Schools have success with fall and spring events. Various factors go into its success, including the schedule your group has of other events, the number of yearly events, and the general activity level in a given community (and that can change year to year).
In your experience, what is the best time of year to hold an auction? My gut tells me April, when folks will have gotten their tax returns back and will have more money to spend, however, a faculty advisor wants to hold one in February, which seems too close to Christmas and Christmas bills to me.