• Solicitation – Instead of just asking for an item donation, be specific! Ask for exactly what you want from each donor. Shoot for the stars! They can only say no, and just might say yes. Also, when asking always use consider. Would you consider donating the beautiful Grandfather clock for our annual auction? If the answer is no they only said no to consider donating the clock. You can then counter offer by asking for a donation of a lesser item.

• Item Grouping – How much money can you raise with a $25 dining gift certificate? If your lucky $20 to $25. How much excitement can you generate from the certificate? Not much. But, if you package it with 12 other gift certificates worth $25 to $50 each- you have “Dinning Out For A Year”. Throw in a couple of movie tickets and you have a “Date Night” Package. By doing this you now have an item that should bring between $400 to $600. You also have an item that people will get excited about and hopefully help in creating a “Buzz” about your event.

• Building your catalog – Having a variety of Merchandising is key! If possible try to gather images of the donations from the donors such as logos, property photos this will help make your items stand-out. A picture is a must if you’re listing your item Online.

• Email announcements - Keep your potential bidders informed by sending emails that list frequently added items. Be sure to mix up the range of pricing and types of items that are new to the catalog. Also be sure to invite them to forward the email to family & friends who might be interested in bidding on any of the items.

Bidumup,
Lloyd