The preparations have been made, the auctions items have been bundled and the bid sheets laid out. At the end of the event, money needs to be collected and items given out. To ensure that things go smoothly, enlist the help of plenty of volunteers (about one for every five items, if possible) and make sure that they are all clear on the procedure.
Ending the Auction
Silent auctions usually end at a set pre-announced time. (This can cause a frenzy of bidding at the end!) Workers must immediately pull bid sheets to ensure that nobody bids after the auction is officially closed.
Alternatively, auctions can end at a secret pre-determined time. This might keep people bidding quickly, because they don’t know when they might be the last bidder. However, this method can also make the event more stressful and lead to complaints.
Another way to keep bidding constant, yet fair, is to have different start and stop times for different items. (One item is pulled, the winner is announced, and another item is put in its place). This method requires a higher level of coordination than having the same start and stop time for all the items.
Finalizing the Transaction
After the auction is closed, the workers should look over the bid sheets to make sure there are no irregularities (for instance, the final bid being a smaller amount than a previous bid, or the minimum bid amount not being met), and to organize for the auction items to be given out. In a small auction, this might just take five minutes, and then each winner can be called up one at a time to pay for and collect their prize. In a bigger auction, it might take an hour to organize things before winning bidders can pick up their items.
When a lot of items are involved, it’s a good idea to have people pick up their prizes at different places or different times. For instance, names beginning with A-G can pick up on one end of the room, or at 4 pm, while H-O are in another area or slightly later time.
Because of the time it takes to process bids, hand over items, and collect money, it’s a good idea to hold other activities to keep people from leaving. In fact, the other activity might be part of the reason why people come in the first place. There can be a raffle, a dinner, a show, an art gallery, or a fair.
Make sure there is plenty of cash on hand, and calculators for people who won multiple items. The more forms of payment that can be accepted (checks, credit cards), the better.
Unclaimed Auction Items
Make clear the policy on unclaimed items before the auction starts. There are three typical choices:
- The person must be present to win. If not available, the second highest bidder wins.
- The bid sheet has a place for contact numbers. Contact the winning bidder, and determine if and when they will pick up their prize. If unavailable, or uninterested, pass the prize to the next highest bidder. If the winning bidder is not present, save the item for the next auction.
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