Next auction Sunday 24th May 2026

The 2026 TMAC Annual Auction

The TMAC annual auction is one of the largest auctions of model aviation items, in the country. It provides an opportunity for model flyers to sell down, or upgrade their equipment, including aircraft, engines, radios, servos, ground support, tools and more. In addition to the auction, there are tables for items sold on a fixed price basis. Frequently we have a bin of “gold coin” or even “free” items, which is always a popular spot. The auction is held in the main hangar at Tauranga’s “Classic Flyers” Aviation Museum. Food and light refreshments are provided by Classic Flyers.
The auction is a popular social event on many flyers calendar, providing an opportunity for flyers from around the country to meet and compare experiences.

Important Information for this year’s auction

All sellers have to register at the auction on the day. To reduce the wait times at the registration desk on arrival you can download either/both of these registration forms, print them out and complete all the personal (and bank) details and list the items you will be selling and their reserve price if any. DO NOT record item numbers, that will be done for you at the registration desk.

If you have additional details (more than 50 characters) about the item you are selling, write them on a separate piece of paper that can be taped to the item and read out as needed at sale time. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a way to pre-register?

No – only the morning of the auction. Registration is open from 7.30am.

Can I place a reserve on the models/items?

Yes, for the auction – for fixed price table you can set a price.

Would it help to include more details of the item?

You can attach a piece of paper with these details.

How much does it cost? Is there a sellers cost?

$5 Buyer and sellers fee and 10% auction fee off all sold items. This covers the costs to run the auction as well as fundraising towards TMAC projects. There will be a 3% surcharge on payments made by Credit Card (no tap n go available)

What can I sell?

Anything to do with aeromodelling, kits, arfs, ready to fly, motors, servos, tools, any other RC goods, small items should be fixed price or donated to the gold coin table. Items below $50 should be on a fixed price table though you can place any item above this value on there as well though we recommend aircraft over $50 go through the auction process as there is limited space.

I have things that are not worth much but might be useful to someone, will you take these?

Yes, they can be placed on the free tables.

Classic Flyers Tauranga

---

I

Auction Guidelines
Catalogue – we regret that we cannot provide a catalogue in advance. It is totally random what turns up on the day. If you have any significant items which you would like us to publish in advance of the auction, please respond to this email address.
Auction or Fixed price ? – You may choose whether any item you wish to sell is auctioned, or offered for sale at a fixed price. In general we recommend that the auction only be used for items which are expected to sell for greater than $50.
Descriptions– our data system can only record a limited number of characters to easily identify whether the item is an engine, plane, radio etc. If you wish the auctioneer to read out a detailed description, please tape a note to the item.
Low value items – items of low value can be donated to the club. These will be offered for a gold coin, or even as free. This provides a low administration way of passing lots of minor items to another modeller.
Deceased estates. The auction provides a means of re-purposing items from deceased estates. In many cases families of deceased relatives do not know what to do with Uncle Charlie’s collection of old engines and aircraft.  Opportunity shops and second hand dealers have no understanding of model engineering, and families will have a natural reluctance to take stuff to the tip.  The TMAC annual auction is a means of finding a new owner who will share the enthusiasm that Uncle Charlie had.
For more details contact taurangamodelfly@gmail.com.

 

Photos from previous auctions