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You are here: Home / Blog Post / Which sells better? Two different descriptions from identical auction packages
May 26

Which sells better? Two different descriptions from identical auction packages

Sherry Truhlar Leave a Comment

Live auction packages text from front of fundraising auction catalogAn 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.)

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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 down to enjoy the meal you’ve prepared. Your instructor will work closely with you to create a menu perfect for the occasion and guests will enjoy house wines and take-home recipe packets so you can all make this delectable meal again at home.  Lunch events are from 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM and dinner is from 6:30 – 9:30 PM. Available at the Bethesda or Gaithersburg facilities. Gratuity not included but appreciated. Date to be mutually agreeable; not available on holidays. Value $1700.

Donor:  ABC Cooking School

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Private epicurean delight for 10

Do you cook like you have your own TV show? If you do – or wish you could – this is the package for you! Celebrate your next occasion with a private cooking class party for 10 at ABC Cooking School in Bethesda. Chefs from the gourmet cooking school will guide you and your guests through an evening of cooking that you won’t soon forget. Possible party themes include a seasonal farm to table meal, foods from Emilia-Romagna, summertime BBQ, classic French cuisine, sushi or a theme of your own creation. Your Chef instruction will work closely with you to create a menu perfect for the occasion – and further your dreams of being a celebrity chef. Value: $1200

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In this case, there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ to either one of these; both are well-written.

But if you found that you preferred one over the other, you might ask yourself why.

Here’s what I noticed.

  1. The first description is written to attract the buyer who likes to cook. The second is angled towards someone who watches cooking shows and might fancy themselves a television personality. Either description is fine. Depending on what other items are in the line-up, you might opt for one over the other simply to differentiate the package from similar items.
  2. The first description did a better job of providing restrictions. Though it varies by auctioneer, I make a point of not mentioning a auction package’s restrictions when I sell it on the stage. Therefore, it’s nice to have complete restrictions available for guests to refer to on their own accord.
  3. The length, titles, providing values  … overall they both look good and cover the points, though the second description doesn’t specifically call out the donor.

Want more auction catalog ideas?

Fundraising Auction Catalogs for saleIf your the type that enjoys browsing through auction catalogs to get ideas, you’re in luck!

Charity auction catalog season is open! Reviewing catalogs gives you great examples of auction item descriptions, catalog formats, photos, timelines, games, raffles, and more.

You can read all the comments from buyers on this page.

Grab ’em before they sell out!

(Sorry Virginians, but I can’t ship to Virginia.)

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Copyright © 2015 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.

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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
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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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