Last night was the CHAIR-ity auction at the NM Highlands University. It was well attended by what seemed to be faculty and staff from the university. There were a total of 27 chairs up for auction, the minimum bid was $50. The University President, Sam Minner, was the auctioneer and he did a great job--it helped that he knew almost everyone in the room. :)
My chair was the 4th one auctioned off and it only got one bid for $55. That's OK by me, it was a fun to participate in this event and the proceeds benefit the university's art programs so it's a win/win.
The chair that was the most popular was actually a small bench painted with Native American images by a well-known local artist. It went for $500.
In case they do this event again I paid attention to the chairs that were the most popular to see if there was a pattern. Here's what I learned:
(1) Pick a donated chairs early when there is a lot of variety to chose from, and select an unusual yet comfortable chair,
(2) Have a reputation in the community--the most popular chairs were ones where the audience knew the artist,
(3) Bright, bold colors and/or western themes are well liked, and
(4) Most importantly, bring friends to the auction to bid on your chair! :)
After the auction had a brief conversation with the man who purchased my chair. I thanked him and he complimented my design. It seemed like he was pleased with his purchase and I hope the chair enjoys a nice, new home.
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