This was displayed in the maintenance building for two weeks prior to the auction.
The right unique school auction items will sell for high dollar in your gala.
And a potato cannon, made by the school’s beloved maintenance department, in an all-boys Catholic school … is a perfect example of that.
The cannon sold for $1000 at the school auction… twice.
(Once the Auction Chair saw how well it was selling, she confirmed the maintenance team would be willing to build another one. The school doubled its revenue on that item.)
Not only is this a fun idea, but what helped propel the strong sale was the marketing behind it.
First, this cannon was displayed well in advance of the auction.
The manual
The maintenance department had the cannon on display for a full two weeks prior to the school auction.
Every boy in the school had visited the cannon at least once to check it out. The maintenance guys even named the cannon “The Brotherhood” and painted the name on the side. 🙂
The instruction manual was written in English and Spanish.
Second an event was held prior to the sale.
Before the cannon was offered in the auction, the maintenance crew wanted to ensure the cannon was free of flaws. But why not create a little “drama” around the test?
They announced the test site and time! A small crowd gather to watch the launch. The ammo (a potato) sailed over the gymnasium, beyond the lacrosse field, and into the baseball diamond. What a great marketing idea to stir up the talk around the school!
Third, it was sold as a complete package.
Special thanks to photographer Paul Haring who captured this shot of my auction floor team member showcasing the potato cannon.
The cannon was marketed with a bag of ammunition and an instruction manual, written in English and Spanish. It was a complete “batteries included” item. The ramrod, owner’s manual, and sack of ammo (potatoes) were all there.
Are you taking such care with your items? It’s not just about GETTING items … it’s about MARKETING them.
In my work with clients, I’ve found that we can take an average or sub-par item, market it well, and it will sell for top-dollar. Are you taking that kind of care? If so, you can sell fewer items … and still make your financial goals.
P.S. Here’s a free tool that will help you generate cool ideas like this.
You can learn 100 other top-selling items (like this potato cannon) by getting my free Auction Item Guide. It’s the best items I sold in gala auctions around the country, last year.
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