If you’re looking for ideas for silent auction items, you’ve come to the right place. Popular auction items run the gambit, ranging from relatively mundane to high-end alternatives that will spur any donor base into a bidding war. A silent auction is something like a hybrid charity auction in the sense that it often involves live and online bidders. Live bidders submit their bids by writing them down while virtual bidders register their bids over the Internet. No matter how you bid on an auction item for charity, the person who bids the most money will go home with the piece.
And while all pets are cute in their own way, even the most loving pet parent knows that the tenderness of their animal companion doesn’t always mean they’re clean. A scent-breaking candle or carpet stain remover helps keep the harmony between pets and people in the home intact. Before you start with ideas, you need a way to collect your auction donations.
Chic (or not so fancy) auction nights are also a classic fundraiser idea for schools! However, creating live auction packages for school and family events requires the items to have a broader or more child-friendly appeal than many traditional auction packages typically have. If you want to continue bidding throughout the night, you should consider fashion items when selecting auction items.
From physical items to once-in-a-lifetime experiences, you’ll want to gather a diverse selection of auction items to attract all your donors. People love sports and these auction ideas are especially popular if your local or regional professional teams are doing well or have a large following. Here are some of the most popular sports-related silent auction items that tend to generate notable bids.
If you’re going to include a tour of the winery in your silent auction, be sure to include a bottle of wine in the package. By doing so, you’ll give the winner the chance to enjoy the wine on the night of your event, which will be a prelude to what they’ll experience when they embark on their future tour. If you want to go a step further, ask the winery to prepare a silent auction basket with things like cheeses that go well with their vintages.
It’s not always easy to establish the fair market value for some of these gifts, so calculate what it cost your donor to provide this item and use it as your reserve price. People love Silent Auction Package Ideas themed baskets that are filled with all kinds of delicacies. With this silent auction basket idea, you can take the guesswork out of planning a date night for one lucky winner.
For starters, a silent auction requires people to submit their bids in secret, while a live event requires people to bid on items in front of all participants. In addition, silent auctions are generally more inclusive, as they engage live and online bidders, although some live events allow bids from virtual participants. Of course, it always depends on your audience, but we’ve compiled a list of 30 silent auction items, including 15 social distancing options. All silent auction items, even if they’re usually not something you can buy, have a dollar value attached to them. A magician’s basket works well for quiet school auctions or events that attract adults with children. Ask local magic shops for donations of gift cards or items in exchange for advertising to complete the basket.
“Date night” packages are perhaps the most popular and most used basket in silent auctions. You can also skip the movies and record a fun activity such as go-karting, climbing, or bike rental for beach cruises. If you purchased items for your silent auction baskets, set the minimum bid that is closer to the amount you bought the item for to avoid losing money.
While these are cheaper items, offering them gives all bidders the opportunity to contribute to their goal. You can even group them together or with any of the ideas from previous free silent auction items to create a more attractive auction package. While individual gift cards to local restaurants and businesses are great, they can only attract a few people to the event.