Printable Quick Reference Cards (QRCs):
Auction administrators can create custom auction types to support almost any variety of auction activity conceivable. The strategy and process for supporting each custom auction type is fundamentally the same. To track a cash purchase (raffle/game/drink tickets, wine pull)or pledge through Silent Auction Pro™, it must be represented as an auction item. The exception is cash received from sponsors that is categorized as Cash Donation.
Some common reasons to create a custom auction types are:
When selling games, chances, wine pulls, drink tickets at a table, in person at your event, you'll want to follow the --- Chance and game type tickets can be sold online via the Tickets page OR you might choose to sell them in person at your event. For in person sales, create a custom auction type and associated auction items in order to record the purchase on a guest's invoice.
Like charging items to your room at a hotel/resort, each bidder's ticket purchase(s) (for whatever the value) is to recorded against a "placeholder" auction item number for the purpose of invoicing, generating receipts, and reporting results.
Many auctions include games or activities that required a separate purchase such as a raffles, drink/food tickets, "golden opportunity tickets" etc.
Read the
Create fixed price auction items to sell ON PAPER QRC for details on how to use this auction type.
Use the Prepare Tracking
Sheets QRC (or read more on our tracking sheets help page).
Top n Bidders Win – Top n Bidders Win allows the top designated number of bidders (n) to win the auction item (where n can be any number of bidders from 2-30). For example, if a local chef has donated a specialty dinner with wine pairing for the 6 highest bidders, use the Top n Bidders functionality. Bidders can continue to outbid each other until time expires, and then the software will add the winning item to the top 6 bidders' invoices.
Create the auction type by setting the Top N Bidders radio button to Yes, and selecting the appropriate N value form the drop-down box. Use the procedure listed on the Top N Bidders QRC to create the auction type and the auction item.
During online bidding, the software will automatically clone the single donation/auction item an appropriate number of times (N-1) and assign an auction item number with a top winning bid to the top N bidders' invoices.
Click here for more information on how to set up a Top n Bidders Win auction type/items.
To track direct sales of wine, food, art, or other physical items where the asking price is a fixed amount, create a custom auction type with a Fixed Price. Treating direct sales items as auction items provides the benefit of these items appearing on attendee's invoices and your auction reports. See Creating Fixed Price/Multiple Winner Auction Items for additional information on using fixed price items.
Depending on whether you're selling these items in an online auction setting, or in person at an event, use the appropriate quick reference card for how-to steps:
Cash pledges, such as Cash Appeal, Paddle Raise, and Fund-a-Need, allow attendees to "bid" pledges of cash for a particular need. During the live auction portion of an event the auctioneer starts out asking for high pledges of say $1000, for example. Attendees raise their bidder numbers to make the pledge. As pledge spots are filled, the auctioneer moves to progressively lower pledge amounts.
You can offer cash pledge options in your online auction catalog (for example: $250 Cash Donation to our Cause). Follow the procedure for creating / entering a fixed price item to sell ONLINE.
In a virtual, online or hybrid event setting, using our automatic Fund-a-Need feature is ideal. For more information on how to enable the online Fund-a-Need feature, view our Virtual Events help page. Read the Enter / Edit Bid Resutls and Cash Pledges QRC
for more detail on how to use the online cash pledge / fund-a-need feature.