them away as Christmas presents or simply keep them for yourself.
