Hiring Us Makes Your Organization Money On The First Call!
Fundraising auctions are as popular as ever and a skilled, professional auctioneer is the key to a successful event. A well-conducted auction can be a high-profit venture for organizations as the proceeds realized are limited only to your group´s imagination. People attend fundraising auctions to enjoy themselves, support a dear cause and to HAVE FUN! Prigge Auctions realizes that and makes HAVING FUN a reality. There is a lot of planning that goes into this type of auction and using our 34 years of fundraising experience will ease the pressure of making your event a winner.
Most importantly... People do not attend fundraiser auctions for the meal, socializing or music. They attend because they want to spend money, be entertained, help the cause while buying items or services which are normally not found everyday in an entertaining way - THE AUCTION WAY!
We do more than just show up on auction day. Your decision to use Prigge Auctions produces immediate results as we give you tips on organizing your event, where to get additional auction items from and what items sell best in a live or silent auction. Many of our clients make more than our appearance fee back from ideas we give them before their auction is held. We also advise what items should never be in a live auction.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Will we be able to understand your fast-talking during the auction?
Absolutely! The auctioneer's chant is the most important audio focal point of every auction and needs to be set to the crowd that is attending. A tobacco auction chant will not work at a black tie event. John's fundraising chant is recognized as being not only pleasing and exciting but clear. Very clear.
We have a special donor who wants to help us. Is that OK?
It seems like every group has a member or prospective donor who would like to help with the donation aspect of the auction but cannot due to the nature of their business. This would be an opportune time to solicit them for an in-kind donation to cover our fees. A well-written note in the event program like, "The services of Prigge Auctions is made possible through the kindness of Dr. John Smith of Smith Medical Services, Anytown, IL." would be rewarding to the donor.
Why should we pay an auctioneer when one of
our volunteers said they will do it for free?
In cases of auctions with just a few items of nominal value a connected member of your group, i.e., clergy, school principal, etc., may be the best choice. However, for more formal events where mid to high range items are offered, it pays to have a neutral professional who can keep it lively and entertaining all the way through. Plus, the audience feels less inhibited in their bidding when a professional auctioneer is used. In other words, your crowd has no history with the auctioneer, good or bad. It also signifies to supporters that your organization recognizes the value and importance of the auction portion of your program enough to contract a professional.
Someone wants to consign items to our auction with minimum bids.
Should we consider doing that?
With very rare exception the answer is no. Autographed sports or celebrity items, luxurious trips, jewelry and furs are often consigned to charity auctions as an exciting draw. However, there are usually unrealistic minimum bids from the consignor attached to them. Our experience finds that the minimums asked for are higher than current retail. Not achieving a minimum bid at a benefit auction can sour the crowd. Worse yet is that even though a consigned item may sell, your organization may not make any money on the sale.
Here is an example. A Las Vegas vacation trip that has a minimum bid of $2000.00 must be sold with a minimum of $2200.00 to cover our commission. If only one bidder bids the $2200.00 minimum, it must sell. In the end, your donor gets their minimum of $2000.00, we make the $200.00 balance as our commission and your organization makes zero. NOTE: It is required that bidders know in advance which items are consigned and have minimum bids. Why? Donors cannot take credit for their full purchase price as a donation if not all of their money is going to your cause.
Part of our service is to discourage organizations from accepting consignment items. Since we are in the business of market values and have access to those values many others do not, we can offer sound advice on expected values.
How many items should we have in our live auction?
Here is where you need an experienced benefit auctioneer. Generally, benefit auctions succeed when there are unusual items offered for bidding. Get creative! Look for the unique things that have a wide appeal or something that we all have said to ourselves, "I wish I could do that or go there" work best. A fundraiser auction is the time to tap into the connections donors may have with unique potential items! Usually someone knows someone who can donate something attractive like a tour of a rarely seen work location, a corporate suite to a sporting event, lunch with a celebrity, a chance to be in a one night play, etc.
If you have a donor who insists on a minimum bid, it may be best to decline the donation or place it in the silent auction with the minimum posted. Our well-planned consultations will ease your mind if you are worried about not achieving your auction goals. This information and other tips are all part of our fee.
We have a local celebrity who wants to be our auctioneer. What should we do?
Let us include them in the auction! A local celebrity can enhance your auction in many ways. We can play off of them and use them to get more bids during the auction. We will come prepared with the knowledge of the celebrity making a melding of the minds easy with your group as the benefactor. In other words, let the celebrity be a celebrity and let the auctioneer be the auctioneer. That way, the auctioneer assumes the task of making money so the celebrity does not have to.
Okay, we'll use a professional auctioneer, but why should we use YOU?
Along with the experience of 34 years as an auctioneer, John's wit and humor coupled with his writing and acting training as an improv actor at the world famous Second City Training Center and Improv Olympic in Chicago is a special touch no other auctioneer can duplicate. John studied with the likes of Nia Vardalos, Stephen Colbert, Jon Favreau, and the late Del Close while honing his skills. His writing and selling talents benefits your auction also! John draws on his radio & TV commercial writing and acting experience talents to spice up your items - not only for your program BUT during the auction, too! Being able to think on your feet is something every good auctioneer must do. Being entertaining while doing it is something few can do.
Why do you charge an appearance fee and a commission instead of a flat fee?
Because it’s cheaper for the organizations that hire us.
We have discovered many groups operate with little budgeted funds for an auctioneer and therefore do not have the one-time, up-front funds to hire most professional auctioneers. We know this first-hand as our flat fee often stopped groups from hiring us in the past. With this plan, most any size organization can afford our minimal appearance fee. The commission part is not only an additional incentive for us to make more money for your function but the additional payment can be rationalized as being paid for by the bidders on auction day - NOT from your expense budget. Even groups with an established budget love our plans because the lump sum money appropriated for an auctioneer can now be moved to other departments like advertising, entertainment, supplies, etc.
In all cases, we promise, we can get at least 10% more on your live auction items than having a non-professional doing the bid calling.
OUR FOUR "BEST SUCCESS" PLANS
Bronze Plan
Up to 10 items or less in live auction
Unlimited pre-auction phone consultation.
$250.00 appearance fee plus 10% of total bid amounts from the live auction.
Silver Plan
Up to 15 items in live auction
One hour in-person consultation plus unlimited phone consultation.
Bid cards and clerking sheets provided.
$350.00 appearance fee plus 10% of total bid amounts from live auction.
Gold Plan
1-24 items in live auction
Two hour in-person consultation plus unlimited phone consultation.
Bid cards, clerking sheets, silent auction bid forms, plus two auction-day associates provided.
$550.00 appearance fee plus 10% of total bid amounts from live auction.
We have many answers to your questions about our fundraiser auctions.
Please call for a free phone consultation.
Consider the many advantages of Prigge Auctions!
How Can We Earn Your Business?
847/888-3870
