There are so many different ideas for silent auction items that it can be difficult to know where to start out. The most important thing that you will want to keep in the back of your mind when you are starting this process, is that you want to get items that people will actually want. People that go to silent auctions for their charity or favorite non-profit, are looking to spend money. They know this and expect to bid on items. If this wasn't the case they probably wouldn't have spent the money on the ticket and dinner in the first place.
So your goal is to get the items that will bring in the best return and be run-up the highest, while giving your organization an easy to use system of setting the items up.
Items that you present at your silent auction need to be things that evoke the imagination. You want the people thinking about the items while they are sitting at the table eating their fabulous dinner. What I mean by this is the following. Items such as vacations, art that they can display on their walls, something that will free their time to do other things (yard services for a year, babysitters services, etc).
There are other items that come to mind but might not have the same effect unless the person is into that sort of thing. Things like this include - autographed sports memorabilia, famous actors signed items and antiques.
Displaying these items correctly is the most important things. You will want to make sure these are being sold correctly. For example you don't want to display "vacation for two". That is nice and some people will image what they can do with a vacation for two. But the better way to display it will be something like "Romantic Getaway For One Lucky Couple". This is using the imagination of the buyer to picture themselves using it. That is the goal here, because the more they are emotionally involved, the better the chances are that they will drive up the price to their perceived value that they have in their heads and in their wallets.
Getting the verbiage correct will probably be something that the company that supplied the items would have spent time developing. If however they didn't do that, then you and your team will have to develop it yourselves. But either way it needs to be done. Once this is done correctly you will want to make sure your placement is done correctly as well.
Placement is basically what grocery stores do so well. You will want to make sure that your items that you think will go for the most money aren't at the end of the line, or in a place right next to other really great items. You will want to space these out and maybe place them facing or closest to the food (if a buffet) or nearest to the most trafficked location in the Gala or venue that you are using. The reason is obvious, you want these items to go for the most that you can get. Especially if they have the best return on investment for your organization.
Hosting a silent auction is a great way to generate excitement as well as profit for your non profit or charity. You can obtain a space and run your auction locally, drawing in community interest. However, since the advent of the internet, your organization can now host your entire silent auctions online, too, if you desire. Silent auctions are mostly held in charity events. It is called a silent auction as there is no auctioneer, the respective bidders place their bid on a piece of paper or the bidding sheet often placed to the left of the item. When you participate in a silent auction you get a registration number, and you write your registration number with the amount that you have bidden. A silent auction requires a lot of walking around the venue for items. Consider providing some refreshments for your guests, if you have charged for the registration ticket, keep the food free. However, if the entrance is free, charge for the food. Cheese, small finger appetizers and drinks are popular picks for silent auctions.
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