How to Hold a Successful Charity Auction

Posted on February 18, 2020June 13, 2024 by Administrator

How to Hold a Successful Charity Auction

Make the most for your cause!

Auctions are a fantastic way for you to raise money for an organization that you are passionate about. They draw in a great crowd of bidders who are ready to give money and have fun at your event. We’ve created this guide so that you can be sure that your auction will be a success!

Decide What Type of Auction

The first thing that you will want to do when preparing for your charity auctions is to determine if you will be having a live or online auction. There are advantages and disadvantages to both types, so it will really be up to you to determine what will work best for your event depending on your time, budget, and organization.

Live Auctions

Most charity auctions are live auctions. Typically, the auction takes place as part of a large event. There will likely be a formal dinner or some other activity that accompanies the auction for some added pizzazz. The main advantage of live auctions is the anticipation and fun surrounding the event. Bidders come prepared to spend money and can get wrapped up in the excitement of the night, donating more than they planned. The buzzing atmosphere and fun competition can sweep people away, giving you a larger final donation number at the end of the night. The disadvantage of live auctions is that they are typically a lot to plan. You will have to have the time and the staff to plan the event, as well as the funds to cover the costs. If you are worried about the added expenses, or don’t have the time to plan a huge event, it might be a better idea to host an online auction.

Online Auctions

Online auctions are a great way to raise money fast for your organization. One of the biggest advantages of online charity auctions is the convenience that they bring both to you and to your bidders. All you have to do is provide photos and descriptions for your items and your auction company will do the rest. There is no huge planning process, no other expenses to budget for, and all you have to do is sit back and watch people bid. Bidders enjoy online charity auctions as it is easy for them to view your items on their own time and then place a bid on whatever they decide what they want to purchase. They will appreciate the opportunity to give fast without having to go out of their way. The main disadvantage to online charity auctions is the lack of urgency and competition. Live auctions pull in a lot of donations when people are swept up in the bidding process, but online auctions have less excitement attached to them. Online auctions are less focused around the organization as a whole and can’t pull on people’s heartstrings as much as a live auction would.

Once you’ve decided what type of auction you will be hosting you can jump right into the planning process!

Hire an Auctioneer

If you’ve decided to go the live auction route the first thing you will want to do is hire a professional auctioneer. While you might want to have a teammate or friend stand up on the auction block to save some money, it’s really in your best interest to hire an auctioneer. Besides the fact that you won’t have to worry about them getting stage fright right before the event, they have so much knowledge and experience to offer up that will help your auction go smoothly. They can give you tips on the planning process, help you attract the right bidders to the event and determine the best order to auction the items off in. During the event they know how to read the room and respond to keep the excitement up, will talk up certain items to get larger bids, encourage friendly competition and even act as a sort of MC for the night. An auctioneer will be able to help you get the highest bids possible out of your donors.

Pick Your Space

When heading into a live auction you want to make sure that you pick a proper location to go with your event. Like we said, many live charity auctions focus around a dinner, which gives you a lot of options. You can rent out a ballroom or banquet hall, or you could have your location play off of your cause. If you are raising money for a new football stadium, host a huge cookout on the current one. If you are raising money for an endangered species, check out the event rooms at your local zoo. Basing your space around your cause will add some extra fun to the night and will keep the organization at the forefront of everyone’s minds when it’s time to start bidding.

Promote Your Auction

This is one of the best things that you can do for your charity auction, regardless if it is live or online! The more people who attend your auction, the more bids that will come in, leading to more competition and a larger donation for your organization! If you are working with a professional auction company, they may have marketing services that you can use to get the word out, but there is a lot that you can do on your own! Take the time to make a fun graphic or invitation that you can post out across all of your social media platforms as well as deliver to potential bidders in person. You can also post your auction catalog with different posts for your spotlight items. Create an event on Facebook and invite everyone following your page. Encourage your employees and donors to share your posts on their own social media pages in order to get your auction in front of even more people. If you have the budget, consider creating some paid social ads that will get the word out even further! Take advantage of your email list and send out a newsletter highlighting the auction to people who already care a lot about your cause and are likely to want to bid! However you decide to promote your charity auction, make sure that the cause is the focus. Your cause is what will pull people in and cause them to participate. Charity auctions are great events that are fun for your donors and will bring in a lot of money for your cause. If you are interested in holding a live or online charity auction with us, contact us today! We would be more than happy to sit down with you to see how we can work with your company. Please contact us if you have any further questions about charity auctions or our auction process!

Looking to Participate in a Charity Auction?

Insight Vision Care Equipment Auction

Posted on February 17, 2020February 18, 2020 by Administrator

Insight Vision Care Equipment Auction

Optometry Equipment

Looking to expand your optometry practice? We have an auction coming up that will be perfect for you! On Thursday, February 27th we will be auctioning off assets from Insight Vision Care including a variety of ophthalmic units, vision testers, and tracer systems. Check out a few of the lots below or click here to view the whole auction.

Burton XL3000 Ophthalmic Unit

Includes: Padded Exam Chair With Adjustable Footrest And Pedal Controls, 120V, SN: 1241Stand With LED Readout, 120V, SN: 2893Welch Allyn 18425 RetinoscopeWelch Allyn 11720 OphthalmoscopeMarco RT-300 Refractor SN: 32431Topcon SL-D301 Slit Lamp, Dual Eye Piece, Chin Rest, Mounted On Side Table, Articulating Arm, SN: 2360374Derungs Overhead Lamp (Insight Vision Care)

Starting Bid: $5.00

Canon CR-2 Plus Digital Retinal Camera

Canon Camera With Fold-Out Screen, Joystick Controls, Chin Rest, Optical Scanner (Insight Vision Care)

Starting Bid: $5.00

Burton XL3000 Ophthalmic Unit

Includes: Padded Exam Chair With Adjustable Footrest And Pedal Controls, 120V, SN: 2630Stand With LED Readout, 120V, SN: 2343Welch Allen 71670 Tool HandleAmerican Optical 11625 Phoropter, Multi-Setting, Articulating Arm, SN: AR8345Mentor 253 Slit Lamp, Dual Eye Piece, Chin Rest, Mounted On Side Table, Articulating Arm, SN: 87312Derungs Overhead Lamp (Insight Vision Care)

Starting Bid: $5.00

Essilor Mr. Blue Lens Edger/Tracer System

Automatic Edger/Bevel Unit, Slide-Up Access Door, Touch Pad Controls; Stand Alone Tracer Unit, Touch Pad Controls, Built In Printer

Starting Bid: $5.00

Haag Streit Octopus 600 Laser Vision Field Tester

LED Screen, USB Ports, Dual Optical Scanner, Comes With Topcon AIt-16 Adjustable Instrument Table, SN: Z1410735 (Insight Vision Care)

Starting Bid: $5.00

Topcon Visia CA-800 Corneal Analyzer

LED Screen, Joystick Controls, Chin Rest, Optical Scanner SN: 75170679 (Insight Vision Care)

Starting Bid: $5.00

We hope that some of these items would help you start or expand your practice! If you have any questions about the auction, the bidding process, or our company, feel free to contact us here. We want to make sure that you feel completely comfortable bidding in our auctions. If you don’t have any questions, click the button below to head over to the full auction!

Everything You Need to Know About Our Weekly Thursday Auction

Posted on February 14, 2020February 12, 2020 by Administrator

Everything You Need to Know About Our Weekly Thursday Auction

Buying and Selling in Our Online Auction

If you are familiar with our company at all you probably have seen something about our weekly Thursday auction! This is one of our favorite things to do, as it allows us to serve a wider range of buyers and sellers! In these auctions, we accept consignments from anyone looking to sell – as long as the items meet our selling requirements. We hold the auction out of both of our primary locations, Byron Center/Wayland and Ortonville, Michigan so that we can sell items to as many buyers as possible. The great thing about these auctions is that anyone can participate in them and find something that they would be interested in purchasing. While many of our other auctions are focused on a specific industry or type of equipment, our weekly auctions have a wide variety of goods to choose from. If you’re looking for cars, campers, boats, jewelry, kitchen appliances, clothing, household tools, storage containers, musical instruments, essential oils, home décor or office supplies this is the auction for you!

Sellers:

If you are interested in selling with us in our weekly Thursday auction there are a few steps that you will have to follow. First, make sure that your items fit our guidelines. Here is a list of items we will not accept:

Household/Personal Items
Baby Cribs
Personal Hygiene Items such as shampoos, lotion, hair products etc.
Used products such as makeup or perfume
Used bedding of all forms
Food
Non-working or outdated appliances and electronics

Illegal Items
Illegal telecommunication equipment
Sports memorabilia
Knock-off brand name goods
Alcohol & Tobacco
Weapons

Miscellaneous
Family/personal items such as photographs and home movies
Financial documents
Medical supplies
Obscene materials
Livestock
Fireworks
Chemicals

For a full list of items we will not accept click here.

Next, fill out our seller agreement form. You can drop off your items to either of our facilities with the completed form anytime during our normal business hours. That is all you have to do to sell with us! We will do the rest of the work for you. We will put your lots online, advertise the weekly auction, meet with individuals wanting to inspect the items they are interested in buying, and of course will host the online auction. After your item sells, the buyer will have a week to pay and pick up the items and then you will receive your profits! Contact us if you would like to learn more about selling in our weekly auction.

Buyers:

If you are interested in participating in one of our weekly auctions as a buyer, the only thing you have to do is register to bid! This allows us to keep track of what items you bid on so we can notify you when you win! The registration process is easy and can be completed here. After that, all you have to do is go and bid on the items that you are interested in! It’s that easy! After you win your items you will have to pick them up, pay, and complete any paperwork (such as a title transfer on a vehicle) needed before you can take them home. Click here to view our upcoming auctions and browse through the items of your dreams.

These weekly auctions are also where we tend to sell some of our most interesting lots! Check out a few below so that you can keep a lookout for other cool items that come through our weekly Thursday auction!

2005 Robinson R44 Raven II Helicopter
Who doesn’t want to fly away for the winter? This helicopter was sold at the end of 2019 with a final bid of $175,400. Keep your eyes peeled and you might find another aircraft to bid on for all your jet-setting dreams.

Les Voitures Cinderella Horse Carriage
Because who doesn’t need a Cinderella Carriage? This lot was sold for $3,810 in one of our past Thursday auctions with a starting bid of only $5!

We hope that you have enjoyed this look into our weekly auctions. If you have any further questions about them or are looking to sell with us, please contact us here. If you are interested in browsing some of our upcoming auctions, click the button below. We can’t wait to see what our weekly auction can do for you! Happy Bidding!

Huge Overstock Cabinets Online Auction

Posted on February 13, 2020February 13, 2020 by Administrator

Huge Overstock Cabinets Online Auction

Looking for any Cabinets?

Has cabin fever made you think about all the parts of your home you would like to remodel? If any of those amazing renovations have to do with your cabinets, we have got the auction for you! On Wednesday, February 19th we will be holding a huge overstock cabinets online auction! This is the perfect chance to update your cabinets for a low price! All of these cabinets are brand new, so you don’t need to worry about any scratches or dents! Check out some of the lots below, or click here to view the full auction.

Newberry Birch Wall Cabinet

Newberry Birch SARSP wall cabinet, model W3630, new. Measuring approximately 36”W x 14”D x 30”T.

Starting Bid: $5.00

Newberry Birch Vanity Sink Base Cabinet

Newberry Birch SARSP vanity sink base cabinet, model VSB42, new. Measuring approximately 42”W x 22”D x 36”T.

Starting Bid: $5.00

Newberry Birch Wall Cabinet

Newberry Birch SARSP wall cabinet, model W2736, new. Measuring approximately 27”W x 13”D x 36”.

Starting Bid: $5.00

Newberry Birch Vanity Drawer

Newberry Birch SARSP vanity drawer base cabinet, model VDB12, new. Measuring approximately 12”W x 22”D x 30”.

Starting Bid: $5.00

As you can tell from these highlights, we have quite a lot of cabinets! This is a fantastic auction if you are looking to redo your cabinets in this dark wood. It will give your home a luxurious and classy feel and will blend well with almost any color scheme. If you are looking for a different finish, keep an eye out for our next overstock auction – you never know what you might find! If you have any questions please feel free to contact us here. Do you have an overstock supply of inventory that you are looking to sell? We would love to talk with you about holding an auction like this one! Contact us to set up a phone call, or just shoot us an email! If you don’t have any questions, click the button below to head on over to the full auction!

Construction/Heavy Equipment & Snow Removal Equipment Auction

Posted on January 28, 2020June 11, 2024 by Administrator

Construction/Heavy Equipment & Snow Removal Equipment Auction

Online Auction February 4, 2020

Don’t miss this great heavy equipment auction taking place on Tuesday, February 4, 2020. This auction will feature a large variety of heavy duty equipment from name brand snow equipment to snow pushers to construction equipment, as well as various attachments and related equipment. We will be selling over 200 lots filled with snow plows, lawn mowers, trailers and other equipment! To see full auction details, click here!

If you are interested in selling your equipment on this auction please contact Jameson at 616-520-1854 for more information.

2003 John Deere 650H LT Dozer

This 2003 650H LT John Deer Dozer is a running and operating piece of construction equipment machinery. It is 105″W and features a 6-way dozer blade with bolt on cutting edge 20″w metal tracks.

Serial Number: T0650HX920355
Hours: 9438
Number of Cylinders: 4
Turbo: Yes
Fuel Type: Diesel
Hydrostatic Drive: Yes

Condition: Runs and Operates – Runs and operates without appearing to requiring any major repairs or abnormal maintenance however may require some minor modification or repairs both mechanically and/or cosmetically. (Auction company is an Agent only and relies on the owner for the items description and condition)

2002 Sterling Vactor Truck

This 2002 Sterling Vactor truck is a 6 cylinder turbo diesel engine that has 1986 metered hours. This vehicle features a telescoping and rotating boom and reel. The head gasket and injectors were both installed on pony engine in 2017.

Odometer Reading: 25,250 miles

Fuel Type: Diesel

Fuel Tank: Dual

Transmission: Automatic

Title Status: Clear

Engine: Caterpillar

Engine Model Number: C12 12.0L

Engine Hours: 4694

If you are interested in these items and more, please take a look at the full auction lots and details by clicking here.
If you have any questions about the auction, please feel free to contact us here. We want to make sure that you are informed about our auctions so that you have a great bidding experience. From questions about the bidding process to picking up items you won in the auction, our team is ready to help answer any of the questions you might have. Additionally, if you are interested in selling your equipment with us in the future, contact us here. If you don’t have any questions for us, then click the button below to go straight to the full auction!

4 Types of Items You’ll Want to Buy at Auction

Posted on January 28, 2020January 15, 2020 by Administrator

4 Types of Items You’ll Want to Buy at Auction

We Are Here to Help!

Auctions are truly an amazing way to purchase items for a lower cost than you would be able to find elsewhere. You can find almost anything in an auction – from large pieces of construction equipment, furniture, inflatables and modern & antique vehicles! Of course, when participating in an auction, you will want to know what you are buying. It is important to research on any item that you are considering bidding, which is why we provide a great deal of information on each item. The items that we sell often come to us in a wide variety of conditions – some are in perfect order, but others have various issues with them. Some issues are to be expected, but those issues are always in the descriptions and general information of each auction item. Check out four categories of items that you will want to buy through our auctions!

Cars & Vehicles:

This is one the most popular categories of items that we sell. As with anything that you are considering bidding on, you can read all about the auto in its general description. We try to give you as much information possible so that you can make an informed decision when you bid. With any vehicle, there are listed times to inspect the items in person. If you want to see what types of cars and vehicles we sell, you can view some of our auctions here.

Construction Equipment:

Next up on our list of popular items is construction equipment. We sell TONS (both figuratively and literally) of construction equipment in our auctions year-round. Make sure to go through the information given in the general description and get in touch with the auction contact if you have any questions. If an inspection is offered, you can go check everything else out for yourself firsthand! We offer construction equipment on several of our sites. You can view items on Orbitbid.com, Rangerbid.com, and Repocast.com, as well as we have several live auctions through MiedemaAuctioneering.com you can check out as well.

Farm Equipment:

While it has a very different purpose than construction equipment, you should conduct similar research for agricultural equipment when you are considering bidding on an item in an auction. Take advantage of the general descriptions we offer for each piece of equipment as check out items in person during the inspection period to assess the condition of the farm equipment that you are considering before the day of the auction. If they are available, review the maintenance records that will give you information on how the equipment was serviced. Check out farm equipment that might be of interest to your in our upcoming auctions here. For our LIVE auctions for construction equipment, farm equipment and more you can visit our https://www.miedemaauctioneering.com/auction-calendar/ page.

Powersports:

Boats, campers, snow mobiles and more! We love when we get to sell powersports equipment. During non-winter months, we have a monthly powersports auction you can take advantage of. See some of our past power sports auctions here. With boats, campers, ski doos, all-terrain vehicles and more, you are sure to find something great to bid on. We provide all the information that we have for the item in the general description, including any information that the seller has given us, but you are always welcome to ask more questions by calling our office or contacting us here.

Auctions truly are a great place to find incredible vehicles, machinery, and equipment. As we said before, the equipment we sell comes to us in a variety of conditions, so we want to make sure that you are fully informed about each lot. We are always on the lookout for your best interest so that you can have a great experience with our auctions. If you have any questions concerning the condition of a piece of equipment, contact the auctioneer attached to the auction, or fill out the contact form on our website.

Ready to Buy?

Ready to Sell?

Scratch & Dent Appliance Auction

Posted on January 27, 2020September 4, 2024 by Administrator

Scratch & Dent Appliance Auction

Appliance Auction

This one day auction will be containing a large volume of New as well as Scratch and Dent household appliances, featuring a large variety of appliances from a number of different Manufacturers. Appliances will include items such as: Refrigerators, Ranges, Ovens, Dishwashers, Microwaves, Cooktops, and more! All items will be selling to the high bidder on this one day online auction! Don’t miss this opportunity to get new and like new appliances at a great price! For full auction items and details, click here!

Samsung Refrigerator

This Stainless Steel Samsung Refrigerator is up for auction February 5th, 2020.

Make: Samsung Refrigerator
Model: RF263BEAESR
Serial Number: JKJ44BBK500903D
Height: 70”Width: 35-3/4”
Depth: 35-3/8”
Color: Stainless steel
Free Standing: Yes
Voltage: 115

Starting Bid: $5.00

If you have any questions about the auction, please feel free to contact us here. We want to make sure that you are informed about our auctions so that you have a great bidding experience. From questions about the bidding process to picking up items you won in the auction, our team is ready to help answer any of the questions you might have. To see all of the scratch and dent appliances featured on this auction, click the button below!

Want To Sell Your Semi Trailer?

Posted on January 27, 2020January 27, 2020 by Administrator

Want To Sell Your Semi Trailer?

Sell with us here at Repocast!

Looking to sell your unneeded assets? Consider selling with Repocast.com! We will be holding a semi truck and trailer auction on Tuesday, February 11th and would love to add your equipment to our listing. You assets would be sold alongside the rest of the fantastic items in our auction and will be viewed by tons of our loyal bidders who are looking for semi trucks just like yours! Check out a few of the great items we have already, click here to go to the full auction, or contact Reid Stroven to sell with us!

Reid Stroven:
Phone: 616-291-1075
Email: Reid@1800lastbid.com

2013 Freightliner Columbia Glider

Bottom mount PTO/60 gallon tank 27 gpm pump, rpl25 drive line, dash tarp switch control, loft axle switch control, Lincoln auto greaser

Starting Bid: $100.00

2016 Step Deck Semi Trailer

53 foot top deck is 11 foot bottom is 42 foot and 102 inch wide has sliding axel to make it tandem or spread and can lift dock high Has air brakes, ratchet tie downs on right side of trailer. Runs and operates without appearing to requiring any major repairs or abnormal maintenance however may require some minor modification or repairs both mechanically and/or cosmetically.

Starting Bid: $100.00

2009 Volvo Tandem Axle Day Cab Semi

Quarter Fenders, Aluminum Toolbox in between frame rails, scattered scratches and rust, Radio Not Working, ABS and Aftertreatment System Dash Lights On, Dash says Soot Level High and ATS Service Required Engine Derate Active, Runs and Drives but needs work on aftertreatment system, Titled Item

Starting Bid: $100.00

We hope that you will consider selling your assets with us! This will be a great auction, and we can’t wait to see all the trucks and trailers come rolling in – figuratively and literally! If you have any questions about the auction, our selling process or our company please feel free to contact us below. Interested in bidding in this auction? Click here to view the whole auction! Contact us by clicking the button, or get in touch with Reid directly through his contact information listed below:

Reid Stroven
Phone: 616-291-1075
Email: Reid@1800lastbid.com

The J Salon Equipment Auction

Posted on January 24, 2020January 24, 2020 by Administrator

The J Salon Equipment Auction

Quality Salon Equipment Up for Auction

Looking for some great salon equipment to expand your current operations or to start your own salon? We have the perfect auction for you! We are auctioning off the equipment from the J Salon. The salon closed abruptly at the end of December 2019. This auction will take place on Thursday, January 30th. Check out some of the featured items below, or click here to go straight to the full auction.

4-Drawer Rolling Cabinets

Lot of (2) 4-Drawer Rolling Cabinets With Side Compartment And Granite Tops, Each Measures 19” Wide x 19” x 34” Tall, Sells With Contents (JSalon)

Starting Bid: $5.00

Barber Chairs With Shampooing Sink Area

Lot of (2) Barber Chairs With Shampooing Sink Area, One Has Large Rip On Side (JSalon)

Starting Bid: $5.00

Folding Massage Tables With Extra Pad

Lot of (2) Folding Massage Tables With Extra Pad, And Folding Seat (JSalon)

Starting Bid: $5.00

We hope that you have found some great salon equipment to bid on! If you have any questions about the auction please feel free to contact us here. If you don’t have any further questions, click the button below to check out the full auction!

Farm & Agricultural Equipment Auction

Posted on January 21, 2020January 27, 2020 by Administrator

Farm & Agricultural Equipment Auction

Check out the great equipment attachments up for auction!

Get ready for our upcoming farm and agricultural equipment auction! The auction will be held on Tuesday, January 28th our of our Wayland facility. The auction will be a great chance for you to grab some additional machinery for the upcoming season, as well as some spare parts to keep on hand in case you need a backup. Check out some of the great lots below, or click here to go straight to the full auction!

74” Rock and Brush Grapple Attachment

74” rock and brush grapple attachment, skid steer quick attach, two hydraulic grapple arms, needs hydraulic hose couplers

Starting Bid: $5.00

10’L x 6’W Gravity Wagon

10’L x 6’W gravity wagon with Kory Farm Equipment 10 ton running gear Model 6072, manual grain door, 10.00-15SL tires, missing one top board, adjustable length tongue, pin hitch

Starting Bid: $5.00

60” Brush Cutter Skid Steer Attachment

60” brush cutter skid steer attachment, hydraulic driven counterclockwise blade rotation, skid steer quick attach, needs hydraulic hose couplers, measures 62 1/2”W x 70”L overall

Starting Bid: $5.00

We hope that you have found the perfect item to add to your inventory! If you have any questions about the auction, please feel free to contact us here. We want to make sure that you are informed about our auctions so that you have a great bidding experience. From questions about the bidding process to picking up items you won in the auction, our team is ready to help answer any of the questions you might have. Additionally, if you are interested in selling your equipment with us in the future, contact us here. If you don’t have any questions for us, then click the button below to go straight to the full auction!