| Auction Tips - 1. Hire a great auctioneer! 2. Bidding order should start with an inexpensive item or two to get the crowd's attention and then immediately go to the most expensive item and work its way backward. 3. Train your spotters to shout, "YES", not the amount bid. Better yet, as a part of your contract with the auctioneer, have him bring a few of his (or her) professional spotters. This will make a huge difference. 4. Get a cordless microphone for the auctioneer so they can move around and into the audience. 5. Have a celebrity auctioneer introduce the item to be bid and then the real auctioneer does the actual bid calling. I have done this with Gayle Sayres, Darren Pang, Garry Fencik, Gov. James Thompson and a myriad of locally famous newscasters and politicians. 6. Get a canvass bank money bag. Put a mask on a pretty lady and have her circulate with the bag and a toy capgun. She "holds" guests up and makes them put cash in the bag (don't let anyone count it). The bag is then sealed and auctioned as the last item. High bidder gets the bag and all the cash in it! 7. If you have a band or orchestra or many speakers, conduct the auction during the cocktail hour and have dinner served immediately afterward. Makes for a much better auction and evening. 8. Auction off a "scholarship" or some such other related 'donation' in the high bidder's name. Stop the bidding short and offer it to the two or three highest bidders at the 'lower' bid amount. This is found money. 9. Have several bottles of wine and other small gifts that the auctioneer can 'throw' in with the bidding or otherwise to hand out to the crowd to help keep their attention. 10. Check the room's sound system a few days before the event to make sure it is working well. Most hotel ballrooms have fried equipment. You may want to rent a good PA system or put it into the auctioneer's contract to provide it. 11. Turn the lights all the way up just as the auction is about to begin!!! 12. Try not to have mirrors behind the auctioneer. 13. Table centerpieces should be kept low so as to not interfere with the auctioneer's ability to see the bidders. 14. Put the items to be sold on 3 x 5 notecards with their introduction and taget price on them. 15. Do not have minimum bids and consignment items. This can be deadly to the success of your event. 16. At dinner, seat the auctioneer with some of your better bidders to build up a rapport with them. 17. If you are going to have spotlights on the auctioneer, they must come in from the side and not head on or the auctioneer will never be able to see any of the bidders. 18. Make sure that the band's equipment (speakers especially) do not block the auctioneer's sightlines. 19. Have a prepared introduction for your auctioneer. This will build his esteem with your attendees and result in higher bidding. 20. Have the auctioneer meet with and train your spotters before the auction begins. It will be 15 minutes well spent. 21. Always sell a live pedigree puppy! 22. Do not put really valuable items into the silent auction. They will command much more money in the live auction. 23. Artwork (unless it is fabulous) does not do well in a non-art fundraising auction. Neither do expensive but obscure items (dinosaur teeth). If you have any questions or suggestions, please email me or call at 847 828 9453. Return to Home Page |
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