Organize a Silent Auction

For whatever reason, you're in charge of putting together a silent auction. Where to start? Here, a few tips to keep you organized.

1. Set a deadline for items to be entered into the auction. Give yourself enough time before the day of the auction to organize the items, as far as categorizations and display decisions.

2. Create an inventory sheet and log expected items as you hear about them. Create another inventory sheet for the day of the auction, when you'll log items as they arrive. You may have unexpected additions or drop-outs on the day of the auction.

3. Create a bid sheet for every item, listing the following information: item, item number, item description, starting bid, payment specifications, and plenty of lines for people to write in their names and bids.

4. Referring to your inventory sheet, before the day of the auction, group your items into categories such as Sports, Clothing, Art, etc. On the day of the auction, as items arrive, display them in these categories.

5. Put together a program for bidders so they can easily reference a schedule of what categories will be displayed where and when. Include the auction start and stop times and any additional rules or information, such as liabilities and responsibilities, of which everyone should be aware.

6. Ensure you have sufficient lighting wherever the auction is to be held. Bidders will want to examine items before placing their bids, and it'll help if they're able to read the bid sheets.

7. If high-value items are to be displayed, look into obtaining secure display cases large enough to hold and protect these items.

8. As bidders arrive, have them fill out an information sheet including their name, address, and phone number. This way, payment and item transfers can still be carried out even if high bidders leave before the auction ends.

9. Enlist a few staff members to roam around the auction area and help you keep an eye on things. Any time people are involved, you can just never know what could happen.