Silent Auction Idea: Creatively Display Auction Items

By Claire Murad | August 18, 2015

One great silent auction idea is to creatively display your auction items. How you display your silent auction items directly affects the success of your auction. What is it that makes you want to go into your favorite stores to shop? How do they display their items for sale? Go look around and take some pictures in department stores and boutiques that you like. Items are displayed at varying levels and in different and creative ways. This keeps your eyes moving throughout the store and keeps you interested in browsing and shopping.

How To Display Silent Auction Items

You can display silent auction items by category, if you like. For instance, group the women’s items in one area and men’s and electronics in another area. Create signage that clearly differentiates between the areas. One of our clients color codes her sections. The children’s area is green and has green helium balloons flying above the tables. The women’s area is purple, etc.

I love the idea of a travel section with old suitcases stacked up and travel posters describing the travel packages you have for sale. Check out travel package ideas you can use in this area of your auction. Use boxes under table cloths to add height to your auction tables. Utilizing ladders to hold wreaths or other large items is a great idea as well. Chalk boards are an inexpensive and easy way to display information about gift certificates. Use white paint markers to show the name of the item and the item number. You can use white dinner plates and black dry erase markers to do the same. See more photos of silent auction display ideas at the end of this blog.

Ideas For Setting Up Tables

Make sure you leave room for the bid sheets or electronic bidding tablets near the auction items and do not overcrowd your tables. Try to mix up the type of tables you use to display your items. I like round tables mixed with rectangular tables. Ask your venue if they have serpentine shaped tables. These work wonderfully to create a good flow in the room.

How To Tag Silent Auction Items

Number your auction items with tags that are not easily removed. This makes it easy to identify the objects for item pick up and reduces the chance that a guest may bid on the wrong item by mistake or take home the wrong item at the end of the night.

What Not To Do

This picture is an example of what not to do. Everything is flat and in one line. This is rather boring and makes it hard to find your items to bid on later. Also, do not crowd the items on the tables, or add so much decorative material that it is hard to see the items.

We hope these tips inspire you to create great silent auction displays. Let your imagination run and try new ways to showcase your items. If you need more silent auction ideas or would like professional information regarding creating silent auction displays, contact us.

About Murad Auctions

As professional charity auctioneers, Murad Auctions organizes and manages successful, profitable fundraising auctions for non-profit organizations in Dallas, Fort Worth and other cities across the U.S. We use our expertise, knowledge of the auction industry, new and creative auction ideas, and our effective and efficient procedures to host auctions that are so effective they often break records and exceed goals. We offer a variety of auction services to help make charity fundraisers successful, including live auctions, bid spotters, auction consulting, registration services, silent auction set up, auction solicitation services, and professional event planning.