I think the format was good in terms of a 3 tree limit until all attendees got a crack. Then they opened it up free-for-all. The part I didnt like was that even after you chose your (up to) 3 trees, you could go pay, and then re-enter the area where the trees were. Imagine then that, like me, I get in after about 90 minutes of feeding frenzy. It was at times difficult to move around with 50 of the country's top and or well-to-do bonsai people. Remember the first group or 2 there were only 10 or 15 people in there, along with a lot of unchosen trees.
I wish they had restricted the shopping area to just the group that had waited their turn to go in and not competing with 50 others who may, or may not, have chosen their 3 trees yet.
I think those people should have either chosen their 3 and paid or lose their opportunity to continue to shop for the remaining time. There was nothing stopping people in the first 10 minutes from staying, looking, choosing, buying up to an hour and a half later. I think the lottery part was fair. Allowing everyone to stay and compete with the subsequent groups? not so much.
I still hold the experience as very valuable. I commend Doug Paul for doing the sale at all.