The Silent Auction
Since 1995, DCFF has held a Silent Auction in the basement of Sister Bay
Village hall. Participants and "Friends of the Festival" donate all sorts
of items to this activity that directly supports the twelve (12) Work
Scholars required for the Administrative Staff. Auction proceeds have
subsidized up to five (5) Work Scholars. We'd like your help in increasing
that number this year. Recently, interest has taken off and there have
been over 100 items placed in the auction. You can find some great items
at bargain prices.
Background
Like many other DCFF activities, the Silent Auction originated with
a suggestion from a participant. Marilyn Bergstrom, a dancer in Chicago,
donated her Bulgarian costume to the Festival and suggested that we
raffle it off to raise money for scholarships. Taking that concept a
step further, the planners recognized the potential to broaden the scope
of participation to include others. Thus, the DCFF Silent Auction idea
was conceived as a way to:
- provide a means for donors to contribute
to the Festival
- promote recycling within the community
- help folks find things that they can
use
- add another activity that promotes interaction
and conversation between participants
- raise money for the work scholarship
fund
How Do I Make a Donation?
Check your closets, cabinets, attics, bookshelves, etc. for ethnic and
folk related things that you no longer use. Do some "Spring Cleaning"
and donate items that are still serviceable, wearable, usable, etc.
The silent auction is a way to help these items find a new life in a
new home. Articles for the auction can include ethnic clothing, shoes
and accessories, items related to ethnic dance, music or singing, international
travel, ethnic cultures, foreign languages, music collections, dance
notes/descriptions, etc.
- Please complete an Auction Form for
each donated item including donor name (optional), item description
and suggested minimum bid. There is a short form and a long form (for
items that will have a lot of bids). You can download these pdf forms
from:
- Donors attending the Festival should
bring their items to the Auction Manager at Sister Bay Village Hall
- Donors unable to attend the Festival
should make prior shipping or drop-off arrangements with the Auction
Manager
What Do I Donate?
One never knows what participants, will find interesting, exciting,
and/or desirable. Each year people donate lots of items and the bidding
ranges all over the place - sometimes high, sometimes low. Auction items
in past years have included ethnic costumes, a 20-plus year collection
of Viltis (Folklore/Folk Dance Magazine), dance records, tapes and CD's,
new and used dance clothing, T-shirts from other dance workshops/camps,
new and like-new dance footwear including Opanki (Balkan footwear),
cell phones, travel books, grass mats, herbal teas, jewelry, hand strung
beads, wall hanging, paintings and small costumed dolls. The variety
of items seems to meet the interests and needs of the auction participants,
especially the regulars, who seem to sense that they will discover "something
special". Check your closets, corners and storage areas for forgotten
"treasures" and donate them to the DCFF Silent Auction.
How Does the Auction Work?
During registration on Thursday, the items are put on display. The bidding
for the silent auction opens at the Thursday night party at 8:00pm and
closes at the Saturday night party at 11:30pm. The auction manager will
review the bid sheets and certify the last entry and highest bidder
of each item as the winner.
- Bidding begins at the suggested minimum
bid and may be increased by full dollar amounts only. There are no
penny raises.
- Highly contested items will be setup
for "blind bidding", meaning that the bidders put down what they are
willing to pay for such an item. Blind bids will be kept sealed until
end of auction. The highest bidder may then purchase the item
- Browse the Auction and bid generously
on newly discovered treasures!
- Donors to please re-claim any non-bid
items after the auction closes
Contact Information
To donate items or for additional information, the Auction Manager
- Mercedes: mercedes@dcff.net,
(262)-632-2986
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