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With MagicMeets now just about 6 weeks away, the collection of auction donations is winding down, and the process of preparing the lots is in full swing. April B., assistant coordinator, spent Monday afternoon and evening here on Long Island, going through bags and boxes of Disney items. It took about 8 hours to go through everything, and I estimate only about 75% of what will be at the auction is physically here. I know every organization handles auctions a little differently – some accept only complete baskets, some collect money and purchase the items all themselves, or some other method of getting the ‘goods.’ We have always wanted to allow as many people as possible to participate, in whatever way they could, large or small. So if someone emails me and says “hey, I have an extra new Disney snowman blanket, do you want it for the auction?” the answer is almost always “Yes!” (unless we already have several of the same item). Someone else may have a Disney holiday DVD, and a third person may have a story book, and a fourth a holiday plush Mickey. Put them together and we have a nice “Cozy Winter Evening” basket! But, the blanket may have been mailed here in March, the story book in May, the plush in April, and the DVDs are on the way... that’s a lot to keep track of. And that’s just one of more than 100 lots. Is it any wonder why I have been seen walking around muttering to myself “Well, if we put this with that and move that to this group....”?  Then there is the big job of determining the approximate retail value of each lot, which helps us determine the suggested starting bid. There is a delicate balancing act between how much value goes into a lot and how much we think we can reasonably expect people to bid on it. We try to have a wide range of starting bids, so everyone can participate, and this year there will be some lots starting at $5 and some starting over $100, with plenty in between. April B. has helped with this sorting/organizing/valuing process now for three years, and I think we’ve gotten it down to a fairly smooth, albeit time consuming, process. I’m so grateful for her help! She’s better at keeping focused when my mind has run four lots ahead, and makes sure I stay on track. Even so, I admit this year’s marathon session was a bit much for both of us! I have several more steps to go through before the wrapping weekend three weeks from now - rounding up the last outstanding donations, determining table layout and lot order, etc. It’s exciting to see things coming together, and there is a lot to look forward to. Full steam ahead for July!! Learn more about the Dream Team Charity Auction at MagicMeets: click here Learn more about the Dream Team Project: click here Please check out the Dream Team Auction Sponsor Opportunities!
Tags: Dream Team Auction MagicMeets blog behind the scenes |
