Entering Items: Tips and FAQ

 Gift Certificates:

Unlike Bid and Description sheets, Gift Certificates must be configured on individual items before they can be generated.

Multiple Donors:

There are several options for entering an item with multiple donors.  The easiest is to create a new donor record with each donors' name listed in the Business name field (eg John Smith and Giselle Winery).  Other options will provide better tools for donor management, and the most time-intensive item entry (creating a lot) provides the most precise donor tracking and management.

Multiple Quantity:

• Creating a single Silent item with qty = X for online/mobile bidding will display in the catalog as a single item for bidding - and must be manually awarded to the desired winners.
• Creating a single Silent item with qty = X for paper bidding will generate a shared item number and X separate bid sheets (up to 10).
• Cloning the original item (and adjusting the quantities of all items accordingly) will create items with different item numbers and allow you to place individual items in a lot, on different tables/closing times, and/or in different venues.
• Live items can be set up with multiple quantity for awarding/double-selling at a Gala or Virtual live auction.   The quantity available does NOT display to the public in the web catalog.

FAQ:  How do I delete Items?

A:  Go to Catalog tab.  Select items you want to delete by checking the boxes in the left column.  Click Bulk actions button, then Delete Items.  

You will be blocked if an item was sold, returned, or bid on.   Instead of deleting, edit the item to zero (0) quantity and hide from public view.  

FAQ:  What is the Tracking Number?

A:  The Tracking number is a unique identifier generated when the item is first entered into the software. This number will not change - making it the preferred identifier for tracking your physical items prior to your event.  It is common practice to enter donations into the software then affix a number to the physical item. This shows that the item has been processed and allows you to move items to your event venue and display them in an organized manner. Item numbers are often changed at the end of the procurement process (items are added to lots, moved to new tables, etc) so it is problematic to track physical items by item number.

FAQ:  Why are some/all items missing from a lot?

A:  Items are not permanently moved to the lot until the Lot item is saved.   We recommend selecting the desired items for a lot, naming the Lot item, then saving the record to ensure your items are saved to the lot, before proceeding with edits to the price fields and description/restriction text.

FAQ:  How do I enter an item that doesn't have a donor?

A:  Create a faux donor record, such as "Friends of _________".

FAQ:  Can I make a donor/donation anonymous?  

A:  Edit the donor's record:  check the "Make donor anonymous to public" box and save.    If the donor has multiple items and wants some to be public and some anonymous, create two donor records, one for the public items and another for the anonymous items.

FAQ:  Do I have to mark items as Status = Complete and/or Print Ready = Yes in order to sell the and/or include them in the catalog?

A:  No, those fields have no programming value, they are solely for your team's use to track and report your progress.

FAQ:  Can I edit the fonts and/or formatting on the printed materials?

A:  No.  The printed materials have variable formatting designed to display a wide range of text across items so the formatting cannot be edited.

FAQ:  How do I enter and sell a Dessert Dash item?

A:  If your subscription includes Voting Contests, you can  create one using the readymade template.  If not, there are several ways to run a dessert dash on paper, all of which involve creating a single item with adequate quantity and recording the sales using the bulk sales screen on auction night. The variations in entry only matter for tax purposes. Because we are not tax consultants, we do not advocate one variation over the others. Your choices:

• Enter as type = raffle with a fixed price acknowledged on the receipt but with no deductibility as a chance game. Each guest is betting that his table will be the highest total.
• Enter as type = sellable with FMV calculated as the average cost per person of a dessert. The amount entered for each bid number is then applied against that FMV, and anything above it is deductible. (There is no need to calculate cumulative table cost of dessert, donations, etc. as the table totals are irrelevant to taxes and your software.) Some guests benefit more, some less, but this choice makes the argument that the total amount deductible is fairer to the tax payer and collector.
• Create a cash donation option, available in "Auction" so the entire cost is deductible as a donation. The argument is that dessert was paid for with admission and any benefit from getting to choose a dessert in a different order is so nominal and diluted by the cumulative table effect as to be negligible.