By a long shot, the most popular trip I've sold in benefit auctions over the last ~3 years has been a trip to Cuba. For over 50 years, Cuba was a forbidden country for Americans. We couldn't (legally) travel there. As the rest of the world marched on, time stood still in Cuba -- and that's what auction guests are eager to experience. They are hot for Cuba because it's a step back in time. Magnificent buildings are occupied, but crumbling. Cars considered antiques in the United ... Read On >
Benefit Auctions Blog
Auction item displays benefit from photo books like this
Here's a quick tip on how to improve your auction item displays when you're offering a trip in either the silent or live auction. Use a photo book in your display. "Photo book" is the name I give to books (and I use the term "books" loosely) which feature photos of the inside of the property, outside of the property, and activities to do in the area. Think of it as a handmade version of a traditional coffee table picture book. Sometimes these books are a few pieces of paper stapled ... Read On >
The swear words of estate auctioneering
In the summer 2016 when my team was rebuilding my website, I didn't post blogs here but I did post on Linkedin. This post was originally published on LinkedIn. ======================= The auctioneering profession is a small community. Longtime readers might recall me sharing information comparing the number of auctioneers in the USA (10,034) to those of other professions, such as funeral directors (23,648) and attorneys (302,603). Because there are so few auctioneers, they tend to be ... Read On >
Best ballroom layout for an auction with dance floor
Many nonprofits end their benefit auctions with dancing from either a DJ or a live band. Traditionally there are two standard layouts for this type of event, and both are poor. The dance floor becomes the area from which the auctioneer works. The auctioneer is on a stage and a huge dance floor (a feature which isn't used but for the last 90 minutes of the event!) is positioned in a top location, directly in front of the stage. Neither of these options works because neither set-up ... Read On >
Unique fundraising auction venue: car dealership
Earlier this month I headed to Florida to again work with a Boys & Girls Club whose fundraising auction venue is a local car dealership. Clearly this dealership is a good partner of the nonprofit, greatly inconveniencing itself to transform its space -- sales floor, customer waiting area, service bay and lanes -- into a festive venue to host a sit-down dinner for just under 200 guests. Attendees begin the evening with a reception and silent auction in the service bay and customer ... Read On >