In Handbid, there are several different types of items: Auction Item, Ticket, For Sale, Appeal. This article breaks down the item types, their meaning and function.
Deciding on items for your auction is important. Many decisions need to be made when putting together an item catalog for your event. Since your items are a key fundraising component it is important to take a little time to make the right decision for you and your organization, regarding items in your auction.
A few questions only you or your committee can answer:
- Who are you selling to?
- If your auction is an annual event, what did well or poorly last year?
- The type of event you are planning and how many items will the venue hold?
- What is the number of item to guest ratio? Try not to overwhelm your guests with too many choices, thereby creating more supply than demand. Remember even if you have 300 people (including couples that typically bid together), it may not be a wise decision to also have 300 items.
- How unique is the item? Experiences are great sellers. The rare items often do well.
For example, the front row seat at a school graduation is often a hot seller!
Item Types
As you plan your items and auction, it is helpful to stay organized. It is important to know what items are available for bidding or purchase so you can plan effectively.
AUCTION ITEMS:
There are two types of auction items: Silent and Live
- Silent Auction Items - These items will have a starting bid amount, bid increment, and usually a fair market value. These items can only have ONE winner.
- For detailed instructions: Adding a Silent Auction Item
- Live Auction Items - This is an item that you want bidders to be able to view and look at, however they will not be able to place a bid on it using the Handbid system. These items are typically sold in the room with the assistance of an emcee or Live Auctioneer.
- For detailed instructions: Adding a Live Auction Item
FOR SALE ITEMS
For sale items are anything you are going to sell for a set price. Handbid has several different types of For Sale items. For detailed instructions: Adding a "For Sale" Item
- For Sale (Unlimited Quantity) - These are items that you are selling for a set price and will sell as many of these items as you can. For example, a drink ticket.
- For Sale (Limited Quantity) - These are items with a set price that have a limited quantity and are for sale at your event. For example, t-shirts, jars of honey, wine walls, etc.
- Appeal - This is a direct donation item that can be sold using a paddle raise during your event or by bidders purchasing it on their mobile devices.
- Shipping Fees - You can add a set price for shipping items to bidders who win something but are not at your event. It is good practice to let people know in the description or fine print that a shipping fee will apply if they are not present.
Check out our blog post on That Big Item