Monday, May 25, 2009

Fair Auction

By Ian Kleine

A less-than-common affair in fairs around the country are auctions.

Auctions are just that, the usual bidding and all that snazz. You could go for a dramatic auction, or you could go for a simple one. The main theme is players bid to buy something at prices that escalate by the minute, depending on how far the buyer's budget can stretch. There are a lot of common things to auction, with the theme stretching from the common (antiques, ornamental, land deeds) to the outlandish and far-off (service, a date, probably something unexpected). Just make sure to present at least ten things.

Ten items that would seriously pique the interest of any demographic out there in the fair. Auctions should not be limited to one group or one market. Auctions by far, would cost the same as setting up a booth, albeit you'll need to spend a hefty sum to use for advertising.

There are a lot of preparations needed to pull off a successful auction. Go with flyers, banner and posters to catch attention. Set the venue up earlier than expected to keep people excited. You could contract food stands and vendors to position themselves closer to your site so they could earn more audience and you can retain your own. This would put both parties in favorable positions.

Prepare the things you'll need. Things like placards, the stand, a table for the item (if it's too big or heavy) and the sound equipment and all that stuff. Prepare if it rains if the fair is located outside.

Auctions can rake you lots or little of money depending on the profitability and rarity of the item. You might win big or lose big with a rare baseball card, but then you could get away with an antique novelty cap. Be prepared to face these types of situations early on.

Learn from your auctions thereafter. Learn strategies how to rile up people into bidding more, and bring the heat of the situation up a notch more. The intensity can carry away most people into spending more before they realize what they are doing.

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