By Shannon Eason
One of the most common comments we’re hearing this season is: “Our live auction donations are down, and we’re struggling to come up with fun options that will really interest our donors.”
Sound familiar?
Live auction donations aren’t always as plentiful — or as exciting — as they once were. But that doesn’t mean your live auction has to suffer. It may simply mean it’s time to rethink how you build it.
And yes, eventually we’re going to address the elephant in the room: consignment.
No one loves the idea of paying for an auction item. We’d all rather keep 100% of the winning bid. But before we get there, let’s look at some creative ways to turn the donations you are receiving into packages worthy of the live auction stage.
Stop looking at each donation as an individual item and start asking: What could this become?
For example, one organization had a food truck willing to donate food for 20 people. The previous year, it sold for $1,250.
Great donation — but what if the goal is to turn that $1,250 package into a $3,000 or $4,000 experience?
Start building.
Ask a local band or DJ to donate two or three hours of entertainment. Now we’re talking.
Add beer from a local microbrewery and a few cases of wine from a local winery. Better.
But can we make it even “sweeter”? Absolutely. Add an ice cream or shaved-ice truck for dessert.
Suddenly, you’re no longer auctioning off a food truck. You’re selling a private party experience — perfect for a graduation, milestone birthday, retirement party, neighborhood celebration, or corporate gathering.
That’s the shift: Don’t just auction what was donated. Create something people want to win.
Every event committee knows the drill: restaurant gift cards, hotel certificates, theater tickets, flowers, activities — you end up with a little bit of everything.
Instead of automatically sending those items to the silent auction, start combining them.
Create a luxury staycation with a hotel stay, dinner, and theater tickets. Or take it further and create “Date Night for a Year.”
January might be flowers delivered from a local florist. February could be dinner and a hotel stay. Another month might include theater tickets, while another features beer and bowling or a fun activity night.
You get the idea.
Instead of managing a dozen smaller silent auction items, you’ve created one memorable live auction package with a story behind it.
That’s what we call a win-win.
Autographed memorabilia can still be a great live auction item — but there’s an important qualifier: you need the right audience.
A signed Taylor Swift guitar or Travis Kelce jersey might create a bidding frenzy in one room and fall completely flat in another.
Talk to your committee chairs, sponsors, and major donors. Are they classic rock fans? Sports enthusiasts? Swifties? Golf fanatics?
Let your audience help tell you what belongs on the auction block.
And when purchasing memorabilia, always work with a reputable provider that offers proper authentication and documentation. The item is only valuable if your bidders trust that it’s authentic.
I’m going to say it.
Sit down, please.
Consignment.
WAIT! Before you start shaking your head and saying, “We don’t do consignment,” hear me out.
Consignment isn’t right for every event or every audience. But when it’s used strategically, it can be an incredibly effective fundraising tool.
One of its biggest advantages is simple: In many consignment arrangements, if the package doesn’t sell, you don’t pay for it.
In other words, you aren’t necessarily risking precious fundraising dollars just to put the package on the auction block.
But the real opportunity is often something you can’t do with most donated packages:
Sell more than one.
Imagine a three-night Kentucky Bourbon Trail experience for two couples with a consignment cost of $2,250.
Several people are actively bidding. Instead of pushing one bidder to $5,000 and selling a single package, your auctioneer recognizes the opportunity and stops the bidding at $4,000.
Three bidders agree to purchase the experience at $4,000 each.
One package at $5,000 would net the organization $2,750.
Three packages at $4,000 generate $12,000 in gross revenue against $6,750 in consignment costs — for a $5,250 net return.
And there’s another benefit: Instead of one happy winning bidder, you now have three groups of donors walking away excited about their purchase and the organization they supported.
That’s when consignment stops being simply an “expense” and becomes a revenue strategy.
This is one of my favorite strategies, and when the audience and package are right, it can be incredibly effective.
We call it The Sweep Strategy — sometimes referred to as “The Oprah Moment.” Why? Because suddenly the energy in the room becomes: You get a trip! You get a trip! And YOU get a trip!
Instead of selling one package to the highest bidder, the goal is to recognize the moment when you have multiple bidders willing to buy at the same profitable price — and give all of them the opportunity to say yes.
Picture this: A beautiful travel video begins playing while the auctioneer sets the scene.
“Who’s ready to put their toes in the sand, soak up the sun, and support an incredible mission tonight?”
The package is six days and five nights at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico or the Dominican Republic. Food, drinks, and non-motorized activities are included.
The auctioneer starts the bidding: $1,000… $1,250… $1,500… $1,750… $2,000… $2,250… $2,500.
And there are still paddles in the air.
That’s when the strategy changes.
Instead of continuing until only one bidder remains, the auctioneer stops and announces that everyone still bidding at $2,500 can purchase the trip.
And now you get that “Oprah Moment.”
“Bidder 332 — you’re going on vacation! Bidder 214 — you’re going on vacation! Bidder 115 — you’re going on vacation!”
And you keep going.
Here’s where the math gets exciting.
If the package costs $1,100 and sells for $2,500, the organization nets $1,400 per package.
Sell 10, and that’s $14,000 in net revenue.
We’ve seen The Sweep Strategy taken much further. Our record is 59 packages sold in a single event, generating nearly $90,000 in net revenue for the organization.
Try doing that with one donated vacation.
Before you add a consignment package to your next live auction and expect magic to happen, there are a few things that need to be in place.
First, you need the right auctioneer. Selling multiples requires an auctioneer who understands the strategy, can read the room, and knows when to stop pushing the bid higher and start selling volume.
Second, vet your consignment partner. Great packages mean very little if your winning donors have a poor experience afterward. Look for established companies with strong customer service, reliable travel experiences, and clear terms and conditions. Your organization’s reputation is attached to that experience.
Third, know your audience. What do they want? What will they bid on? What gets them excited enough to put a paddle in the air?
How do you find out?
Ask them.
Talk to committee chairs, host committee members, sponsors, past major donors, and previous trip buyers. Ask about their bucket-list experiences and dream trips.
Maybe it’s the Kentucky Derby. The Masters. The Final Four. The Super Bowl. A P!NK concert. Benson Boone. A culinary getaway. An international adventure.
Don’t guess what your audience wants when you can simply ask.
Finally, Think About the Order
A successful live auction isn’t just about what you sell. When you sell it matters, too.
Think of your auction lineup like a bell curve.
Start with an accessible, high-energy package that gets paddles in the air and breaks the ice. Build toward your premium packages in the middle of the auction, when participation and energy are strong.
Then, if you’re using The Sweep Strategy, consider placing it at the end.
Why?
Because it gives guests who didn’t win one of the traditional live auction items another opportunity to participate — and walk away with something they’re genuinely excited about.
There’s a method to the madness.
The live auction landscape is changing. Donations may be harder to secure, but that doesn’t mean event professionals have to lower their fundraising expectations.
The answer may be sitting in the donations you already have. Package them differently. Create experiences instead of individual items. Listen to what your audience actually wants. And yes — be willing to reconsider strategies you may have dismissed in the past.
Even consignment.
Because ultimately, the goal isn’t to brag that every item was donated.
The goal is to create an exciting guest experience, support the mission, and raise as much money as possible.
And sometimes, doing that requires thinking beyond the donated item.
MEET
Shannon Eason, CEO and founder of Everything Gala, LLC, a fundraising and consulting firm. Eason is an International Auctioneer Champion and has been conducting auctions for almost 40 years. Along with being an instructor and mentor, Eason conducts seminars and workshops across the country.
For 20+ years, the MEET family of products have provided regional and national resources that have kept corporate, association, medical, education, independent, and religious meeting and event planners informed about relevant vendors, industry news, tech innovations, and resources that impact and influence how and where they plan their group business.
For 20+ years, the MEET family of products have provided regional and national resources that have kept corporate, association, medical, education, independent, and religious meeting and event planners informed about relevant vendors, industry news, tech innovations, and resources that impact and influence how and where they plan their group business.
