That's great you were able to secure such a great auction item. Looks like you have the bases covered to do a great job with it. The only other thing we'd toss out is to include social media (if your group is on Facebook and/or Twitter) as a way to further spread the word about this item.
I have found these boards invaluable, but I have a question I can't seem to find on the boards here.
I was fortunate to find a local orthodontist that is donating an orthodontic case that includes everything from the the initial visit, xrays, braces, retainer, and follow-up appointments. I am wanting to get the most out of this donation for our school as possible, so I'm hoping you can offer some advise.
Our silent auction is on March 1st and my current plan is to create a flyer explaining what the auction item is, what it includes, and it's approximate value. I was thinking that the best way to go about this item would be to advertise ahead of time. Then, the week prior to the auction I would have a box in the front office for people to place a sealed bid. One the night of the silent auction, I would place out an auction sheet and the bid box for sealed bids. At the end of the night, I would take the highest bid from either the bid box or the auction sheet.
The reason I thought I would do it this way was to allow people that aren't going to be able to attend the auction a chance to bid. Further it would allow people to put their bids in and not have to worry about "missing out" if they weren't the last person on the silent auction bid sheet.
What are your thoughts on this? Am I going about this all wrong? This is my first year doing this and I don't want to make a huge mistake.