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Fundraising gala auctioneer Sherry Truhlar

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Live Auctions

Mar 17 talking about Ireland trip

Video marketing auction items to support your online school auction

To support two school auction clients whose galas were cancelled due to COVID-19, I shot videos that they could use as teasers for specific items being sold in an online auction. The goal was to get participants interested in bidding on these items. How did my school auction clients use these videos? They sent the video link in an email blast to their community. They posted and shared the video on Facebook. They added the video to the item description in the software online.  It ... Read On >

Apr 24

Three times guests will try to pull a fast one on you, and what to say when it happens

At some point a guest at your gala will try to pull a fast one on you or me. I like to believe that the guest is being honest.  After all, this is a fundraising auction; most people are filled with good will. But sometimes, stuff happens. Maybe they really didn't bid.  They were just waving their bid paddle to get the attention of a friend across the room. Maybe they really did want to donate in the paddle raiser, but a column blocked them from view. Maybe they really did think ... Read On >

Apr 10

The archetypes of live auction bidders

Since starting my company over a decade ago, I've observed several types of bidders.  In this post, I'm describing my live auction bidder archetypes. These are a tad tongue-in-cheek. Even so, I suspect you'll recognize some of your guests from among these descriptions. (I'll zero in on some archetypes in upcoming posts.) Remember that most guests at your gala are not going to participate in the live auction.  Usually just 10% to 20% of your crowd is active in the live auction; the ... Read On >

Feb 27 when to close the silent auction

Best time to close the silent auction? Before the live auction begins.

Human psychology factors into fundraising auctions in many ways. The fear of loss propels a bidder to bid. Smart pricing strategies in a raffle influence how many tickets will be sold. Properly structured silent auction bid sheets generate 10% to 30% higher sales. Well-written auction donation request letters secure more "yes" responses than "no" responses. Using a proper method to properly close a silent auction generates higher sales on the most popular items.  (E.G. Create an ... Read On >

Jan 16 auction donations to silent auctions

One of the best auction donations from authors – writing your name in a book

In past posts I've written about the importance of securing the best auction donation from an author.  Perhaps the most thorough post was from 2012, "Careful! Donations from book authors could be your next live *or* silent auction item." For instance, signed books are OK, but they are common.  We tend to sell a collection of signed books in a silent auction. But if you secure something more juicy, we sell it in the live auction for thousands of dollars more. One of the several examples ... Read On >

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What auction planners say

Sherry, oh, Sherry! You were an invaluable asset to this year’s gala. With your assistance we were able to add so many new elements that truly made a difference in taking our event to another level. This year was the most successful yet! Everyone loved you and the amazing energy that you brought to the event. We look forward to having you again in 2018!

Krystal Fenwick
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Thank you so much for the outstanding job you did for us on April 1! I have received so much positive feedback from so many who attended. You even earned Sister Suzan’s (our Vice-Principal) seal of approval! Safe travels to all your many events and thank you for making our biggest fundraiser of the year our best ever!

Diane Albano, Director of Development
St. Joseph Academy Catholic High School (St. Augustine, FL)
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Sherry is flexible and easy to work with. She gives honest feedback and advice throughout the planning and implementation process. Without a doubt, Sherry and Red Apple Auctions has helped take our annual fundraising event to the next level.

Beckie Middendorf, Development Director and Janet Gulla, Development Coordinator
St. Henry District High School (Erlanger, KY)
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Sherry is “on board” from day one of auction planning, works closely with our steering committee and is only just a phone call away. The night of the auction, we toss her the keys and let her drive the event! We are never disappointed!

Charly Ryan, Director of Institutional Advancement
The Academy of the Holy Cross (Kensington, MD)
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I was very fortunate to have Red Apple on board for my first auction. Working with Sherry was invaluable. She provided guidance at every phase of planning, from procurement on forward – and she challenged us to make our event more ambitious and more successful at every stage. Thank you, Sherry!

Pete Goldlust, Director of Development
Oak Hill School (Eugene, OR)
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If your auction needs to upgrade, call any auctioneer you find on Google. But if you want your auction to be impressive, meaningful, and profitable, you need to call Sherry.

Erin Banda
2016 NYUMBANI Board member
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The auction was entertaining .. proactive … the crowd was involved and felt a part of it,” he said, emphasizing, “The entertainment value was huge.

Darrell, a long-time attendee
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We plan on booking Red Apple Auctions much earlier for our next event so we can take advantage of more of the pre-event offerings.

Nicole Carr, Director of Grants and Special Events
The Ivymount School (Rockville, MD)
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Sherry, personally, I can’t even begin to tell you the immense amount of positive feedback that I received having YOU (and Darby) there with is this year! Some of the tidbits: You added EXCITEMENT and ENTERTAINMENT… You added EXPERTISE and FUN… You helped the evening FLOW, in a wonderful and positive direction… You were FUN,… Read The Rest “Anne Livaudais Knudsen, 5th year gala co-chair”

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Aren’t KK and Michael a cute couple? They liked that I “moved the crowd along … kept the crowd engaged but wasn’t obtrusive or invasive. We were able to talk but still keep track of what was going on.”

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You have NO idea of how many people came up to me (I know Julie as well) and said, ‘That auctioneer was incredible … she engaged the crowd, … she got the bidders to bid without being rude/pushing, … I loved observing her, I just watched her, … she did a great job.’ It was… Read The Rest “Staci Meruvia”

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Geri said: “Great job of getting potential donors in the room to step up to the plate and not feel guilty or bad about it. They actually wanted to give more … and that’s not something I’ve seen in many other auctioneers.” The following year, she herself ‘stepped up’ and became one of the gala… Read The Rest “Geri”

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Irene attended one of my New Hampshire auctions and assumed I must be a radio personality — until I started to chant that fast talk. “I’ve been to this event before with a couple of other auctioneers,” she said, “Your ability to get personal with people in a way that isn’t intimidating — men, women,… Read The Rest “Irene”

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Most product & consulting remarks are found on their respective webpages, but I’ve listed two below so you’re assured my products are as spot-on as my auctioneering.   Not only was our 2013 auction a blast, but our Washington, D.C. public school raised $67,000 — that’s $25,000 more than last year! The evening went off… Read The Rest “Carolyn Kahn-Hall and Andrea Del Vecchio”

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As a former Fox News Anchorwoman, I am often called on to perform at auctions. So, I know first-hand that auctioneering can be a difficult job. Sherry Truhlar is one of the best in the business. She is skillful at managing an audience and keeping them focused on the task at hand – which is… Read The Rest “Cynthia Steele Vance”

Cynthia Steele Vance
Guest at The Potomac School 2014 auction (McLean, VA)
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