# Club auction questions. Advice needed.



## Burks (May 25, 2006)

Our local club, of which I am VP and helping with the auction, has set a date, place, and time for our auction. The auction will include freshwater fish, plants and inverts. It will also include saltwater algaes, corals, live rock, fish, inverts, etc. This will be our first auction so we want to make it as successful as possible.

This is where I'm asking for help from those who have helped put on an auction, attended one, and so on.

1. We need an auctioneer. What is the going rate to hire one? We'll have members helping out but to look a bit more "professional", an auctioneer would be great.

2. Methods of advertising. We have already thought of fliers, our site, and word of mouth. Fliers will be at most of the LFS's. Newspaper ad is just way too expensive around here so that is probably out. Do you have any other suggestions?

3. Sponsors/LFS. Have you seen any type of sponsors or LFS being incorporated into an auction? Maybe have their own table? How did this work? Any examples are greatly appreciated.

4. Odds and ends. What are some other things we should have on hand that we may have overlooked? We are currently doing priority stickers, extras bags, extra water, extra boxes, runners, help carrying big items, rules, and food. Anything we missed that would help boost the performance of the auction?

5. Anything you would like to add. Helpful tips, hints, advice, etc. Anything at all!

Thanks for the help and taking your time to respond. A little help can go a long way with this.


----------



## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I've never held an auction, but it looks like you're off to a good start with what you're doing.

3. I've seen many sponsors donate things for auctions, so I'm sure it's worth the asking. Usually all they want is the recognition of donating a product. "Donated by ....." on both the item on display, and when the item is actually up for bids.

4. It looks like you have most of that covered. At the frag swap I attended a few weeks ago, they also had oxygen, ice packs and coolers available for people who purchased things.

5. The ACA auctions always make it a really fun event by rotating auctioneers from their own members, and passing around a bottle of tequila to people bidding (they do other things too, but I can't mention them here...). For some reason the tequila really gets the bidding moving... LOL! 

Good luck with it.


----------



## Burks (May 25, 2006)

LOL! I can see how some alcohol would loosen up the bidders!

We just had another sponsor jump on board and offer to really help us out. They are just as, if not more, excited about this than we are. We have decided on doing members as auctioneers as we have a few members that are pretty outgoing and can actually pronounce most of the names! Some school kids from the school we hold our meetings at (and helped donate a 180g reef tank to them, along with getting them started on coral propagation) are going to help us as well. They'll be runners and help the auctioneer to make sure no bids are missed.

Thanks for the help Jan. I'll be sure to let everyone know how it works out in October (with pictures!).


----------

