Need ideas for local benefit auction...help!

[MesquiteMan]

I have agreed to make a pen or 2 for a silent auction at a local hospital foundation's annual gala. This is a black tie event with the who's who in town in attendance. My wife and I will be attending as guests of a local surgeon who I have built an office and a guest house for.

I am planning to make 1 or 2 cactus pens and will be able to have my business cards on display. What pen kit(s) would you suggest? I was thinking about doing a husband and wife set with a Statesman and Jr. Statesman FP. I also thought about doing a desk set with a Statesman FP and a letter opener. What would you suggest?

Also, I was thining about building a nice glass display case to display the pens in. The idea woudl be to do something where I would have some black velvet with a piece of cactus with the pens on it. Kinda like this picture:

What do you think of this idea? The glass case would give some added percieved value and look really good. Do you think it would hinder someone from bidding since they would not be able to pick them up?

Also, would you include a nice wood box for the winning bidder or just include the black cardboard box I got in the recent group buy? Maybe even include the display I build?

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

 

[alamocdc]

Curtis, I think the Satesman, Jr. Statesman pair sounds good. I wouldn't think that having them displayed in a nice case should hinder the bids, but one never knows. Just make sure that they can be displayed uncapped. A wood box sounds more appropriate if you're serious about this. JMO

 

[fiferb]

I would think that anything you put out for display during the auction would go to the winner. If the pen(s) were in a display case then it would be part of the bid. I like the idea of the desk set.

 

[Dario]

If you will make a case, do include it on the auction. It should be open though and allow the people to touch the pen.

Make a short write up about the material...it should help drive the price up a bit.

As for the kit...can't comment much on Jr Statesman since I never used it. If you can swing for the high end like Imperial, it may be the way to go.

Just MHO.

 

[gerryr]

I would go with the Statesman/Jr. Statesman. These are really classy looking pens without being ostentatious. Another alternative would be to make two closed end Jr. Statesman. I did this as wedding presents and embedded a Swarovski crystal in end of her pen. But, I have no idea how the crystal might look on the cactus pens.

 

[ctEaglesc]

While at the D.C. pen show I was impressed at the Gisi"s disply.
Essentially was similar to a display case that sat on the banquet table.
There were no more than a hald a dozen pens in the disply and each pen was raised off the bottom of the display by a wooden block.
The purpose I was told was that one of the pens had "walkedoff" at another show.
What I liked about it was a customer could see the entire display and since eith Mark or Brian were always at the booth it was not a big deal to lif the glass top and show the custoomer the pen.
I guess my point is, as much as feeling, holding and testing a pen is a big part of the buying process,how WE value our pens says a lot as to what they are worth.
If they are left out like a flea market display expect to get flea market prices.
If you display them as a jeweler displays his or her pieces then maybe you just might get a higer price.
When in Office Supply stores, I note that the higher price pens are in a locked display case, the cheaper ones hang from a pegboard rack, or lay in a bin or on a table.
WHich do you want to sell(or have "walk off?")

 

[Dario]

The big difference is that Curtis described a controlled setting unlike a store...I would like to think that no pen will walk off on such event then again I may be too naive.

 

[ctEaglesc]

Originally posted by Dario
<br />The big difference is that Curtis described a controlled setting unlike a store...I would like to think that no pen will walk off on such event then again I may be too naive.

True and I thought of that when I was typing my reply.
He is trying to get the highest price to raise money.
My impression of the Gisi's display said"This is something special!"
A display such as I described wuld send the same message as opposed to a couple of pens sitting in boxes on a table.
I never gave the security issue a thought in this instance.
What I was trying to suggest was to create the atmosphere that this is not "just a couple of pens" that might be looked upon as a "door prize"

 

[Paul in OKC]

I did a benifit auction a while back for a childrens hospital that catered to special needs kids. Just made a nice looking 7mm Euro with a decorative band out of curly bubinga. Was a very pretty pen. Brought $100 bid. I was contacted by the director later to say how excited they were, but that the pen went missing before the winner was able to pick it up. I made them another (which they insisted on paying for). The pen pictured is beautiful. The main thing is the cause, IMO. Granted you don't want a basic slim line out there, but a pen as the one pictured would do proud, I would think.

 

[MesquiteMan]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I ended up ordering a Statesman and a Jr. Statesman FP with black titanium accents. I think they will fit the bill perfectly.

I also spoke to the auction coordinator and she was THRILLED to hear what I was planning. So much so that she said she wanted to include it on the "Star of Texas" table at the auction. This is the table where they put all the best stuff that they want to command the highest price! It is front and center and is a real honor to be included on that table! I am pretty excited.

I am planning to build a display case to put them in that will be included in the auction. Hopefully it will do as Eagle says and add an element of class and make people feel they are truely high end. I will be sure to let you all know how much they end up selling for!