Tuesday, October 8, 2013

An Auction Fundraiser With No Sound

By Angel Dudley


For most people, a royal life filled with opulence and every thing one could want is one that is only possible in a dream. Only a small section of all the population in the world live a life filled with all the trappings of a high life. Imagine then how desirable just a touch of this life would be. Such items would certainly do well at an auction fundraiser.

The way silent auctions work is that things are done silently as the term implies. This is because the auctioneer is replaced by slips of paper on which prospective buyers put down their bids for the items they are interested in. They also note down their names so that the auctioneer will know who was won the bid for an item at the end of an auction.

This goes on until the end of the auction when buyers will be alerted to make their final bids about ten minutes to the close of the auction. Bidders refer to the bids noted on the papers to know what the highest bids are so that they can raise theirs. Just like in the conventional auctions though, bid winners are required to pay for their wares before leaving.

This goes on until towards the end of the auction. Before it closes, the auctioneer will sound a warning to bidders that the auction is coming to an end. This is done to give bidders some time to make their final bids. After the period of time allocated for this is over, say 10 minutes, the auction is declared closed. The auctioneer then refers to the slips of paper to see who the highest bidders for each item are and the name of the bidders. These are announced and those who have won bids are required to pay for the items before they leave.

Silent auctions can be held for private functions like bridal and baby showers to get items a bride or newborn would need and they can also be held to liven up corporate functions and raise funds that can be used by the company to make donations. Silent auctions can also be organized by communities like churches, schools and neighborhoods to raise funds for various projects that they wish to initiate.

There is no limit to the kind of items that can be put up during silent auctions such as themed gift baskets, luxury items, artwork, home decor and improvement items, recreation and entertainment items are some of the items that can be auctioned off.

Another plus with dealing with designers is that their clientele are the cream of society. Some of these personalities are the official spokespeople for these brands. You may therefore be fortunate enough to get such a person involved in your event, whether directly on not which would be a big boost. There are also outlets that sell a mix of items from various designers and you can approach them to make a few donations as well.

Be careful about how you dispatch payment for auction fundraiser items as well. The web has opened up countless opportunities but it has also made way for less than honest people. It is very easy for anyone located anywhere to set up a silent auction website, invite bids and ask for payment, perhaps with the promise of having them delivered for an additional cost. Payment will be requested online. If you are bidding on a well-known site, then you can do so but for little known sites, ask if you can pay as you collect the item.




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