Now that Guy is out of the way (…), let’s give some love and attention to the part of the auctions that actually started this whole fundraiser initiative. I am talking about the fan item auctions, the idea for which I can’t claim for myself. The first auction of fan items in this fandom *that I was aware of* (there could’ve been others), was organised in 2013 by a now inactive fan called Agzy, on her blog I want to be a pinup. I jumped on the band wagon a couple of years later with a more or less spontaneous fundraiser for the victims of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, auctioning off a few of my shrines. Only a few months later, another charity auction came along, in aid of the Syrian refugee crisis, but this time supported by the crafty donations of my fellow fans. And it really spiralled from there. Since then, the support of many fans has come in the tangible form of donations. The contributions by you, my dear fellow fans, are what (and who) makes the fundraisers not only possible but also successful. You provide the items – both crafted and memorabilia – and you are the “target group” (if I may slip into marketing speak for a brief moment) who bid and buy.

It’s only fair to shine some of the spotlight on you, fellow enablers and donors, and give you the credit you deserve. Without giving too much away about the upcoming goodies that you can expect in the imminent #RA50Auctions, I would like to whet your appetite with a few teasers, as well as provide the opportunity to pass on my thanks to the individual donors. I will include links to our benefactors where possible, and encourage you to give some love to these lovely ladies – either on their own platform or in the comments here. Without them, our fundraisers would be much smaller. I can only make so many shrines, haha, and besides, you’d get bored by only ever getting to bid on silly little mint tins. 😉

So, in no particular order, I present to you a little glimpse of the fundraiser packet our fellow fans have put together for you. Note: There will be more in the auctions. Much more. In fact, we are heading for a record number of auctions, and the number will be a nice nod to Mr A 😁. Can you match the donor with the item???

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Armitage is candy for your ear, so audio items are a must in every fundraiser. Long-time supporter Susanna has graciously gifted us the CD box of Martian Invasion on Earth, a thoughtful contribution that will appeal to those of us who don’t trust streaming services 😉. Thank you to Susanna/Nokisuu for this donation! Edit: Susanna has also blogged about the CD HERE.

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Did you follow the saga of the obstinate parcel? Well, it came a long way. From South Korea, to be exact, sent by fellow fan Young who sent a whole box of goodies to go into our fundraiser. She contributes some really cool items, but all I am showing you now is this fabulous Rubik’s cube. So many pictures 😍. Thank you, Young!

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An absolute must in every fundraiser: The moving image in the shape of DVDs. Louisa decided to part ways with her Spooks 7 box set – for the benefit of one of you. Lucas North in his most delicious, angsty period. Eternally grateful to you, Louisa! Leave her a little thank you in the comments – I am not sure whether I have any social media profile I can link you to 😉

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The gif queen of our fandom, dear Paula – or “Riepu10”, as she often pops up as in my weekly round-ups – has been a regular supporter of the fundraiser for years. Anyone remember those supercool chaRActer picture frames she made? This year she has passed on an unused (!), unopened DVD of Sleepwalker. You can give her some love on her tumblr.

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How about some fun and games in the auctions? Zed Eff Eye has gifted us the (unofficial) Armitage Celebrity Adult Colouring Book. No worries, no adult-only material in there, but a fun contribution from a fun member of our community, who has also kindly included a couple of freebie extras that will go into the some parcels. Thank you!

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The classic that never fails in the auctions. You have guessed it, North and South. Jen is contributing a new, originally wrapped DVD of the classic TV serialisation – she knows what women fans want! You can add your thanks to Jen in the comments as unorganised Guylty is not quite sure of Jen’s twitter handle 😭.

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The auctions are our fandom’s prime source of coveted and hard-to-source fan material. Thank goodness we have fellow fans like Pamela who grabbed a copy of free mag Metro when Richard was featured in it earlier this year. Many thanks for this, Pamela!

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Long-time supporter Jacqueline is a big fan of Sir Guy and spoils us with her Guy Day submissions every Friday. Truly FANtasticRCA. This year she has gifted us a little fan pack that will quench your Armitage thirst. Say hi on her Twitter.

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Remember all those cool Zox bracelets in auctions past? It’s LoLo who infected quite a number of fellow fans with the Zox collecting bug. This time she has contributed a specialist item – a small industry mag produced by Big Finish Audio that contains some soundbites from RA on the topic of Rassilon. Thank you, LoLo!

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Let’s hear it for Ellen, who blogs at Nellindreams and contributes a tiny but big item. You would think Lego Thorin is but a small thing. Well, these figurines were limited editions, and you now have to cough up 25$ for one of these… Many thanks for gifting us Lego Thorin, Ellen!

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The biggest ticket in the last (December) fundraiser was a very special deck of cards. All RA, and every single card a different picture. Long-time supporter Esther had the very clever idea to make and donate another such set, hooray! You can congratulate her on her own blog, Book of Esther. Thank you!

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She may be called certifiedmoody on Twitter, but maybe “certified crafty” would be a better handle? N___ sent me this adorable crochet Standring – with matching sheep!!! – for the December fundraiser last year. Alas, the mail was too slow. But now this super cute piece of handmade fan art will enhance our birthday fundraiser. Thank you, N___!

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Keeping with the Thornton theme that seems to be developing here, check this altered metal tin in the shape of a book. Crafty cousin Kate (not really my cousin, but I liked the alliteration) needs no excuse to craft – her Sizzix Big Shot is her best friend 😉 and helps her upcycle ordinary items into unique new. Thanks and commissions on her Twitter.

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Another crafty queen in our fandom is Steampunk fan Rachel. With her original and unique crafted items she has stirred many a fundraiser in the last few years. This time she has created a gorgeous N&S tea set – which you can see more of (and compliment her on) on her blog. Fabulous, and thank you, Rachel!

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Some ideas take special fans to come up with. I mean, isn’t this the bomb? A facial hair toy??? Armitagedreamer Jane made this – with a massive twinkle in her eye. If you, like I, love what she has come up with, you can give her some love via her Twitter, too.

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From Germany with love – Linda60 has supplied our fundraiser with a German goodie again. Already from last year, here is an edition of women’s magazine Brigitte with an interview of RA. Trust Linda60 to keep this in store for us. Much love and many thanks! 😘

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Could you ever part with a plushie? Well, Anne did, for the benefit of the fundraiser. She has sent us this Dolarhyde plushie (originally made by Nancy aka Sinnamin) and has also teamed up with the following crafter/donor for my goodies. Massive thanks to Anne.

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Last but not least, let’s hear it for Ani, with whose work many of you are already familiar. Her watercolours are something else, and her crafted fan jewellery is as original and beautiful as it comes. Just look at good old Claude in magnet for here. More artwork and an opportunity to thank Ani on her Twitter.

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A huge thank you to all donors to the #RA50Auctions!

Sorry that this has gotten so long. But I think our contributors deserve the attention and the love. And by the way – there are multiple contributions from many of the above mentioned lovelies. So you still have lots to look forward to – gorgeous items, inspired artworks, as well as unique and crafted pieces. The latter will also feature in the fixed-price sale on Pattern/Etsy – and shall receive a teaser post all of their own where all contributors will be mentioned and credited again. To come tomorrow, so stay tuned!