Last week I wrote about selling holiday trees in your gala. I didn't include an important piece of information that can really cripple the sale of those benefit auction items: delivery. Auction guests often look at trees -- or any large cumbersome item -- and think, "How would I ever get it home?" They admire it, but they won't bid. In fact, they'll often talk themselves out of bidding because getting the item home seems like too much work. To address this concern, offer delivery to the ... Read On >
Silent Auctions
Holiday trees increase benefit auction revenues
If you're looking to boost benefit auction revenues and your event is late November or December, your acquisitions strategy could include decorated holiday trees. Here are some ideas. 1. At one school auction gala, one of the live auction items was a tree decorated with 100 $1 scratch-off lottery tickets. Not only is the winning bidder buying a lovely tree, but with a hundred scratch-off tickets, the bidder could be taking home a goldmine. 2. At another school auction, the student-decorated ... Read On >
Need fresh silent auction ideas? Handheld bidding devices are trendy.
UPDATE: The telecourse mentioned has passed, but the content below is still valid. To keep abreast of future calls, subscribe to Benefit Auction Ideas. ++++++ What’s missing from the silent auction table in this photo? There are no bid sheets. You see four items and no bid sheets. Your silent auction can now “go digital” through the use of handheld bidding devices. There are a few companies offering this technology and each has its own approach. At this auction, guests were handed an ... Read On >
Where to get charity auction items
Wondering where to get charity auction items? If you’re new to auction fundraisers, you might not realize all of your options. There are three primary ways to secure items. 1. The traditional way is to ask friends, family, and businesses for donated items. This is the most common approach and generally the best because it garners you the greatest returns. The donor might give you a product from their place of business, agree to let you sell a one week stay in their ... Read On >
Harry Potter items sure to create a spectacle as silent auction items
The Harry Potter enterprise isn't just about books, movies and merchandise. It's also got a robust business in the "exhibition" area. Harry Potter, The Exhibition has been making the circuit showcasing all the cool stuff that goes into making the wizardry onscreen. It's a traveling, behind-the-scenes museum for the movie franchise. Scoring a couple of tickets to the uber-popular franchise's traveling exhibit would be a sweet item to add to your silent auction fundraiser. Chicago and Boston ... Read On >