Here is how my brain works when it comes to live auction lots. Let’s say we received a suite to a Golden State Warriors basketball game. That’s great! What if we developed a relationship with that donor and planted this seed way in advance for a live auction like this… Imagine 20 kids playing shoot around with Stephen Curry in your backyard for the afternoon and we throw in a margarita machine for the adults and maybe even a backyard catered BBQ for 50. That is truly priceless! We market it very well ahead of time and that has potential to be the highest live auction lot ever!!

We procured a weekend in Vegas with a sports car racing experience. That’s fun! What if we held a brainstorm session with our board of directors and key supporters and then this happened… A private jet for 12 guests to fly to Vegas, they stay the weekend, race and get picked up in the private jet and flown home! Now that’s a need for speed on land and in the air!! We sold this for $27,000!!

Date nights for a year! That is always a tried and true phenomenal lot that goes beyond its value in gift cards. What if we make it “TLC for your car, house and spouse for a year!” We procure unlimited car washes for a year, home/office cleaning service for a year and date nights for a year! Valued at $4,000 we sold this for $10,000!!

A foursome at a private golf course. That’s cool! Once we had this and we brainstormed a bit… What if our emcee who was well known in the community and good at golf joined the foursome. The foursome was valued at $500 and by adding the emcee we sold it for $2,500!

This was crazy… 5 days and 4 nights on your own private island for 10 guests with your own private chef cooking all your meals and your own wait staff with massages included! FSA Auctions sold this for $100,000!!

Front row seats to high school graduation with VIP service. FSA Auctions sold this for $8,500… twice!!

After a brainstorm session, someone mentioned a well-known donor to our nonprofit was authentic Spanish and someone had heard she made really good Paella. We asked this donor if she would do a Paella party in the winning bidders home with Spanish wine pairings. We sold it 4 times for $2,500 each!

Thinking out of the “shoe” box… We held a brainstorm session and uncovered that an alum from the school we were fundraising for owned a shoe store in LA. A shoe store that athletes regularly visited. We put this together… two nights at a hotel with airfare, a $500 shoe store credit and an opportunity to tour and learn about Entreprenuership from the owner. With great marketing, we sold it twice for $7,500!!

Once our organization had a challenging time getting live auction lots. The night of the event, FSA Auctions was chatting with a well known guest at the event… on the spot… with no live auction lots planned, FSA Auctions sold a whiskey tasting in this persons home for $2,750!!

Food trucks are a big hit! FSA Auctions sold a food truck for 100 guests for 4 hours… twice for $6,000 each!!

Once we had a painting made by one of the beneficiaries. It was our first live auction lot and the little girl with health complications came up to tell a brief story about the inspiration for her painting… in minutes we sold it for over $12,000!!

Below are a few more ideas to spark creativity!