Keep plenty of pens on hand for the silent auction.
Silent auctions are a fundraising activity that you can hold at an event or function without disrupting the primary event. This type of auction involves displaying items, with a signup sheet located by each item. To make a bid on an item, participants sign their name and amount of their bid on the list. The next person to bid on the item places his name and bid on the next line. Typically, the auctioned items are on display during the entire event, giving attendees ample opportunity to look over the items and place their bids.
Auction Committee
Get sufficient help with the silent auction. Organize a committee, assigning people to find, pick up and store the auction items, create bid sheets, oversee the event on the day of the auction, collect payments and distribute the items. Assign a committee member to track down winning bidders who forgot to pay or pick up their items.
Unusual Items
Solicit unusual or one-of-a-kind items, such as handcrafted gifts, artwork or antiques to auction off. Bidders will not be as enticed to place a bid if the auctioned items are things they can easily purchase at a local department store.
Gift Certificates
Bidders who are more practical in their bidding will be attracted to items they consider bargains, such as restaurant gift tickets, that they can purchase for less than the certificate amount. Seek gift certificates from well-known restaurants or event tickets. For the donor, the contribution is a great way to advertise their business.
Organize Items
Organization helps the success of a silent auction. Assign a number to each item, and on its bidding sheet include the item's number, name, description, donor, retail value and the starting bid. Doing this when you acquire the item will be easier than putting the task off to the last minute.
Arrange by Categories
For a large auction, group the items by category, such as restaurant gift certificates in one area, and artwork in another. A logical layout makes it easier for the guests to navigate the bidding area and feel comfortable making bids.
Arrange Tables Artfully
Make the display tables as attractive as possible, and arrange the items in such a way as to promote attendees at the event to stroll through the auction area and look at all the items. Attendees may lose interest and leave the auction area without checking out all items if the area is poorly arranged.
Supply Lots of Pens
Keep a sufficient amount of writing pens on the bidding tables, and periodically check to make sure they have not disappeared or run out of ink. If a bidder cannot find a working pen, he will not place his bid.
Stagger the Closing
Announce to attendees at the event when the auction is going to end, and remind them about 15 minutes before the closing the auction. This will allow bidders who have been outbid time to place a new, higher bid. If it is a large auction, close out the auction by sections, staggering the closing bids.
