| A few months ago I had written an article about a | | | | said, "That's how I got the idea." |
| unique silent auction idea involving printer's plates. | | | | Turns out, this ambitious auction chair read every one |
| Here's a quick refresher before I get to my | | | | of my blog posts and subscribed to my FREE e-zine |
| experience: | | | | to prepare for her auction. When she read my blog |
| Printer's plates are the image from the newspaper's | | | | post about printer's plates, she asked one of her |
| front page. These plates are relatively easy to obtain, | | | | auction team members to follow-up with a local |
| even without a contact at the paper. For example, you | | | | newspaper. The newspaper sent this group -- |
| can check your local newspaper's Contact Us page | | | | amazing! -- two beautiful historical plates with copies of |
| and find either a telephone number or email address to | | | | the front page framed. |
| begin the process. | | | | She was so excited to have them in the auction. And |
| They make for nice silent auction items because they | | | | now I was excited, too. I couldn't believe how nice |
| are unusual. Multiple plates are often made of the | | | | these were. The newspaper donated two |
| various front pages so you may be able to obtain one | | | | sports-related printer's plates. These plates were |
| that has historical significance such as Presidential | | | | different than what I'd seen donated from The Wall |
| inaugurations, World Series, etc. | | | | Street Journal. These were clearly more |
| At a recent benefit auction, I was doing a walk-through | | | | contemporary-looking. The plates were printed on a |
| with my client before guests arrived. As we | | | | polyester plate material that looked like a metal. |
| approached these plates (one of which was a | | | | Final numbers are still out, but a preliminary audit |
| gorgeous printer's plate from an uplifting day in history | | | | indicates that the auction related activities raised twice |
| for Cal Ripken and his fans), she said, "We're really | | | | as much as in year's past. They also hit a new |
| excited about these." | | | | attendance record. (Let's not forget that at the time of |
| "Wow!, "I said, "How interesting. I wrote about how to | | | | this writing, we're still in a recession.) Friends, making |
| get these donated a few months ago, but I don't often | | | | money at a benefit auction is simply a matter of using |
| see them in auctions." "I know you wrote about it," she | | | | a proven system with a little creative planning. |