It's wine week! What is wine week? This week I've devoted every day of my blog to a wine-related post. Or something close. I'm celebrating a birthday soon so it seems proper to have a toast. In honor of the big day, every post this week will discuss something about wine or some other beverage (like moonshine) worthy of being poured into a glass and raised during a toast. This past weekend I sampled moonshine (or sweetshine, as they call it) at Bloomery Plantation in West Virginia. I spend a ... Read On >
Live Auctions
Which sells better? Two different descriptions from identical auction packages
An identical item was sold in two different D.C. charity auctions in different years. Of the two item description examples, which do you prefer? (I changed the donor's name.) ================== Don’t Fake It, Make It Private cooking class for 10 at the acclaimed ABC Cooking School You and 9 guests will be guided by your chef instructor in creating a fabulous three-course meal. From 'Classic French Cuisine' to "Sushi' and 'Summertime Smoking and Barbecue,' the reward is yours when you sit ... Read On >
How a school auction theme attracted a new auction donor
About half the auctions I work have a theme. Auction themes are most often used by school fundraisers, though just last weekend I worked a wine auction for the Amarillo Symphony which adopted a classy 1920's theme. (See my selfie on the right.) Some auction chairs hate themes. I can appreciate their opinion. They don't want to worry about finding the "right" outfit. They want to feel comfortable. They don't want to look silly. But today I want to share a story I heard from an Auction Chair ... Read On >
[VIDEO] Anatomy of a live item sale: selling Taylor Swift tickets
School auctions are typically noisy, rambunctious affairs. The parents know each other. Many are close friends because of their children's ties. And because they socialize together outside of school, the auction itself is just another party. I love school auctions, but they can be demanding on an auctioneer. School auctions are like house parties, giving parents -- especially younger parents (K-8) -- the opportunity to leave the kids for a night. And. Those. Parents. Party! Whereas nonprofit ... Read On >
Live auction display ideas for vacations
If you've got a vacation or two that will be sold in your live auction, it helps to geographically show guests where the city / resort / hotel is located. When I'm serving as auctioneer for a group, I create my own "displays" to help market items. I often don't know what the client will be doing for a display, and I want to be sure that during the preview time, I'm able to engage bidders with my own information and materials. For example, here are four images I've used in the last month to ... Read On >