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You are here: Home / Blog Post / How to display a flag selling at a benefit auction
Jul 23

How to display a flag selling at a benefit auction

Sherry Truhlar 2 Comments

“At the request of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, this flag was flown over the United States Capitol on January 20, 2009 on the occasion of the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America."

This flag was flown over the United States Capitol on January 20, 2009, the inauguration of Barack Obama.  I sold it at a school auction.

My team recently fielded a question by LinkedIn reader Ed in Oklahoma City. 

Ed was curious about how he should display a couple of flags he’d procured. He would be selling them in his benefit auction. Each would likely go into a separate package, but could be sold individually.

He wanted ideas. 

“A folded flag doesn’t seem too appealing to me,” he wrote.

Well, it might not be appealing. But that’s how most are sold.

silent auction item displays flags

This flag was signed by President H.W. Bush and wife Barbara, and President George W. Bush and his wife Laura. I sold it at a school auction a few years ago.

Typically flags are folded and stored in a triangular wooden case designed for flags. (See first photo above.)

On the positive side, this style of case makes the item easy to carry and protects the flag itself.

In contrast, signed flags are handled differently. 

In those cases, the flag is usually framed in a manner similar to how a sports jersey would be displayed. The flat framing enables the signatures to be shown.

Here's a close-up of the signatures.

Here’s a close-up of the signatures.

Wait a second!

That begs the question … is it even legal to sign a flag?

I didn’t think it was?

My suspicions were confirmed after reading the Flag Code. 

Ahem. Someone might want to let a couple of our former Presidents know.

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Copyright © 2013 Red Apple Auctions Co. All Rights Reserved

About Sherry Truhlar

Fundraising auctioneer and educator, helping schools and nonprofits plan more profitable benefit auctions. A prolific writer for her own blog and other fundraising sites, she’s been covered in The Beacon-News, Town & Country Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Northern Virginia Magazine, Wiley's Special Events Galore!, AUCTIONEER, and other publications.

Reader Interactions

One of my benefit auction associates honored (in his own way) by this nonprofit
One silent auction display idea for jewelry, furs, and fashion

Comments

  1. Michele Hall says

    August 3, 2017 at 11:04 PM

    How do I go about getting one of the flags for an auction.

    Reply
    • Sherry Truhlar says

      August 3, 2017 at 11:23 PM

      Simply ask your congressman, Michele.

      Reply

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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

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
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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)

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)

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)

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

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

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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.

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The Ivymount School (Rockville, MD)

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