Silent Auction Mechanics

• A silent auction is different from a live auction in that no one calls out for bids on auction items. Instead, items are displayed in a room, usually on tables. Each item is assigned a number. Bidding sheets with participant contact information and bid amount are located next to each item. A length of time, such as five hours, is set during which bidders may write down the amount of their bid for any item. A bidder writes an amount down on the first line, such as $125. Another may come along after him and write down a higher amount, as little as $126, on the next line. When the bidding time ends, the highest bidder wins each item. Money raised usually goes to cover auction costs and toward a charitable organization or fundraising cause. Items are often donated by organization members or local businesses.
  
  

Display by Price

• One way to organize silent auction items for ease of bidding is to organize items by price. Group similarly priced items and place the suggested retail value of each item on the item. You could designate a table for items valued between $50 and $200, another for items valued between $200 and $500; $500 to $1,000, and so on. Examine the total number of items being auctioned as well as the highest- and lowest-value items to determine your category ranges. Bidders will quickly realize as they meander through the items which ones are in their price range and which aren't.
  
  

Display by Type

• Some bidders come to silent auctions looking for a certain type of item on which to bid. It could be furniture for one person, a gift certificate to a local spa for another and a homemade quilt for yet another bidder. Organize your items into like categories to help bidders browse. For example, homemade jams, clothes and quilts could be organized onto one table or area of the room; gift baskets can be organized into another section; gift certificates to restaurants, spas, hotels and sporting events into another; and "unforgettable experience" items, such as a home-cooked meal by one of the company or city officials, into another.
  
  

Vertical displays

• Clearly display all the contents of a given item so that bidders know exactly what they are receiving with their bid. One way to do this is with a vertical display. Type the name of the item, such as "Weekend Wine Country Getaway," at the top of a sheet of paper. Beneath it, list on separate lines all items included:
  
  Two nights at ABC Hotel
  
  1 bottle of XYZ Merlot
  
  2 bottles of XYZ Shiraz
  
  $100 gift certificate to ABC Restaurant
  
  Glue the typed description to an oversize piece of colored card stock paper and place it on a stand next to the item so that bidders can read it clearly and examine it.