Once you've created your auction, the next step you'll want to do is add some items for your upcoming participants to bid on.
Below, we'll walk you through the steps on adding items to your auction, so you can have those ready when your auction begins - or, for some items, perhaps even before the doors open!
Step 1: Open up the auction you're looking to add items to
Step 2: Locate the "Items" section on your Auctions dashboard
On your Auctions dashboard, you should see a section labeled “Items.”
Step 3: Press "Add Item"
From this section, you’ll want to click on the option to “Add Item.”
Step 4: Add details about the item that you're adding
When the page re-loads, you should then see a screen with several fields for you to fill out about the item you’d like to add.
These fields include:
Name – This is where you’ll enter the name of the item.
Item Number – Items are automatically assigned an “item number” for identification purposes; however, if you’d like to manually change those numbers (so they match your existing records, for example), you are able to do so.
Images – This is where you can drag and drop image files (.JPG, .JPEG, .GIF, or .PNG) to help show off the item – and so people can see what they’re bidding on! You can also add multiple images (up to 8) for the same item.
Description – This is where you can add additional details about the item, such as a description or any additional details that bidders may need to know. (For example, if the item is a timeshare, the description might include the specific dates the timeshare is available.)
Step 5: Add details on how participants can bid on this item
You’ll then be prompted to add information on how you’d like to handle bidding for this specific item.
What is this item’s type? - This is where you can select if this item is part of a “silent” auction, a “live” auction, or if it has a “fixed price” option for participants.
A “silent” auction, which is the most common type of auction, allows for participants to conveniently bid on items from their phone, computer, or mobile device.
A “live” auction has all bids taking place in person.
A “fixed price” item in an auction allows for you to set a “premium” price for a specific item, and bidders agree to “win” the item by paying that premium price outright.
What is the item worth? - This is where you can enter what the item is valued at prior to the start of bidding.
There is also an option available to mark an item as “priceless,” which means that the item is not tax-deductible and that the value of the item cannot be quantified.
Starting bid amount – This is the minimum price of the item when the auction (and bidding!) begins. It is calculated automatically, based on the item’s value, but can be manually adjusted to whatever you’d like bidding to begin at.
Minimum bid increment – This is the minimum amount that each bid will increase by default as more individuals bid on the item. It is calculated automatically based on the item’s value, but can be manually adjusted to whatever you’d like bidding to begin at.
Buy It Now Price – If you’ve selected for this item to be given a “fixed price,” this is the premium price that you can set for participants to purchase the item outright. If you’re not planning on providing a “fixed price” for this item, you can leave this field blank.
If you are running a raffle through your Bonterra Auction, then you will want to set the raffle tickets as a “fixed price item.”
Number of Winners/Quantity - This is where you’re able to select if this item has only one winner, or multiple winners; for example, if your organization has five individual sets of tickets to a sports game, you’d want to set the number of winners to “5” for that item.
Step 6: Confirm any additional, optional information about this item
Next, you’ll see options to add additional information to this item, such as:
Sections - This allows you to create and add items to a specific sub-set of auction items to allow for better organization of the items (such as “Gift Cards,” “Travel Experiences,” etc.) You can simply start typing to select from existing drop-down options or add a new section – and you can add as many sections as you’d like!
Item Availability - This is where you can determine if a specific item will be available for bidding through the duration of your auction, or if you’d like for the item’s bidding to close at a different time. You can schedule a specific time and day for the item to “close,” meaning no one will be able to bid further after that date.
Is this item private? - By selecting “Yes,” this allows you to create items for your auction and add them to the page without the items being visible for your guests or bidders. This allows you to “hide” certain items from view prior to your auction’s start, or “stagger” the introduction of some of your auction items to help increase anticipation and excitement!
Who donated this item? - This field allows you to select an existing contact within your system as the individual who donated the item, so other bidders and participants can see their contribution.
Step 7: Press "Save & Exit" or "Save & Add Another" to finalize this item's details
Once you’ve filled out all of the relevant fields mentioned above, you can either click on the “Save & Exit” button to add that item to your Auctions page – or you can click “Save & Add Another” to add another item!
What else do you want to do?
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