"What Is A Silent Auction, Anyway?"

Ever been to an auction? I used to think that there were just two kinds of auctions. First, there was the noisy kind. You know, like horse auctions where most of what the auctioneer said sounded like complete gibberish and he or she talked faster than that guy in the Izuzu commercials. Then there was the “refined” auction, like those at Sotheby’s. The auctioneer assumed you knew what was going on and bids were signalled by a slight raising of the eyebrow or a discrete little cough.

I’ve often thought that it would be fun to switch those two audiences and see what each auctioneer made of it!

Anyway, we’ve recently encountered a third kind of auction — the “Silent” kind. The kind of auction we have at our annual Anniversary Parties. At these auctions, you can raise your eyebrows and cough as much as you like but it won’t get you an item you desire. Here is how BTCNJ’s Silent Auction works....

Our members donate items or services for auction and each is carefully written up and displayed at the party. Alongside each auction item is a clipboard, a bid sheet and a pen. If the page is blank, i.e., you are the first bidder, there is usually a suggested minimum bid listed on the bid sheet. You decide how much the item is worth to you and place a bid on the sheet, along with your name. If previous bids are written on the sheet, you may bid higher (but check to see that there is not a minimum incremental amount by which the previous bid must be bettered.)

As the evening progresses, bids accumulate. Check back periodically to see if someone else has outbid you. Increase your bid, if you wish. At some point, an announcement will be made that there is a limited time left in which to bid. Quick, go check all of the items you are bidding for and make sure you are the highest bidder, if you still want to win. After the bidding period is over, we will determine the “winner” of each item and you will have the opportunity to settle up and claim your “prize.” Don’t forget to bring your checkbook on the night of the party!!!

The first year we held the Silent Auction, the concept was new to many of our members. Our past President, Jim Nicholson, and his wife Sue, were dismayed to find many items not bid upon, so they entered their names to get things going. Lo and behold, at the end of the evening, they owed a bunch of money to the club! But guess what? They got two mini-vacations for a really cheap price, and a bunch of other great stuff. Needless to say, they had more competition in the second year!

Now, this is the really important part! We need items to auction. Want to contribute but not sure what sort of things to offer? Look here for some ideas.

~ Ken Stahl