Charity auctions: But where's the furniture?
Jerry Epperson -- Furniture Today, May 26, 2003
I am writing this while attending a "sparkling celebration" for a local charity here in Richmond, Va. My lovely wife of 34 years is a volunteer for this group and a bunch of others, so we go to these events on occasion. She gives me one-day notice because, if she tells me earlier, she knows I will plan a trip to anywhere to avoid this. It's the same bunch, at the same place — only the charity and the local TV-celebrity emcee changes.
No doubt you have attended these kinds of events. They start with an open bar, a variety of finger foods and a silent auction. The auction has the usual redundant assortment of gift certificates to hotels, restaurants, spas, shows, tax preparers (honest!), fitness centers and jewelry stores, along with pottery, art (usually watercolors; I couldn't find any paint-by-number stuff) and other crafts. Except for two fairly odd-sounding vacations (not Afghanistan or Iraq, but close) the most expensive item is about $250.
Then there's a raffle and a door prize or two, then the live auction of balloon rides (honest, I couldn't make this stuff up), ski, golf and hunting trips, tickets to our local NASCAR race (great idea, wrong crowd) and small items autographed by local talent like Patricia Cornwell and Dave Matthews. Awards are given and large sponsors are honored. Got the picture?
What's missing? Now that I think about it, there's never been any furniture, bedding, floor coverings or decorative accessories offered. Why? Years ago, when I served on a board of the local public broadcasting station, furniture retailers and manufacturers were extremely generous. And they got a lot of exposure at the station's annual auction.
In fact, furniture items were mentioned constantly as the "premium" items to be sold later. Everyone in our industry has something that's discontinued or last-of-a-kind. At a convention I used to attend, the old Mohasco contributed special Bicentennial rugs until the late 1980s.
And this is a relatively wealthy demographic. The women are all dressed like they have money, and if they have time to do volunteer work, they probably have time to shop. You would pay big bucks to get in front of this group of 800 or so held captive in this ballroom with some babbling auctioneer yelling at us.
Give it a thought. You don't have to attend the event, another huge plus.
By the way, I saw something different at the April market. In the Radisson lobby, a company was selling refurbished slot machines for $300 to $700. They used tokens, not coins, so they could be sold in more states. One retailer bought 60. Why? He could mark them up and make a profit. Plus, before they sell, these machines will entertain dad and the kids while mom shops.
Makes sense to me.
