Item Types
A list of the default item types found in Auctria.
Items are central to every event in Auctria, and choosing the right item type is one of the first and most important setup steps. Each Item Type is selected from a pre-set list and comes with specific built-in functionality, so it's worth understanding the differences before you start adding items.
Warning
When creating items, you must set each item to one of the Auctria Item Types. The item type can be changed at any time, but doing so may affect how Auctria handles the item. If you change an item's type, double-check that it still behaves as expected.
The following Item Types are available:
| Item Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Paper Bidding Type | Final bids are recorded on a paper bid sheet at your event. |
| Live Bidding Type | Included in a live auction led by an auctioneer. Exists in system, but no bid sheet is produced. |
| Online Bidding Type | Sold fully online via the auction website, mobile app, or text-based bidding. |
| Partial Items | Items included as part of a basket or package, not sold individually. |
| For Sale Items | Items sold at a fixed price, optionally with a limited quantity available. |
| Donation Items | Projects guests can donate to without winning or purchasing anything. |
| Raffle Prize Items | Prizes for a raffle, awarded to a participant. See the note below. |
Choosing a Biddable Item Type
The most commonly used item types are Paper Bidding, Live Bidding, and Online Bidding — collectively known as "Biddable" items. A simple way to decide which to use is to consider where the final bidding will take place:
- Bid sheet at the event Paper Bidding Type
- Stored in system and called by an auctioneer Live Bidding Type
- Online or electronic bidding Online Bidding Type
Setting Up Raffles
If you are running a raffle, we strongly recommend setting up your raffle tickets and prizes through the Raffles dashboard rather than creating items manually. Setting up raffle items directly without using the Raffles dashboard is one of the most common ways raffles are configured incorrectly.
An item's type can be changed at any time from the Summary tab of its Item Details page.
Examples
The following examples illustrate how different item types are used for common auction scenarios.
Paper Bidding Event With Online Pre-Bidding
Paper Bidding items are common at traditional gala events. They can also be configured to allow online pre-bidding before the in-person event takes place.
To set this up, create the item with a type of Paper Bidding and enable the Participate in online bidding option. This option is enabled by default for all items.
See Online Bidding Type for more details.
Basket or Packaged Item
If several items have been donated separately but will be sold together as a basket or package, you'll need to set up two things:
- A single basket item to represent the lot being sold. This can be any biddable item type, depending on how you plan to sell it.
- One Partial item per donated item to track each individual contribution. Each Partial item can have its own donor information and value.
By default, the basket item calculates its total value from the Partial items assigned to it.
See Baskets and Packages for full setup details.
Item With Multiple Winners
For items where more than one bidder can win — for example, a biddable item with several available spots — enable the Allow multiple winners option and set the Quantity to the number of spots available. Participants bid as normal and the top bids up to the available quantity win.
See Multiple Winners for more details.
Last reviewed: November 2024