2026 Seminar Silent Auctions and Door Prizes
The Ventura County Genealogical Society is pleased to announce, that in association with our 2026 Seminar, we will be holding an online Silent Auction, and for those attending the seminar in person at the Camarillo Library, we will have a separate Silent Auction and a collection of Door Prizes that attendees can try to win. All seminar registrants can participate in the online silent auction, but only those registrants who attend in person can participate in the auction and door prizes held in the library.
The online silent auction will open on Saturday, October 10th. A link to the online Silent Auction will be sent to registrants on Saturday, October 10th. The bidding will close in three groups on Friday, October 16th, the day before our Seminar, and successful bidders will be announced at the end of the Seminar. Bidding for the in-person silent auction will close at 2:00pm, and the door prizes will be awarded during the last break of the day.
The list of in-person silent auction items continues to grow as we collect more donations. Please check this page periodically to see any new additions to the list.
Please feel free to contact the Seminar Chair at seminar@venturacogensoc.org with any questions regarding the online auction.
In-Person Silent Auction Items
Bidding for the in-person silent auction will be closed at 2:00pm. Winners will be announced at the end of the last presentation. Only check or cash will be accepted as payment (no credit cards).
| # | Silent Auction Item | Value | Comments |
| 1 | Family Tree Maker 2024 | $80.00 | Genealogy software for your personal computer. |
| 2 | Family Tree DNA Family Finder Test | $79.00 | Autosomal DNA test. |
| 3 | Related Faces 99% discount for 6-month subscription | $64.00 | Identify unknown family members in your photos with Related Faces. |
| 4 | Legacy Family Tree Webinars, 1-year subscription | $59.95 | Enjoy live and recorded webinars presented by top speakers. |
| 5 | DNA Painter, 1-year subscription | $55.00 | A popular, award-winning website designed to help genealogists map and analyze their genetic genealogy data. |
| 6 | The Ancestor Hunt Newspaper Research Academy, lifetime subscription | $49.99 | Designed to help genealogists get more from historical newspapers; includes research guides, video tutorials, field guides, and more. |
| 7 | Archion, 1-month pass | $23.00 | Access to over 175,000 church books from more than 25 different archives. |
| 8 | Ric’s gift cards | $50.00 | Restaurant located in Camarillo. |
| 9 | In-N-Out Swag 1 1 beach blanket/throw 1 lunchbox cooler 1 multi-sticker pack 6 “Enjoy One On Us” cards that include a burger, fries, and drink | $107.00 | Popular American fast-food restaurant chain known for its fresh ingredients, simple menu, and iconic status in car culture. |
| 10 | In-N-Out Swag 2 1 black logo T-shirt, size 3XL 1 white California 2025 beach cruise T-shirt, large 1 pair 75th anniversary socks 4 “Enjoy One On Us” cards that include a burger, fries, and drink | $105.00 | Popular American fast-food restaurant chain known for its fresh ingredients, simple menu, and iconic status in car culture. |
| 11 | German Research help, 1-hour | $65.00 | Donated by Linda Andersson, German speaker |
| 12 | Genealogy Research Help with Aimee Cross, APG, 1-hour | $99.00 | Zoom consultation with recording available 30 days |
| 13 | Family History Writing Help with Linda Andersson, published writer and hobbyist bookbinder | $75.00 | Do you need help deciding how and where to print or publish your book? Discuss the different options during a Zoom consultation (up to 2 hours). |
| 14 | Family History Video | $600.00 | Up to 6 Minutes of HD Digital Video on a USB Keepsake made from your photos, audio, and digitized film clips. Donated by Linda Andersson. See a sample at https://tinyurl.com/FamVidsLA |
| 15 | The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens – 2 passes | $58.00 | Offers beautiful scenery, unique treasures, and impressive works of art across a historic estate. |
| 16 | Hollywood Wax Museum – 2 passes Includes admission to: Hollywood Wax Museum Chaos 5D Adventure Hannah's Maze of Mirrors Outbreak—Dread the Undead | $189.92 | Experience four unforgettable attractions packed with celebrity fun, mind-bending adventure, thrilling scares, and immersive 5D action! |
| 17 | Pacific Park at Santa Monica Pier – 2 wristbands for unlimited access to 12 thrilling rides, including the West Coaster and Pacific Wheel, the first solar-powered Ferris wheel. | $100.00 | Great times never end at L.A.’s own family amusement park on the Santa Monica Pier. Step onto one exciting ride after another. Catch your breath, play a game, show off your skill and collect your prize. Grab a treat then look around…it’s the beach, baby, with sun, surf and more fun than you thought possible. |
| 18 | Skirball Cultural Center – pass for up to six guests to come on one day | Up to $250.00 | Currently featuring Inventing America: The Comic Book Revolution, and the popular Noah’s Ark exhibit, where children can climb, navigate rope-rigged tunnels, and play make-believe. |
| 19 | Adventurers of Purse and Person, Virginia 1607–1625 | $150.00 | Three-volume set of books. Donated by VCGS. |
| 20 | Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England | $100.00 | Four-volume set of books. Donated by VCGS. |
| 21 | Great Migration Begins, Immigrants to New England, 1620–1633 | $125.00 | Three-volume set of books. Donated by VCGS. |
| 22 | StoriedBook™ Creator | $99.00 | One StoriedBook™ and 12 months of access to StoriedBook™ Studio. |
In-Person Door Prizes
The door prizes will be awarded to in-person attendees during the last break of the day.
| # | Door Prize | Value | Comments |
| 1 | Mystery Bag | $100.00 | Pictures of one, perhaps of two. You write their histories maybe in blue. Memories you own, can’t be taken away. Like a scent from the kitchen that brings back a day. If you are still stumped by this note, At least you know you’ll have a new tote! |
| 2 | Southern California Genealogical Society | $40.00 | 1-year membership |
| 3 | RootsMagic software | $39.95 | RootsMagic is award-winning genealogy software. |
| 4 | TechSmith Snagit, 1-year subscription | $39.00 | Powerful screen capture and recording software that lets you grab screenshots, record video, and instantly add annotations. |
| 5 | DNA Guide: Ancestry DNA Tour course | $39.00 | A 2- to 3-hour guided online course that helps you understand your AncestryDNA results, ethnicity estimates, and DNA matches through hands-on exercises. |
| 6 | Family Tree Magazine | $27.00 | 1-year print subscription to Family Tree Magazine. |
| 7 | Brian Rinehart Civil War Research | $25.00 Discount | Discount on National Archives research. |
| 8 | Aimee Cross Research Guide | Up to $9.99 | Choose one guide from a robust collection of step-by-step guides and specialized tools to help you tackle specific research challenges and organize your findings. |
| 9 | Cheesecake Factory $50 gift card | $50.00 | Restaurant |
| 10 | Gaylord Archival File Box and Folders | $30.00 | Donated by Cathy Hernandez |
| 11 | Geometry Tree Puzzle | $12.00 | Donated by Cathy Hernandez |
| 12 | VCGS Membership | $20.00 | 1-year Individual Membership |
| 13 | The Family Tree Historical Newspapers Guide: How to Find Your Ancestors in Archived Newspapers | $25.00 | Book donated by Judy Janes |
Online Silent Auction Items
A link to the online Silent Auction will be sent to registrants on Saturday, October 10th. The bidding will close in three groups on Friday, October 16th, the day before our Seminar, and successful bidders will be announced at the end of the Seminar.
| # | Silent Auction Item | Value | Comments |
| 1 | MyHeritage Complete,1-year subscription | $309.00 | Unlimited family tree with full access to billions of records, enhanced Smart Matches, research and charting tools, and photo features. |
| 2 | FindMyPast,1-year subscription | $300.00 | Access billions of historical records from across the UK, Ireland, Australia, and North America. |
| 3 | GenealogyBank,1-year subscription | $99.90 | Explore 330+ Years of Newspapers and Historical Records. Billions of family records at your fingertips. |
| 4 | Storyworth Memoir,1-year subscription | $99.00 | A year of weekly questions designed to help capture family stories and memories. Includes a printed hardcover keepsake book containing the stories and photos you’ve collected. |
| 5 | MyHeritage Old News,1-year subscription | $99.00 | One-year subscription with access to hundreds of millions of historical newspaper pages from around the world. |
| 6 | New York Genealogical & Biographical Society,1-year membership | $89.00 | Oldest and largest genealogical society in New York State. |
| 7 | Family Tree Maker 2024 | $80.00 | Genealogy software for your personal computer. |
| 8 | Family History Video with Linda | $600.00 | Up to 6 Minutes of HD Digital Video on a USB Keepsake made from your photos, audio, and digitized film clips. Donated by Linda Anderson. See a sample at https://tinyurl.com/FamVidsLA |
| 9 | Legacy Family Tree Webinars,1-year subscription | $59.95 | Enjoy live and recorded webinars presented by top speakers. |