With regards to silent auction basket ideas, a book could be written about how to make a nice display. Here's my take on one idea regarding wrapping. At smaller benefit auctions, you can be a bit loosey-goosey in how you present a silent auction basket. At larger fundraisers, you need to step up your game. Covering your baskets in a clear plastic shrink-wrap or a bag is smart. Here are the advantages of wrapping a silent auction basket in clear plastic or cellophane. 1) Contents don't ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
How many live auction items should you sell?
I'm asked this question frequently: "Sherry, how many live auction items do you recommend we sell at our gala?" The answer is a lot like eating prunes: "Will three get the job done? Is eight too many?" <wink> Many factors go into my answer because the "right number of live auction items" depends on the client. (Note that the "right number" of items is different than the "average number" of items. In 2015 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, my school clients sold an average of 15 live ... Read On >
Promoting holiday sale on modeling client’s website
Note to readers: Occasionally I make a post like this one, which is not related to my work as a benefit auctioneer Virginia. (Skip to another post to get auction tips.) +++++ A friend alerted me to this. Catherine's is one of my plus-size modeling clients. I'm featured on their Website home page this week. Fun! Here's a screenshot. ... Read On >
About last night… Proof these auction ideas work!
UPDATE 12/5/09 After I posted the original blog (scroll down), Maria wrote me this email: On behalf of our auction team, I wanted to thank you for meeting with us last night. We enjoyed your talk on procurement and we are fired up and ready to go after your ideas. This morning we got the PTA Chairs to approve the software agreement. I believe we can pay the full cost of the software with sponsorships. Well, as of this morning we have two more sponsors for our auction webpage. I didn’t even ... Read On >
Auction Procurement Tip: Use your location to make celebrity connections
If you're like many who sit on an auction procurement committee, you likely want at least one item from a celebrity. But you may have no "connections." How can you improve the odds of getting a donation? If you're not afraid to reach out and spend some time on the computer, your physical location could turn a cold lead into a warmer one. Sometimes knowing about a possible donation is simply about being in the right place at the right time. Here's an example. I love the band Pink Martini and ... Read On >