Veterans organization silent auction item ideas that actually sell

For the general list that works for any organization, start with our 100+ silent auction item ideas. A post's three audiences — members, auxiliary and town — want a narrower set, and much of it is the post's own.

Access and use of the post

• The hall for a private event — a birthday, an anniversary, a reception
• A reserved table at the post's largest annual dinner
• A named seat, plaque or brick in the building or memorial garden
• The canteen or kitchen for an evening, with the post's own cooks
• A parking space at the building for a year
• A post-cooked meal delivered, prepared by the kitchen crew

The hall is the asset most posts underuse in a catalogue. It has no retail price a bidder can look up, it costs the post an evening, and a member family that wants it for a graduation party has a reason to bid past what a hall rental would cost.

History, ceremony and craft

• A framed piece of the post's history — a charter photograph, an early roster
• A shadow box built by the post's own members, to the winner's specification
• A folded flag presentation, done properly and respectfully, where your department permits it
• A flag flown over a named location, with documentation, where you can source one
• A commissioned piece from a member who works in wood, metal or leather

Ceremony items need care and a check with your department or national headquarters before listing. The line worth holding: auction the craft, the history and the access. Do not auction anything that could read as selling a military honour or a decoration.

What the town donates

• Restaurant and diner certificates, in volume
• Hunting, fishing and outdoor gear
• A cord of firewood, a load of gravel, a season of lawn care
• Auto services, tyre sets, detailing
• A butcher's meat bundle
• Equipment rental days from a local hire firm

Post catchments generally look more like a fire district than a suburban gala. Practical, outdoor and useful items suit the audience; auction what your neighbours actually want rather than what an auction is supposed to have.

Veteran-owned business items

Coffee roasters, distilleries and breweries, apparel makers, knife and leather makers, gyms, contractors, security and IT firms. Listing the business as veteran-owned on the item page gives your bidders a reason to prefer it, which is part of what you are offering the donor. See veteran-owned business outreach.

What to be careful with

• Anything that could read as selling a medal, decoration or honour — do not
• Emblem merchandise made without department or national permission
• Firearms — heavily regulated, and most platforms including this one do not permit them. Auction a gift certificate to a licensed dealer instead, if your state allows
• Anything that turns the auction into a licensed gaming activity — see below
• Generic gift cards as headline items; reasonable filler, weak lead

Gaming and emblem detail: gaming licences and emblems.