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Live Auctions: How To Create Profitable Bid Cards

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live auction creating profitable bid cards

Hello, my Fabulous Fundraisers! Everyone attending your event needs a Bid Card in order to support your organization, but if you set them up wrong, you could be losing thousands.


Here are the do’s and don’t’s for Profitable Bid Cards...



Bid Cards are the signal to the auctioneer that someone in the crowd wants to purchase the item on the auction block. It’s important that your Bid Cards are easy to read and EVERYONE needs one – if they own a business, they need two.


 
live auction bid card example
 

Do: Print your bid cards in a standard block font on white paper with black ink.


Don’t: Try to be fancy. Fancy fonts do not read well from a distance. When 3’s and 5’s look the same, or 1’s and 7’s are indistinguishable, you create chaos at your event. The auctioneer will question all the numbers they read which adds unnecessary time to your overall timeline.


live auction bid card font paper color contrast

live auction bid cards don't get fancy if 1s and 7s look alike
 

Do: Use 400pt for the font size.


Don’t: Print in 12 font. Remember, if you can’t read it from across a large parking lot, your auctioneer won’t be able to either.


live auction bid cards use 400 point font

live auction bid cards don't use 12 point font too small
 

Do: Keep it simple for yourself. Especially if you are running low on time to prepare for your event. Ornate bid cards do not translate into more money.


Don’t: Laminate your bid cards for use year after year. Under the lights, your bid cards will have a glare and your auctioneer may not be able to read them.

 

Do: Assign a bid number to EVERYONE. Attendees, Corporations, AND all volunteers (their money spends just like anyone elses). BONUS TIP: did you know volunteers are over twice as likely to give over non-volunteers? True statement, be sure they are included.


Don’t: forget to include Vendors who may purchase as well - Event planners, Auctioneers, Sound technicians, everyone should have a bid number. If they are at your event and want to spend money, let them.



live auction bidder raising her bid card