pot holders, casserole holder and a nice set of place mats or a nice table runner or even a bed runner are all smaller items . Some more costly projects may be a bow tucks purse.

only do this if you will not find out later the outcome! I stopped donating quilts to functions for auction type fundraisers because i got tired of spending $75-$125 on something for it to be (given away) for $15-$20...and the people in charge- grinning about that! it can be very frustrating! if it simply doesn't matter & you have no desire to find out how it went go for it-but if your friend may feel the need to share the outcome- ... i'd decline & donate some $.

I could not agree more, I do not think the average person has any concept of the time it takes to make a quilt, large or small....plus the vaule of the fabric....

Just my personal opinion . . . but I consider a Silent Auction to be one of the stupidest ways ever, to raise money. Everyone wants to get a good deal and most people are afraid to commit too much money. In my experience, most people seem to place a "token bid" on a number of different items. Not knowing how many they may actually win, they're afraid to commit too much, for any one item. The item is always "won" by the last bidder . . . which is often someone who simply waits until the last possible minute, to go forward and place his/her bid.

BAH! :thumbdown:

I quit donating quilts for a raffle when the ticket sales dipped below what my investment in the material was. If the members of this particular organization were not interested in selling the tickets for the raffle, my interest in donating a quilt for raffle waned. After making and donating FIVE quilts.....i quit doing it. I still get quesions about why we no longer raffle a quilt. I just tell the truth....the ticket sales declined each year and i could no longer justify my time and effort and materials for this raffle. Oh well.

Can you put a "reserve" on the quilt???
Sandy

For a silent auction, I recommend donating $$$. If you really want to make items, then I suggest small items. I agree with the others! :)

A few years ago, I donated a pretty angel pillow to a silent auction. The pillow form itself cost about $9. I bought it back for $5. Enough to make you give up!

Question-------------there are two basic ways to do a silent auction--------------which method are they using?

One way is a sure fire loss and the other a much better method. The loser method is to have an enclose container into which a person drops his bid. You have NO idea what the next guy bid------------and way too much chance of several identical bids.

The second much better method is to have a printed sheet, sometimes with minimum bids listed, where each successive bidder ups the previous bid. This method is much improved from the first type-----------but not at all a guarantee of any decent income for the benefit.

And I guess I missed the info, what is the benefit for?

I've got to remember the apron and cookbook idea. Got too many projects in line for right now, already.

My take on this-whatever the item brings, it is still money in the charity/groups pocket. It may be way more that it's worth or not. it's not about me but about bringing funds to whatever cause i am supporting.

I've seen silent auction items go ridiculously high due to a bidding war. Others did not sell for their value. i just donated a fullsize quilt to a benifit. i don't know if it will be raffled or a silent auction item. i don't care how they use it. i gave it because i wanted to do something to help.