Take a few moments to explore this website’s features you might appreciate. For example, check out the tabs at the top of the homepage, such as “List of Event Dates” – you might save or print it to keep it handy. Click on “Donors” to see who you recognize in the photos and the local businesses supporting our Auction. On items you want to bid on, click on the Star next to the FB and Twitter symbols under “Next Item”, and then you will have a shortcut to see your starred items via the Online Auction Catalog’s title page “Show me – Items I’ve starred”.

Ready to start bidding?  Go to the ‘Bidding Info’ tab to find instructions on placing a bid. When you’re ready to review the catalog,  look at the tabs at the top of the page and click on ‘Auction Catalog’ and then ‘Online Item Catalog’ underneath to find the catalog ‘Items’ you can bid on. Items fall into three categories:

1. Item has a fixed price. These are usually events with a set number of seats, and the first bidders to bid on those available seats will win them. You can recognize these items because the item’s name will include something like ‘(3 Available at $30 each).’ If the item is already open for bidding, it will also have a green button that says (for example) ‘Buy It Now For $30.00.’ No button? Click on ‘More Details’ to find out when bidding starts on that item.  
2. Item has a variable price with a minimum starting bid and a maximum ‘Buy It Now’ bid. These will have a single winner—whoever bids the highest amount! Descriptions will have a green button that says either ‘Starting Bid Is $___’ if no one has bid yet, or ‘Current Bid Is $___ Bid Now.’ The only way to ensure you get that super-special item is to click on ‘More Details’ and select the ‘Buy It Now’ price. (Hint: If it doesn’t have a Buy It Now’ price, it’s in category 3 below.) As above, no green button means bidding has not yet started on that item. Proxy bidding (automatic counter-bidding up to a limit you set, see ‘Bidding Info’ tab) may be helpful as a timesaver on this type of item.  . 
3. Item has a variable price with a minimum starting bid and no upper ceiling. This category includes single offerings of higher-value items, AND services or events offered to two or more bidders. This category is much like category 2, except that the final set of winners will be the bidder(s) who bid the highest amount(s)—so go ahead and bid a higher amount to knock out previous bidders! Proxy bidding may be helpful here as well. Also be advised that any last-minute bids (shortly before 3 pm Saturday) will cause the bidding period to be extended, so keep a close eye on last-minute activity and act as needed to make your bid the highest one.

Still confused? Please don’t hesitate to contact Auction2022@wsuu.org and one of the team will respond.