Porc Fest silent auction

[porcupine kate]

I can donate a weekend Pet sitting services

I will make up a gift certificate thingy for it. 

I love it.  Things this are great.
Thank you

[porcupine kate]

I can donate a weekend Pet sitting services

I will make up a gift certificate thingy for it. 

Thats great.  Don't forget to include some info on your services and rates if they want to use you again.

[FTL_Ian]

Unless you're coming out to Keene, I'll need a shipping address.

[Raineyrocks]

How does a silent auction work?

Generally, the main difference is that you vote on a sheet of paper over a period of time vs. a live auction where all the bidding happens at once. There is usually a bid increment and that varies depending on the value of the item. For instance, an item valued at $100 might have a minimum opening bid of $10 with a $5 bid increment. I might want to bid $10 so I write my name and my bid on the sheet. Then if you want to outbid me, you can bid $15 or higher and you write your name and your bid on the next line. And so one. At the end of the auction, whoever has the highest bid wins the item.

Sometimes a group of smaller items will be put together as one auction item.

Make sense?

Makes sense, thanks!  

[Raineyrocks]

How does a silent auction work?

We can't talk about it.  It's silent. 

[Raineyrocks]

How does a silent auction work?

I think the only thing I have are left over Ron Paul bumper stickers so that wouldn't be any good, right?

It doesn't have to be political at all just something cool other people would want.

I missed the part where you wrote non Liberty themed stuff!   I'll definitely look around as everybody that helped us move in knows we have lots of stuff.

[MengerFan]

How does a silent auction work?

Generally, the main difference is that you vote on a sheet of paper over a period of time vs. a live auction where all the bidding happens at once. There is usually a bid increment and that varies depending on the value of the item. For instance, an item valued at $100 might have a minimum opening bid of $10 with a $5 bid increment. I might want to bid $10 so I write my name and my bid on the sheet. Then if you want to outbid me, you can bid $15 or higher and you write your name and your bid on the next line. And so one. At the end of the auction, whoever has the highest bid wins the item.

Sometimes a group of smaller items will be put together as one auction item.

Make sense?

This is a seriously inefficient auction design.

I recommend the following, as someone who did their PhD work in auction design under a Nobel laureate:

Assign a number to each item. Set up a lock box with a hole in the top. Have a stack of bid sheets. On these bid sheets, individuals would write the item number along with their bid. At the end of the auction, the highest bidder wins, but they pay the price of the second highest bidder.

To increase efficiency further, you can also have bidders indicate a budget constraint for the total price of all items won. For example, I will pay $10 each for items 1, 2, and 3; but the most I will pay is $10. So, if I win all of the items at a price of $5, one of those items will have to drop off and be assigned to the next highest bidder.

The auction administrator may feel free to contact me for further consultation, free of charge.

[dalebert]

Someone requested to commission a cartoon from me once and I had no idea what to charge them. I ended up not doing it because a cartoon is a lot of work, easily 12 hours sometimes, and I wasn't sure what I would want to be paid would measure up to the actual value, which is whatever someone is willing to pay.

So one thought I had about this auction was to offer up a commission on a tailor-made cartoon of the buyer's choice. It would give me a chance to gauge the real market value of a commissioned cartoon. I'm reluctant though because that can be a real ego-buster, you know? It's a bit personal. It's like participating in one of those bachelor auctions and after a really long pause, some 80 year-old lady in the back finally bids 50 cents and wins. Did anyone see Groundhog Day? 

But if I decide to go ahead with it, I would set it up like this.

I will do a custom cartoon for the winner which will be posted on my site and archived along with all the other cartoons for as long as the site is up (hopefully a LONG time, if all goes well), though not necessarily on the regular scheduled posting time (Fridays currently). I already throw in an extra toon during the week from time to time. It can be a single panel (600x500 px) up to two or three panel (750x350 px). You write the script essentially and I draw it. It can be about whatever you want and if you like, you can give me a photo and a personal description and be caricatured into the comic. PC Weenies does something like this regularly. It would include an autographed to the winner and framed print of the cartoon. Versions in my store are $38 for the large or $32 for small (winner's choice) though I might look into a local option of comparable quality.

[FTL_Ian]

Sorry to say, Mark has vetoed my idea.  He wanted it, so he paid me $20 for it.  But we do have a giant stuffed porcupine!

[Kat Kanning]

I think it's a great idea, Dale...the only thing I've heard so far that I'd bid on.

[porcupine kate]

How does a silent auction work?

Generally, the main difference is that you vote on a sheet of paper over a period of time vs. a live auction where all the bidding happens at once. There is usually a bid increment and that varies depending on the value of the item. For instance, an item valued at $100 might have a minimum opening bid of $10 with a $5 bid increment. I might want to bid $10 so I write my name and my bid on the sheet. Then if you want to outbid me, you can bid $15 or higher and you write your name and your bid on the next line. And so one. At the end of the auction, whoever has the highest bid wins the item.

Sometimes a group of smaller items will be put together as one auction item.

Make sense?

This is a seriously inefficient auction design.

I recommend the following, as someone who did their PhD work in auction design under a Nobel laureate:

Assign a number to each item. Set up a lock box with a hole in the top. Have a stack of bid sheets. On these bid sheets, individuals would write the item number along with their bid. At the end of the auction, the highest bidder wins, but they pay the price of the second highest bidder.

To increase efficiency further, you can also have bidders indicate a budget constraint for the total price of all items won. For example, I will pay $10 each for items 1, 2, and 3; but the most I will pay is $10. So, if I win all of the items at a price of $5, one of those items will have to drop off and be assigned to the next highest bidder.

The auction administrator may feel free to contact me for further consultation, free of charge.

Please contact me.  I would love to find an easier way.  PM me and I'll give you  my contact info. 
It does need to be a silent auction type of fundraiser so we don't have to get a dam permit.

[porcupine kate]

Sorry to say, Mark has vetoed my idea.  He wanted it, so he paid me $20 for it.  But we do have a giant stuffed porcupine!

I'll take the porcupine and anything else you would like to give the FSP.

[porcupine kate]

I'm still looking for more great stuff for the auction.
Please let me know if you have any thing you would like to donate.
Kate

[ny2nh]

This is a seriously inefficient auction design.

I recommend the following, as someone who did their PhD work in auction design under a Nobel laureate:

Assign a number to each item. Set up a lock box with a hole in the top. Have a stack of bid sheets. On these bid sheets, individuals would write the item number along with their bid. At the end of the auction, the highest bidder wins, but they pay the price of the second highest bidder.

To increase efficiency further, you can also have bidders indicate a budget constraint for the total price of all items won. For example, I will pay $10 each for items 1, 2, and 3; but the most I will pay is $10. So, if I win all of the items at a price of $5, one of those items will have to drop off and be assigned to the next highest bidder.

The auction administrator may feel free to contact me for further consultation, free of charge.

That doesn't sound much like an auction though. I think people like to outbid each other....sometimes just because they can! I've helped with a silent auction at a annual dinner for many years and they way I described worked really well and raised a decent amount of $$.

[dalebert]

I tend to agree with Tammy. It's probably best not to get too complicated. There's a pretty standard format for silent auctions that I've seen used in a number of places and there's value in keeping it familiar and comfortable. They're already kind of safe and low pressure as opposed to the shouting match of regular auctions. I can't imagine trying to work out the kinks of the budget limits and what not if I were trying to run it. Like Tammy said, people tend to bid on things a little more liberally when they believe in the cause as it's more than just a purchase. It's a contribution.