When charity auctions go wrong

[Patricia Joyce]

I too, participate in auctions, a handful a year, and always get some business from it. This week I have been searching for some new, more upscale auctions and don't know where to begin. Can anyone suggest how to find the high end auctions in the Cleveland or Ohio region?

Thanks.

[Michele Rushworth]

Contact the most expensive private schools in your area and ask if they have an auction.

[Amanda Grosjean]

One of my first requirement of doing anything for charity is to PLUG MY EARS and never look at the bids....Debra

I had to laugh at that because I don't know where I "go" but something makes me tune out as people are bidding and I end up turning to my husband and asking, "what happened, what was the final bid?"
I also have not been contacted by the winner from the first auction I did. Thank you for your thoughts, Debra. And you certainly do have to be a salesman and very social for this job, don't you?

[Amanda Grosjean]

Michelle,

I got the impression from reading some earlier threads that you have quite a few commissions that are out of town. If this is correct, what percentage would you say this is (out of curiosity)? Have you called about private school auctions (as you suggested to Patricia) in other towns or did you happened to get one commission and you got more from word of mouth in that area? I am assuming that you are not compensated for that drive to the auction or the subsequent portrait commission since it is a donation. Isn't this a risk considering that from some of the other posts on this thread, auctions aren't a sure thing or a safe bet?

[Michele Rushworth]

Almost all my commissions are out of town these days and I haven't done an auction in several years. My out of town clients find me through the portrait agency I work with, through word of mouth, or on the web.

[Patricia Joyce]

I would love some of your views on attending the auction. Do you insist? Do you pay for the event or does the event let you be there gratis? This has always troubled me, because I often cannot afford the expensive tickets. Usually a family member or friend commit to taking care of my portrait and talking me up.

Another frustration you will find with auctions are the ones who never call for their portrait. Seems hard to believe but I have had three go that way in the past three years. It's a shame because usually when I get a client from an auction they end up purchases portraits of the family, not just one person. Right now this is how I get all my business!

[Amanda Grosjean]

Patricia, I'm figuring that that was a question for Michelle but I wanted to add that for one of the auctions the ticket was for a dinner and I was able to attend for free by assuring the people running the auction that this was a business engagement for me and I had no intentions of eating dinner or drinking. I was attending to simply answer questions and sell the idea. I also hinted that it was best for me to be there with the portrait example for insurance purposes. That worked well.

-Amanda