In the spring, our school will have our silent auction. This is my third year coordinating and auction and I agree that registering each bidder is very important. Our biggest problem was contacting individuals who had won the auction and was not present at the time of closing. Our registration form will include work phone, cell phone, e mail, home address, etc. This will be invaluable when it is time to begin contacting the winning bidders.

Silent Auction Rules

1. Bid sheets are displayed for each item. Bidder is to print his/her assigned bidder number and the amount of his/her bid on the bid sheet.
2. All starting bids will be the minimum bid amounts noted on the bid sheets.
3. Each new bid must be written on the first available blank line on the bid sheet and many not be crossed out. Bids must be in round dollar amounts, equal to or exceeding the minimum increase amount stated on the bid sheet.
4. if a bid sheet lists a ?Guaranteed Purchase? amount for the item, you may bid that price at any time while the table is open and thereby assure absolute purchase of the item. If you do, please ask a table closer to remove the bid sheet from the table. If a bid is entered in the ?Guaranteed Purchase? option, bidding on that item is closed to other bids.
5. Items contested at the time a category closes may be auctioned off to the highest bidder by our professional auctioneer.
6. For each item the person h the valid high bid at the close of the silent auction tables shall be acknowledged as the purchaser by the auction committee. Title will pass to the purchaser upon receipt of payment to the (organization name). The purchaser thereupon assumes full risk and responsibility.

Please note #5. This is one of many of the benefits of hiring an experienced fund raising professional auctioneer. Even if they charge you a fee, they will ore than make up that fee by providing you with their experience on how to increase your overall funds from the auction.

Norman O?Neal
Past President
Auctioneers Association of Maryland

When we had our auction, and had more than one of an item...i.e. two sketcher gift certificates, we would put out two bidding sheets. That way, people bidding would see that they are two separate items.

A dutch auction is an auction where there will be more than one winning bidder. I think I have the guidelines for the dutch auction finalized now. We have many companies that have given us multiple items of the same thing. For instance a golf course gave us 4 certificates for rounds of golf. We didn't want to lump them together because the cost would be pretty high. So with a dutch auction the top 4 bidders win. We also had a company that gave us 6 sets of lincoln log types of toys. We had 6 winners in that case.

We had some trouble last year when a parent was bidding on some certificates from Skechers. There were two available and she wanted both...however she only entered one bid - thinking she would be getting both. So we clarified that you need indicate the quantity desired on dutch auctions. I hope we have fixed the error now.

Thanks also to those parents who emailed me their silent auction guidelines. I think I almost have mine ready to print.

If anyone wants the dutch auction guidelines to help them with a similiar problem...please email me.

Thanks.

Lisa
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John McLoughlin Elementary PTSO

What is a dutch auction item? Maybe other peole are not responding because they don't know what this is. I have never been involved with a silent auction in any respect, so I can't answer, sorry. Good luck with getting the answer you are looking for.

We have had silent auctions for several years but have never had dutch items so I can't help you there; but we ran into a problem last year that was new and will be adding a new rule this year to cover it.
We had a family who took turns guarding a basket so that they could out bid anyone else. By the time the auction ended an adult had a chair sitting and watching the basket!!! This year no one will be allowed to stay in the auction area over a set time limit. Hope this gives you something to think about.