"Live auctions are the most effective way to sell your items for the highest prices possible." 

Pictured left: Mike Grigg and his auction team at a Make-A-WishÒ Foundation Benefit auction sponsored by Grimmway Farms & Tejon Ranch.  (From left to right: Tenille Domaleski, Randy Grigg, Mike Grigg, Rick Werner, Connie Waddell)

Most of your auction attendees have more fun with the live auction vs the silent auction at a benefit event.  However, in order to sell a lot of items for a benefit event in a short period of time and keep your audience captivated, a silent auction could be utilized. 

Benefit auctions should have no more than 15-20 items or 1 hour in the live auction portion.  These should only consist of your highest ticket items.  People are not attending a charity/benefit event to hear an auctioneer all night, however in order to capture their full attention for the big ticket items, a professional auctioneer is essential. 

Silent auctions are ideal for charity/benefit events that have a strict time-frame and a lot of items to sell.  Attendees can enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres while they place silent bids on some of the lower to mid-range priced items, which can get them in the mood for the higher dollar items to be held later in the live auction.

If you are not holding a charity/benefit event and have more of a ballroom setting with many lots to sell, then the most effective way is by live auction.  All-day events like prop auctions, memorabilia auctions, or any type of multi-item auction work best with a live auction event, because the silent auction format simply takes too long and does not keep the bidders' attention.

Contact Mike Grigg at (661) 325-6500 or MikeTheAuctioneer@yahoo.com to find out which auction will work for your event.

(Pictured Right: Silent auction items at the Make-A-WishÒ Foundation Benefit Event)