What We Need
A successful auction starts by successfully soliciting donations. We need a wide variety of auction items to make the silent and live auctions as fun, exciting and chock-full of items as possible. Think UNIQUE! Think, “What do I love?”
PLEASE NOTE: We do not accept used items, unless they have value as antiques.
What's Hot
- Gift certificates: Restaurants and retail stores containing types of merchandise
- Recreation adventures: Whitewater rafting, kayaking, canoeing, eagle- or whale-watching tours, cruises on Puget Sound or area lakes, golf and tennis lessons, family adventures and fun, etc.
- Recreation equipment: Skiing, golfing, fishing, camping or sports gear, rollerblading, cycling, jet skis, exercise equipment.
- Vacation properties (for weekend or week): Beach-front cabins, ski chalets, timeshare condos, hotels, etc..
- Vacation packages: Hotel, rental car, transportation (air, rail, boat), frequent flyer miles, sightseeing opportunities with a twist, e.g., a museum tour with the curator. Note: Any portion of a trip is eligible and helps give other donors ideas for great items!
- Unique experiences: Encounters with celebrities or sports figure (a meal, round of golf, interview, etc.); a gourmet or ethnic meal serving six to ten or more; a private wine-tasting at a home or winery; VIP seating at sporting events; hosted parties, such as Flip Flop Lemon Drops, Tiaras and ‘Tinis, Men’s Poker Night, Back-to-School Bash (adults only), etc. Think you want to organize a party or experience? Download the Parties Worksheet.
- Handmade items: Holiday decorations, infant and children's clothes, dolls and their accessories, etc.
- Fantasies: Drive a hydroplane or race a car, appear in a movie or advertisement, ride an elephant.
- Romantic getaways: Weekend hotel and resort packages, tickets to the symphony, ballet, 5th Avenue Theatre, limousine, his-or-her spa retreat.
- Artwork: Northwest art, water colors, or glass-blown beauties .
- Pampering & professional services: Personal training, massage, in-home computer consulting, interior or landscape design, craft or maintenance services like carpentry, lawn and yard work, custom tailoring for clothing or alterations .
What's Not
- Some professional services: Many high-value services don’t sell for close to their minimum value. Examples: Financial planning, legal or real estate services, etc. There are, however, exceptions. (See Pampering & professional services above.)
- Used items: Except valuable antiques.
- Animals: Selling animals to participants on the spur of the moment may not be in the animal’s best interest. Animals can get stressed or frightened at an auction because of noise and confusion. Another concern is the welfare of the animal after the auction.