Big Board Auction – Charity Auctioneer Andrew Bost

Your auction item acquisition committee has done a stellar job of getting lots of great fundraising items from donors from Dallas to San Antonio- but what to do with them all? It’s a great problem for a charity fundraiser to have, and the Big Board Auction is part of the solution.

Big Board charity auction items are the ten or twenty auction items that are too valuable for the Silent Auction, but not high-end enough to take the coveted few spots in the Live Auction. You would hate to see that weekend beach getaway sit quiet and unnoticed in the silent auction, so put it on the Big Board!

What are Big Board Auctions?

Picture a big dry erase board with the title of each auction item, the current high bid and high bidder’s bid number. While guests are bidding on silent auction items and having cocktails when they first arrive, two or three volunteers are manning the Big Board, telling people about the items and encouraging them to place the next bid. It’s simply a way of giving extra attention to a selection of items. You’ll need to provide your volunteers with a mic and speakers, of course, since they’ll be promoting the fundraising items over the noise of a cocktail party. Their job is to talk about the items and encourage guests to place bids. Guests tell their bids to a volunteer and the volunteer writes them on the Big Board.

The best way to end Big Board bidding is to close each item with live bid calling. Each item only takes a few seconds to close. Either a volunteer or your Live Auctioneer can close out the bidding, depending on whether the Big Board closes before or after the Live Auction. Ask Benefit Auctioneer Andrew Bost which way works better for your Texas fundraising event!