| Copyright (c) 2009 Red Apple Auctions LLC | | | | have the money to bid, even if they did attend - the |
| "One of a kind" auction items will always perform well | | | | school needed to provide some time for the |
| in a fundraiser benefit auction. A potato cannon ... | | | | end-user (the boys) to talk about the item at home |
| made by the school's beloved maintenance | | | | and convince the buyers (the parents). |
| department ... in an all-boys Catholic school ... is a | | | | 2. The maintenance team named the cannon and |
| perfect example. | | | | painted the name (which I've forgotten, but was |
| What is a potato cannon? | | | | something like "The Terminator" or "The Eliminator") |
| True to its name, the cannon is designed to propel a | | | | on the side of the cannon. That marketing move |
| potato hundreds of yards. It is typically constructed | | | | elevated the cannon's reputation. |
| of ABS pipe and uses a can of hairspray as the | | | | 3. Prior to the auction, a "test" was conducted by the |
| propellant to launch the potato. For obvious reasons, | | | | maintenance crew to ensure their workmanship was |
| this is an item better suited to boys who live in wide | | | | free from flaws. They launched a potato which flew |
| open spaces and not in a city. Damage would no | | | | over the gymnasium, beyond the lacrosse field, and |
| doubt ensue. | | | | into the baseball diamond. That test launch was a |
| (After looking at the cannon, one auction guest - a | | | | clever marketing tactic. It stirred up talk around the |
| grown man - told me, "Oh, I could have some fun | | | | school! |
| with this.") | | | | 4. In the maintenance department and at the auction, |
| If you have the means to build a cannon, be sure to | | | | the cannon was marketed with a bag of ammunition |
| market it appropriately. Here's what this school did to | | | | (i.e. potatoes) and an instruction manual, written in |
| ensure the cannon sold like a rocket. | | | | both English and Spanish. The cannon was sold as a |
| 1. In the two weeks leading up to the auction, the | | | | complete "batteries included" item. |
| cannon was proudly on display in the maintenance | | | | The cannon drew enormous interest from the crowd |
| department. Every boy in the school had an | | | | during the live auction. The bidding was so spirited, |
| opportunity to visit the department at least once to | | | | the maintenance department agreed to build a |
| see the cannon. The auction chair confided that many | | | | second cannon for the back-up bidder. This allowed |
| boys visited twice. | | | | the school to earn twice the proceeds. |
| Pre-marketing the item builds anticipation for the | | | | If your event has an unusual item, consider how you |
| auction and gives the boys a chance to talk about | | | | might market it to ensure it gets the attention it |
| the cannon at home. Given that the students won't | | | | deserves. |
| be attending the auction themselves - and wouldn't | | | | |