The Top Five Types of Items to Include in Online Auctions
The types of items you have in your auction can make or break it. How do you know which items to go after? How do you know which items will be popular? Are there any items that are a MUST to have in your online auction?
I’m here to help answer those questions. As an Online Auction Expert at BiddingForGood, I know which types of items to keep in mind when soliciting auction items. These items can help you raise more money.
1. Let’s start with the top performing categories on biddingforgood.com.
- Dining – Everyone enjoys going out for a nice meal!
- Travel – There is nothing like a great trip!
- Getaways – Sometimes a weekend away is just what the doctor ordered.
- Sports Tickets – There’s nothing like watching your favorite team.
- Entertainment Tickets – Seeing your favorite performer in person is amazing!
- Retail Gift Cards – Sometimes you just gotta shop!
- Unique Experiences – Some experiences are truly once in a lifetime.
2. Let’s think about some Homegrown Items. These are items that your community can supply. The beauty of these items is that usually all you really need is someone willing to donate their time! These are unique items that can’t be purchased at any store or bought online. If bidders want one of these items, they know they have to act fast and bid. Here are some examples:
- Principal for a Day
- A Reserved Parking Spot
- Lunch with a Local Artist
- Shadowing the Artistic Director for a day
3. Let’s take a look at Fund-A-Need Items. This is your chance to fulfill specific needs of your organization. Bidders can purchase these Fund-A-Need items for set price. Here are some examples:
- $100 to help send a kid to camp! - For a School
- $50 to buy groceries to feed a family in need! - For a Food Bank
- $200 to help us renovate our building! - For a Hospital
These items can be very popular. There may be bidders out there who want to give, but don’t see any items they like. Or they may be bidding on lots of items, but want to be sure they donate a certain dollar amount. These items are the perfect opportunity for those individuals to contribute! It also doesn’t require any legwork on your part to add these to your auction!
4. Don’t forget items that cater to your community. It’s always important to keep the big picture in mind. However, don’t forget about items that are of specific interest to your community! You know your community best, and you know what excites them most. For example, if your organization is a theater company:
- Stellar tickets to the hottest show on Broadway
- Lunch with your theater company’s artistic director
- A Playbill signed by a Broadway star
- A subscription to your next season of shows
5. Finally, the POWER of Gift Cards. There is really only one type of item that we can say is often bid up to value or close to it: GIFT CARDS!
Whether it’s a gift card to Starbucks, a local restaurant, or Saks Fifth Avenue, people love to bid on gift cards! It makes sense when you think about it. Chances are they are planning to go to that store or restaurant anyway. Here’s their chance to give to your organization, and then use the gift card at their favorite place! It’s classic win/win!