Atlantic giant pumpkin seed auction results are in! A total of 34 auctions took place on BigPumpkins.com between December 16, 2022, and February 26, 2023. At the time of this writing, there are three auctions remaining. While auctions are a primary way to fundraise and to acquire seeds, they are not the most inexpensive method! Trades and give aways are by far your best value, and in addition, seed sales at local growing clubs can often beat online prices. There is something about online pumpkin seed auctions for seeds. Online auctions just get your adrenaline going.
Summarized Pumpkin Seed Auction Sales
I selected five high-end commonly auctioned seeds. I could find the winning bids of these seeds on BigPumpkins.com for many of the auctions. I only included the price of seeds that were sold separately. Many auctions package seeds in groups and I was unable to parse the cost of each seed in this case. I also only used the winning bid and did not include the second winning bid in cases where more than one set was auctioned. Below are the seeds that I selected for this summary.
- “Ruby” the 1,461 pound cloned pumpkin that was grown in 2022. This was a 2,350 Gienger cloned and selfed.
- “Maverick” the 2,560 pound Half Moon Bay winner. This pumpkin was grown by Gienger in 2022.
- The 2,702 pound world record grown by Cutrupi of Italy in 2021. This was a selfing of the 1,885 Werner.
- The 2,907 pound giant grown by Paton in 2022. This pumpkin a cross of the 1,885 Werner and the 2,356 Mendi. Unfortunately this pumpkin did not make it to the weigh-off as it cracked.
- The 2,365 Wolf grown in 2021. This pumpkin was a cross of the 1,885 Werner and the 2,174 Daletas and has grown dozens of pumpkins over 1,000 pounds.
What are the Results?
“Ruby” the cloned bright orange giant fetched an average price of $90 per one seed. I found this seed sold separately in 11 auctions. The range was $65 to $125 per seed. I didn’t see any cases of Ruby over seas. Maverick, the North American Record and second largest pumpkin grown in 2022 at 2,560 pounds fetched a mean price of $76 in 16 auctions. Maverick made it overseas and I converted Euros to dollars. The range on Maverick was $60 to $125.
Next, the Cutrupi world record pumpkin (2,702). This pumpkin was only found to be auctioned separately in seven auctions. Average price of the world record pumpkin seed was $111 with a range of $55 to $260. Next, the largest pumpkin ever grown at 2,907 pounds fetched higher prices. The mean price of the 2,907 Paton was $250 with a range of $180 to $350 per seed. Finally, the 2,365 Wolf, grown in 2021 fetched the highest prices. Out of six auctions, one Wolf seed averaged a whopping $642. Range on this spectacular seed was a low of $460 and a high of $850.
So What?
Clearly, the seeds with the best history go for the highest prices. The history of the Wolf seed is amazing. It has grown many pumpkins greater than 2,000 pounds. People all over the world understand this and will pay for it. I think the 2,907 pound Paton was held back by the stigma of the crack and perhaps the thought that it has a genetic disposition to crack.
Ruby, the little 1,461 bright orange pumpkin received high prices for its bright orange potential and its fame as the first cloned pumpkin. I fell for this and am hopeful I will have a super bright orange pumpkin this year. We will see. Perhaps the best deal was Maverick. This 2,560 pounder only averaged $76. I suppose it the future of Maverick is yet to be told. It may be the next Wolf.
See my blog for more information about Atlantic giant pumpkin seeds and growing Atlantic giant pumpkins. If you are new to the giant pumpkin world, I recommend my book, Backyard Big.
