Tips: Online/Mobile Auction Items

Not all Item Types can be offered via Online/Mobile Bidding:

• Raffle: Most states either require a permit or prohibit online raffles outright. If online raffles are allowed in your area, use type = Sellable with FMV = Price for your online raffle tickets.
• Live:  Live and online are obviously mutually exclusive, but you can offer online pre-bidding by cloning the live item, then editing the cloned item to type = Silent, and marking bidding to pre-event online/ paper at event (this prevents the item from being awarded at closing). Once online pre-bidding has concluded, edit the cloned item to quantity = 0, and provide your auctioneer with high online bid for use as the starting bid.  
• Paddle Raise:  Note:  Essentials and some Legacy subscriptions do not include online paddle raises.    All subscriptions can accept online cash donations using a Fundraising Campaign page.

There are separate controls for specifying when Online/Mobile Auction Items can be viewed and when bids can be placed:

• Visibility is set at Site Settings > Events > Online Auction/Mobile Bidding > Bidding Settings > Make Online/Mobile Feature Visible to Public.
• The Online Bidding Group an item is assigned to dictates when online bidding opens and ends.   You can create as many unique online bidding groups as you need - then assign items to a group as you enter them, or via individual or bulk edits.   If you need to adjust the times, you can edit the bidding group and all assigned items will update to the new times.
• The calendar/time picker for online bidding groups lists times in 15 minute increments.  Contact Support if you want to set closing times in 5 minute increments.

 To begin bidding online, then transfer bidding to a gala event:

• Choose both bidding styles:  Online/Mobile Bidding + Paper Bid sheets. This can be bulk edited across multiple items.   Be aware that listing both bidding styles will prevent the item from being automatically awarded (if enabled) when bidding closes - because the presumption is that bidding is transferring to an in-person gala event.

To clean-up unsold items from a gala event:

• Bulk edit the unsold items and change the bidding style to Online/Mobile bidding (only) and specify the desired online bidding group.

Silent Items with multiple quantity can be offered to the top x bidders - but must be manually awarded after bidding concludes:   as bidders strive to remain in the top x by placing new bids, it's possible (even common) for an individual to "win" with more than one bid in the top x - and the software cannot know whether the bidder was trying to buy more than one, or simply expected the earlier bid to fall out of consideration before the bidding ended.