| Let me guess. You're planning a family reunion, and | | | | states "Auction Items." Guests walk by the table to |
| one of your relatives has suggested holding an auction | | | | browse, and after lunch I begin the sale. If no one in |
| to raise money for the incurred expenses. | | | | your family is an auctioneer, I encourage you to find |
| What a great idea! | | | | the most outgoing member of your brood and ask him |
| Like many other families, my family started holding an | | | | or her to serve in the role. (If you have a very large |
| auction to cover the costs of producing the event. | | | | reunion, it might be worthwhile to hire a professional |
| The money collected from the auction is used in the | | | | benefit auctioneer who will likely take a small |
| months leading up to the reunion for expenses like | | | | percentage of the gross or charge a modest flat fee.) |
| renting the facility and purchasing utensils, coffee, and | | | | We don't number the items, write descriptions, or use |
| related supplies. My cousin buys the meat (for which | | | | bid numbers. The clerking is managed by one of my |
| he's reimbursed) and graciously smokes it to a | | | | cousins, and everyone pays the clerk in cash or check |
| melt-in-your-mouth tender on his farm. We also buy | | | | after the event. It's a low-tech, low-effort auction, yet it |
| fun prizes to award for "oldest attendee" or "traveled | | | | still makes money. |
| the furthest." Winners of various other games also | | | | Items sold are generally handmade by the donor or |
| receive small gifts like travel-size hand lotions and | | | | have some personal significance to the family. For |
| sanitizers. | | | | example: |
| For our first auction in 2005, we sold 23 items and | | | | • Canned tomatoes |
| raised $610. Everyone was delighted! Because the | | | | • A dozen kolaches |
| reunion has typically only cost ~$200 to organize, an | | | | • Crocheted items |
| account was opened at the credit union to hold the | | | | • A basket filled with all Kansas products (wine, |
| extra cash. Reimbursements are made from that | | | | snacks) |
| account. Because that first event was so successful | | | | • Wahoo game board with marbles and dice |
| and covered our costs, we've since put less emphasis | | | | • Bird house |
| on everyone bringing an item. | | | | • A collection of freshly picked garden vegetables |
| We advertised our first auction via a blast email to the | | | | • Reprinted photos of Grandma and Grandpa |
| family. Everyone was asked to bring something to be | | | | • A scrapbook of Grandma's saved sayings, |
| sold in our inaugural family reunion auction. Because the | | | | recipes and other clippings, including some in Czech |
| concept was new, many people had questions about | | | | • Basket of cookies |
| what would be an appropriate item to bring. We gave | | | | • Old postcards kept by Grandma and Grandpa |
| examples of items we had heard were sold at our | | | | • Painted Christmas ornament |
| friends' family auctions. | | | | In short, our family auction has served its purpose and |
| When guests arrive at our reunion, we put their | | | | become a tradition. I predict the same will be true of |
| donated item/s on a separate table with a sign that | | | | your event! |