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Dogs and Charity Auctions - Dogs can be a great item for your charity auction, but HOW you sell them can make the difference |
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I recently received the following email from a good client of mine about an upcoming event:
Hi Jay -
Got a question - we potentially have TWO dogs for auction: a pug and a black lab. Since these are two totally different types of dogs (and most likely different types of buyers), how would it be to auction off both? Instead of $5K for one dog, isn't it likely we might get $4K each for 2 dogs, thus increasing our profit - or is that not the likely scenario??
So, here is what I answered:
Two similar dogs are sold differently than two completely different dogs. The most expedient way to handle this is to bring out BOTH dogs at the same time, and offer them as "choice to the high bidder." Once the first is chosen, we offer the other to the second high bidder, but if that bidder wanted dog number one, then we merely start the bidding over, but at about 50% of where dog number one sold for. We then let the bids climb from there. Dog one established the "expected bid range" for dog number two.
Now if both dogs are the same (like from the same litter, and same gender) you can show just one, and then after the final bid bring out the second one and offer it to the second high bidder at the same price as the first one. If they are different genders, then use the "choice" scenario as described above.
It is never a good idea to sell two dogs at different points in the auction, like at item # 4 and item # 12. The "cute factor" can only be generated once in the auction, and the bidders might hold back the bidding on the first dog thinking that the second will go for less money (which is true) but by the time you get to the second dog, the bidding on the first dog has already established a "ceiling" price hurting the bid activity on the second dog. By selling both at the same time you avoid this trap.
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TRAP: Many organizations are not appropriate for selling a puppy. If the event is a family oriented event, such as for a school, a puppy might be just the right thing to get the emotional energy flowing. However, be sensitive to the fact that some in the community will take issue with selling animals.
TRAP #2: If you do decide to sell a puppy, make it a pure-bred with all the right "papers" plus the shots, exams and so on. Puppies from the pound, or full grown dogs are generally not good sellers. Stay with popular breeds whenever possible.
TIP: If possible, sell puppies that are mature enough to be partially trained (housebroken) and PLEASE do NOT send the new puppy home that night with the winning bidder! Insist that the puppy be delivered the next day, after the bidder has had a chance to get their house prepared, AND the dog is not traumatized by suddenly going home to a strange territory and left immediately alone over night. Consider that the puppy must have a chance to acclimate to the new surroundings during the daytime.
Tip #2: Sell puppies early in the auction but not item number 1. Sell in the first third of the items when the energy is high, for both the bidder, and the puppy!
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Mara Lee Ebert, Sonoma, CA |
“We did everything you said to do in the Workshop, and increased our revenue from $189,000 last year to over $525,000 this year! The entire school is buzzing!”
Betsy Marchiorlatti, Mariners Christian School, Newport Beach |
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