Silent Auction Bid Sheets: Fields, Templates, and Checkout

Key takeaways

• Every bid sheet needs four things: what the item is, where bidding starts, who bid what, and the fine print.

• Start bids at about a third of the item's value and use round increments so bidding keeps moving.

• A winning bid with no way to reach the winner is an unclaimed item. Collect contact details at registration, not on the sheet.

• Most auction money is lost after bidding closes: missing sheets, unreadable bids, and winners who leave without paying.

• You don't have to choose between paper and phones. A printed sheet with a QR code keeps the item's table display and moves the bidding to guests' own phones.

A silent auction bid sheet is the page that sits next to each item. It shows the item's name, value, starting bid, and minimum increase, and it records each bid. This guide covers what goes on a good sheet, how to set starting bids, and how to get from the last bid to a paid, picked-up item without a checkout line.

What goes on a silent auction bid sheet?

1. The item

• Lot number. It should match your master item list. This is how volunteers find things at the end of the night.

• A plain name. "Dinner for four at Casa Mia" beats "An Italian Experience."

• A short description. Two lines at most, and include any limits: "Weekdays only, expires May 31."

• Donor credit. Businesses that donate want to be seen, and your volunteers need the name to send thank-yous.

2. The numbers

• Estimated value. It tells bidders what the item is worth and helps winners with their records later.

• Starting bid. See below.

• Minimum increment. This is the smallest amount each new bid must add.

• Buy-it-now price (optional). For popular items, a set price lets someone end the bidding early.

3. The bids

On paper, this is a table with columns for bidder number, name, and bid amount. Use bidder numbers, not just names. Three people named Jennifer in the same room will happen.

4. The fine print

Add "All sales final" and "No exchanges," along with any restrictions on the item. Buyers usually can only deduct the amount they paid above the item's fair market value, so printing the value helps winners at tax time. Check with your tax advisor for your situation.

How do you set starting bids and increments?

Start at about 30 to 40 percent of the item's value. A basket worth $100 opens at $30 to $40. Start lower and you risk giving the item away. Start higher and nobody wants to make the first bid, and an empty sheet scares off everyone else.

Use round increments of about 5 to 10 percent of value. A $40 start moves in $5 steps, and a $200 start moves in $10 or $20 steps. Odd amounts like $7 slow people down and make checkout totals messy.

Set a minimum for expensive items so they can't sell for less than they're worth to you.

Paper bid sheets: what goes wrong

Paper is cheap and familiar, but it has well-known problems:

• Unreadable or out-of-order bids. A bid written over another, or a number nobody can read, means a volunteer has to guess.

• Last-minute sniping. Someone stands at the table and writes the final bid as time runs out.

• Missing contact information. The winning name has no phone number, and the winner has already gone home.

• Lost sheets. One sheet goes missing, and nobody knows who won that item.

• The checkout line. Volunteers add up every winner's sheets by hand while tired guests wait.

The best of both: a printed sheet with phone bidding

Many organizers like a sheet on the table. It shows off the item, gives the table a purpose, and tells guests what to do. The bids don't need to be written on it, though.

With Ticket Committee's silent auction, you enter each item once and it creates a printable bid sheet for every item. Each sheet shows the item name, lot number, and photo, plus a QR code. Guests scan the code and bid from their own phones:

• No venue wifi and no rented tablets. Guests bid on their own phones over their own cell data.

• Bidders register once and save a card. Every bid is tied to a real person you can reach.

• Outbid alerts. Bidders who opt in get a text when someone outbids them, and they can bid again from wherever they are in the room.

• A live display board. Put it on a TV and show current high bids as they change.

• No reading handwriting. Every bid has a time and an amount, so there's no arguing about who bid first.

• Checkout happens on its own. When bidding closes, winners are charged to the card they saved, and you get a list of who won what for pickup.

Guests still walk the tables and look at the items. They just don't need a pen.

How do you build paper bid sheets in Word or Google Docs?

If you're running a small auction on paper, a home-made sheet works fine.

1. Put the item name, lot number, description, value, starting bid, and minimum increment at the top.

2. Insert a table with three columns: bidder number, name, and bid amount. Make rows at least 0.3 inches tall so handwriting fits.

3. Print the next suggested bid in each row so guests copy a number instead of doing math.

4. Print on card stock at "actual size," not "fit to page."

5. Print 10 percent extra. Items get moved and sheets get damaged.

Google Docs makes it easy for several committee members to edit the same template.

How do you get from the last bid to a paid item?

Whatever you use, plan this part ahead. It's where most money goes missing.

1. Close on time and say so. Announce a five-minute warning, then close.

2. Collect sheets right away. One volunteer per room picks up every sheet and stacks it with its item.

3. Record the winners. Write each item's winning bid and bidder number on a master list. A missing sheet then shows up as a gap you can chase.

4. One payment per winner. Winners pay once for everything they won, not item by item.

5. Mark items picked up. Then nobody leaves with someone else's basket.

With phone bidding, steps 2 to 4 happen without anyone touching paper. The winner list is ready when bidding closes, cards are charged, and volunteers only hand out items.

FAQ

Are paper bid sheets good enough for a small auction?

For a handful of items in one room, yes. Expect to spend extra time adding up totals and tracking down winners at the end.

How many bid sheets should I print?

Print one per item plus 10 percent extra.

What if two people say they won the same item?

On paper, the clearly written, higher bid in order wins. If the sheet really is unclear, offer the item to one bidder at the disputed amount, or ask the two for one final quick bid. With phone bidding, every bid is time-stamped, so this doesn't come up.

Do guests need to download an app to bid by phone?

Not with Ticket Committee. The QR code opens a web page. Guests register once and bid from their phone's browser.

Do I need to charge sales tax on auction items?

It depends on your state and your organization. Check your state's revenue department before the event.