The Iditarod National Historic Trail was once used as a mail route, with dog teams being the primary means of delivery. In order to honor this part of the trail’s history, Iditarod mushers have carried cachets for most of 53 years as part of their mandatory gear. These cachets are now part of the Iditarod Education Department programming. Each year, a design is selected from a student contest and printed on envelopes.
The mushers sign these envelopes the week before the race starts and then the cachets are prepared for traveling 1,000 miles by dog team to Nome. In each envelope, a classroom has a piece of mail that will be mailed back to them once the musher finishes the race. One envelope from each musher is also reserved for public auction to support the Iditarod Education Department.
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*IMPORTANT NOTE* - This auction is set up with POPCORN BIDDING, which means if you place a bid right before auction closing, it will extend the auction by 2 minutes. Here is an example: On auction close date, Friday, April 25, Bob makes a bid on item #101 at 11:59am (the auction closes at 12pm ASKT/ 4pm EST). That will then extend the bidding window by 2 minutes, giving Sally (who was also bidding on this item) an extra window to place another bid, which will then extend the bidding window by another 2 minutes, giving Bob another opportunity to bid. Bob places another bid, which then extends the auction by another 2 minutes, giving Sally another chance. Sally decides she cannot bid anymore, no other parties bid on the item, so the additional 2 minutes from Bob's bid runs out and Bob then wins the item. If Sally were to place another bid, and this cycle were to continue, it will end after 60 minutes and the highest bidder at 1pm ASKT/5pm EST will be the winner of that item.
So, just because you placed a higher bid at 11:59am AKST/ 3:59pm EST, doesn't mean the bidding is over... stick around your computer to ensure that you keep getting your bids in on the bidding war and win that item!
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THANK YOU for supporting The Iditarod! All money raised in this auction goes to support the Iditarod Education Department, which means each winning bid is a donation to this amazing program which spans across the country. All Trail Mail will be shipped out no later than May 16, 2025.