SILENT AUCTION Work Schedule
Months ahead: Four or five months before the quilt show opening
Announce at QU meeting, and place articles in newsletters encouraging members to participate and make an item for the Silent Auction.
The participant responsible for bringing in the most money for a single item donated to the Silent Auction receives their next year’s QU dues gratis. (Anyone may donate more than one item, but the award is based on each single entry, not the total of any one person’s multiple entries). A $20 gift card is given to the Sit N Stitch group with the item bringing in the most money for a group donation. This goes to the contact person named in the directory, to be used by the group.
During these months, as donations are brought to you, exhibit them at the QU meeting, again soliciting participation. It is a good idea to have a helper to fill in for you giving announcements, assist with check-in, collecting items at meetings, and pick-up day. They will also help keep you accountable.
Any sewed or quilted item is acceptable; i.e., quilts, wall hangings, items of clothing, bags, purses, pillows, potholders, place mats and table runners, notebook covers, necklaces, ragdolls, etc. No quilt show application form is needed for these items.
Announce and publish in the newsletter that any item to be hung must have a 4 inch hanging sleeve attached and a label on the back with the quilter’s name, a title, and year completed. The title will be published on the back of the Silent Auction Guidelines given to the bidders at the show.
Charting the donations
As donations are received, prepare a spreadsheet (one is available on the CD) and enter the data, type and description of item, name of donor, size (determine and put in correct order, length & width dimensions). This indicates to museum staff whether an item is to be hung vertically or horizontally.
Name the item if the donor did not, but do not set a minimum bid until most of the items are received, to keep all similar items comparable. Sample spreadsheets from past years are in the binder.
Ideally, most of the items will be turned in to you before turn-in day at the Museum of Florida History, so they can be charted and you can get a count. Making the last QU meeting the deadline will help this goal. Besides the charting, this goal will allow you time to have those who forget to add a sleeve time to make one (or time for you to make one). You also may have a few days to request more donations to bring the count to around 40.
Turn-in Day – Same as Quilt Show turn-in day:
Final turn-in is at the museum so bring a hard copy of your chart. Also bring with you a tablet of paper, pen, scissors, needle, thread, safety pins, muslin sleeves, tape measure, muslin for tags or labels, and a fabric safe marker. Bring items already received in pillowcases – several may go into one case. Pin a muslin label on the exterior of each pillowcase. The label may read: “Silent Auction 1 of 4”, for example, to assist the hanging crew. Keep them separate from the quilt show items. Leave them at the museum. (Ideally, a pillowcase should be provided for each item, to make your day easier when they are picked up and purchased, and to assist the staff when they remove them from the wall)
By the Monday after turn-in day, e-mail the complete chart of donated items to the contact person at the museum (see CD for contact information). Determine a closing time. The museum staff will number and hang the items, and print the bid forms and guidelines. Communicate by e-mail to verify they have updated the dates and contact information, have the correct closing time, and see if they want to fill in the minimum bid or if you should go there and fill them in.
Show time
The museum has possession of, and maintains the bidding board. They will place it in position when they hang the quilts. In 2013, the staff filled in the first bid sheet from information on the chart and printed a stack of guidelines for the table. On opening night, check to be sure these tasks have been completed.
Request that the museum staff make a sign and place it on or near the bid board stating the Silent Auction closing date and time, usually 30 minutes prior to the close of the quilt show.
During the running of the show, keep an eye on how the bidding is progressing. Ask the volunteers at the table to do the same. In the past, someone placed an exorbitant bid on an item with a third person’s (or fictitious) name and address as the bidder, freezing the bidding on the item. If an amount looks suspect, verify the bid by calling the bidder to be sure they placed the bid. If bid sheets do not have the proper information on the back, remove them.
Final day – close of Quilt Show
Check with museum staff regarding location of pick up. Bring your completed chart, pen, stapler, large zip-lock bag and a calculator if you want to total the amount of the bids at this time.
At the close of bidding: remove and staple together the bids for each item. (You will keep all bids until all items have been purchased with cash or check.) If you cannot contact the highest bidder within a week, or if they have changed their mind, go to the next highest bid and contact that person.
Chart the purchasers, phone numbers, and high bid beside each item on the Final Bid chart, (see CD).
For in-town people, cash or a personal check is acceptable. No credit cards.
Within a couple days of the close of bidding, call all highest bidders, informing them of winning the bid, pick-up time at the museum (usually the following Saturday from 10-12, the same time as quilters pick up their entries). Encourage them to pick up their item on pick-up day if at all possible. If that is impossible, designate an alternate time and place within the following week for them to meet you in an in-town location. Some out-of-town bidders will ask local residents to pick up their items. Indicate on the chart when they plan to purchase the item, or the person who will pick it up.
Be aware that there have been problems in the past with getting alternate date set up for folks to pick up the quilt/item they won, rather than at the regular pick-up time
If you are requested to ship the item(s), obtain during the phone call the e-mail address of those who need their purchases mailed. When you have boxed those and have a shipping amount from the post office, e-mail them the total of the bid plus shipping. When their check is received, mail the box.
Once all monies are received, submit these to the QU treasurer, or deposit them into the Farmer’s and Merchants bank account of Quilters Unlimited, and send the treasurer the deposit slip, Final Bid chart and postage receipts.
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Attachment-Silent Auction work schedule
November 2014 update
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