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 >
Blog Post
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 >
Five best free stock photography sites for live & silent auction displays
Last week I wrote about being busted by the photo police for illegally using a photograph on my website. A portion of that blog was devoted to sharing sites whereby auction planners could secure free stock photography for live and silent auction displays. To make it easier to find the sites, I've re-posted the list below. =============================== Here are my 5 best free stock photography sites for gala auction planners. This is where you can secure legal images to use in your ... Read On >
Finding a big donor – in prison
File this under the topic of "Donations found in the unlikeliest of places." While flying Delta last month, the inflight magazine Delta Sky profiled lifestyle company Beekman 1802. Years prior to starting the company with his partner, one of the two co-owners, Brent Ridge, was a doctor who was working at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. While Martha Stewart was in prison, Ridge wrote her a letter asking her to donate money to his employer, Mount Sinai. She did. The resulting gift of ... Read On >