More Miles

Work and travel never keep me from clocking more miles on my old GPZ. I jump on my bike as often as I can. A spare minute always means another mile.

I have already managed to get a couple of really good rides in this summer. Last month; I made the trip back to my hometown of Spokane to help out my old friend, Jay with his annual car show in neighboring Rosalia. He had invited me back again to be one of the judges for his annual car show. It’s a tough job when there are so many great cars! Besides the old cars, I got to visit and chat with some of my old college friends who also made the trip to Rosalia for the day. 

My old 1983 GPZ ran like a top for the 800-mile round-trip. Even more surprising was how well I held up on the ride! When I rode the exact route last year, the 90-degree heat took it out of me. The much cooler temperature this year made for a much more comfortable ride.

This weekend, I did a couple of my favorite rides. First one had my heading east out of Portland onto Highway 84 towards The Dalles. From there I rode south on the 197 to Tygh Valley, then east onto Highway 216, which took me along the Deschutes River and up Shears Bridge Canyon. It’s a great twisty ride but you have to be careful because not all of the corners have guardrails. If you go off the road, it’s a hell of a long ways down to the bottom of the canyon! I continued on by connecting through Grass Valley onto Highway 97, then hooking onto Highway 84 westbound back to Portland. It’s a great 300-mile ride that I would highly recommend.

The next day, I took a quick spin to Mount Hood with a quick visit to Timberline Lodge. The road around the backside of the mountain takes you through the wineries and fruit tree farms of Hood River. It really was a perfect weekend of riding.

Did I do the speed limit?

Sherars Bridge Canyon - a fun and fast series of twists and turns

In the background is Oregon’s tallest mountain, Mount Hood

Taking a selfie break along the Columbia Gorge Highway

Everywhere

Remember the call I got two months ago? I said yes to a fundraising auction that was to take place in a local Portland taproom. I got the call when the original auctioneer had backed out because she did not like the group's final selection of venue.

Well, it turned out really well! It actually turned out better than any one of us could have imagined. We ended up raising nearly double the net proceeds that they had in years past. They were so pleased with the results that they rebooked us right away for their next year's event.

I'm sure glad we said yes. It was a great group and a fun auction to work and we're looking forward to doing it all again next year. It just goes to show that success can be found anywhere and everywhere, as long as you open your mind and eyes to the possibilities.

Thirty Years

Thirty years ago, I started my career in the auction business. It was the evening of May 20, 1988 in my hometown of Spokane. It's easy for me to remember because it was my 27th birthday.

I was helping out my future employer, Mitch and his buddy Stuart at a fundraising event. Before that; I had never even attended an auction, let alone worked at an auction! My job that night was to simply help spot anyone's hand that shot up in the air, then let out a "Yep!" loud enough for the auctioneer to hear. It was a lot harder than it looked. Now turn the clock ahead thirty years and I have been the auctioneer of over 400 fundraising auctions. Who would have ever imagined what that one evening would lead to? This unexpected and rewarding career is what came of that night and I feel so lucky to be a part of it after all these years.

Photography

I remember when I was a kid in school, all through elementary, middle, and high school; the common thread of what my teachers would say to me went along the lines of "Steve, you'd be an straight-A student if you would just pay attention”. I loved daydreaming, especially during class. Looking out the window at the clouds passing by was a lot more interesting to me than what I was supposed to be learning in class.

Daydreaming transitioned naturally to picture-taking. Throughout most of my adult life, I have been the picture-taker of the family. It must have been in my genes; because my dad and my grandparents too, were into photography. I am fortunate enough to have some of those pictures that were shot back in the early part of this past century.

Last summer, I was lucky enough to have had the chance to ride and drive through some lesser-travelled roads of Oregon. Through my lens, I thought I would share a few of those trips with you. 

More Beer

Ali here... Instead of bikes and cars, real estate and fundraisers; we’re going to talk about beer this week!

Portland has this great food truck, coffee shop, and wine scene; plus more beer and breweries than the average guy can keep up with. I’m going to share with you here, a few of our favorites.

The Imperial Bottle Shop just opened its second location on Alberta Street this year. It has a selection of 300+ bottles of beer on the wall and cooler, and it offers fresh pours out of 28 taps! There’s even a couple of old-school arcade games for your playing pleasure.

Breakside Brewery has a lot of everything going on. From award-winning IPAs to a pet project of barrel-aged sours, it has got something for every palate. These guys are pretty good in the kitchen too. We’ve enjoyed a great meal or two at both the Dekum and Slabtown locations.

Pfriem has a classic line that perfectly suits the traditionalist. Included in its over two dozen classic offerings are a Pilsner, Pale Ales, a Mexican Lager, and a whole bunch of IPAs for good measure. Pfriem Family Brewers is in Hood River, about an hour drive out of Portland.

With over 100 breweries in the Portland Metro area, it would be easy to find a couple of favorites of your own. Cheers to beer and more beer!

A Night of Excellence

Tonight I stood on stage at the Portland Art Museum in front of a sold-out crowd of over 500 people. This was my tenth year at this particular event, A Night of Excellence, where we raised $62,000 in a special appeal that broke its previous record by nearly double.

A Night of Excellence in Commercial Real Estate is the Oregon-Washington chapter of the Commercial Association of Brokers' annual awards reception. Every year it celebrates its members' achievements and at the same time, it raises money for a local cause. This year's recipient was the local association branch of ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

ALS is a neurodegenerative disease where the nerve cells controlling your muscles progressively die. The connections between your brain and muscles degenerate which leads to a loss of mobility, speech, and then finally breath.

To learn more about these two non-profit organizations, go to:

http://orwacab.org and
http://webor.alsa.org.

Planes and trains

My usual travel schedule is not as crazy as it used to be. But this week is chalking up for me to rack up a few more miles than usual. This week sort of looks like this... In the car headed out of Portland but still in Oregon, to meet and consult with some new clients. By the same afternoon, headed to the airport to catch a flight to California for an auction the next day that I'm doing for the first time. Back home that night so I can drive to an auction in Oregon the next day, then back to the airport that same night to return to California for a different auction! It's a good thing I like driving and don't mind flying. I've included a few shots I've taken from airplanes. So today's is more a photo blog than anything. A bit of a change but I hope you enjoy.

Beware of the man in the tuxedo

I'm always curious to know more when I hear or read about someone who says he 'specializes as a fundraising auctioneer'.

Why have I not heard his or her name before? Who is this person? Is he or she professionally trained? What kind of auction experience did he or she have before becoming a benefit specialist or expert?

Fundraisers are a collaborative event. A professional auctioneer will make sure that all the behind the scenes work is properly and completely done. This is the first of many important steps that it takes to produce an evening of giving that is both seamless and successful.   

I have been an auctioneer working in the Pacific Northwest for over twenty-five years. I have auctioned off date nights with Hollywood stars. children's art, school teachers' homemade baking, tens of thousands of wholesale and collector cars, as well as California real estate. I have worked with hundreds of other auctioneers. Among the lot of us, we have a few thousand years of experience combined and have easily seen hundreds of billions of dollars change hands. Boy, that makes me sound old!

Like any other profession, it takes years of learning and doing to master one's craft. A proficient auctioneer is not as easy to find as it seems. What you can expect of him or her when you find one is this:

A great auctioneer connects with your audience.
He or she establishes the tone and momentum of the auction.
An auctioneer never misses a guest with his bid card in the air.
He communicates and carries on with everyone with ease and finesse.
After he sells the crowd every single live auction lot, he is still able to draw more money out of your guests during the special appeal!

It's true that we all have to start somewhere. The question is, do you want an auctioneer who's wet behind the ears to use your event as his guinea pig? Before you hire someone; ask for his or her credentials, have a look at his portfolio, watch her in action. Best to see it before you believe it. You know what they say, “If it sounds too good to be true..."

The future of real estate auctions

Here is the final proof of the first article I wrote for All Things Real Estate PDX. I started writing a monthly column back in the early spring of this year. Have a read and let me know what you think. Better yet; I'd love to hear what auction, car, fundraising and real estate related topics you'd like to read about or to see more of in my blog?

Reinvent and resize

In my last blog post, I talked about rethinking how to go about planning your next fundraising auction. One of the main points I covered was the size of the event. It really comes down to the ROI, return on investment. What if I told you that in the following year, you should only invite half the people AND double your ticket price? Your first thought would probably be an emphatic NO. I'll let you in on a not-so-secret secret. As with most other sales transactions, the 80/20 rule applies. This is true for most things in the world of business, auctions included. What is the 80/20 rule? Also known as the Pareto Principle, it is the rule of thumb that 80% of your output is determined by 20% of your input. For example, in business it works out that 20% of your customers represent 80% of your sales. Or in our case, 20% of your event's patrons are bidding for your auction items 80% of the time. That means, in a crowd of 300, there are really only 30 actual serious bidders!

Let's do the math: starting with 300 people, divide that by 2 because most people come as part of a couple, apply the Pareto Principle by calculating 20% of 150, you are then left with only 30 true bidders in the room. What if, instead of trying to accommodate a lukewarm crowd of 300 at $250 a head, you double the ticket price and halve the number of guests? That translates into $75,000 in ticket sales right off the bat! Plus your fundraiser is left with only your most committed of patrons. Isn't it likely that the guy/gal who already spent $1,000 to attend your fundraiser with his wife/her husband, be the same guy/gal who takes home the grand auction prize?

Do your own little study at your next fundraising event and then give me a call.

Size doesn't matter. Really

We live in a world where if it's bigger, it must be better.

In the fundraising world, that axiom is not always true. Sure, it's exciting to be in a room filled with hundreds of other well-dressed and like-minded people thrown together to raise money for a shared cause, while also being entertained by the theatrics of the auctioneer. But the reality of large fundraising events is that only a small portion of those in attendance are actually active participants in the live auction. In my experience, I would venture to guess that only about 20% of the room is doing 80% of the bidding and buying. Yes, it does seem that more people tend to join in on the bidding for a special appeal. Though often, that may be the single occasion of the evening when that specific bid card saw any action.

So my question to event planners out there is, "How much thought and effort do you put into the process of guest selection?" Like most not-for-profit organizations, do you simply send out invites to the masses hoping to fill the huge ballroom that you have rented for the night? Or do you pick and choose those patrons who have potential in their pocketbooks and the ones with proven buying power to contribute to your night's cause? What if you could cut the cost of producing your event in half and at the same time, double your audience participation? Wouldn't you be interested in knowing how? Stay tuned for some hints in my next blog. 

Location, location

I found a great website recently that I want to share with you. It lists all the favorite event spaces here in the Portland area. Go to www.eventective.com, to find a location for your upcoming auction. I've worked in many different spaces, from traditional ballrooms to tents and rough open urban warehouses. I really like working in rooms where the organizer, thought a bit out of the box. Every room has its challenges - sound, lighting, seating, as well as food and beverage services. Use your imagination to create a unique space for your next auction.  

Being an auctioneer

I’m one of the lucky people out here in the working world who really enjoys what he's doing for a living.

Being an auctioneer is a unique profession. I have been lucky enough to make it my career for the past twenty plus years. I’ve been involved in auctioning everything from real estate, both wholesale and collector cars, as well as art and wine at fundraisers.

In each of these different scenarios of the auction, the same theme repeats itself. That similarity is competition. Finding value or just establishing something's worth is best done via the auction method.

Then why haven’t auctions become a more mainstream method for selling? There are a couple of reasons. First, I think there still lacks information and understanding about how this selling process works. For instance, if you scratch your nose or accidently raise your hand during the bidding process, you don't necessarily have to buy the item that's being auctioned. We’re looking at everyone in the room and to some degree, watching your non-verbal clues as to whether you’re truly a potential bidder. An auctioneer with experience will always ask whether you’re bidding or simply waving to your friend across the room. Secondly, an auction can be a intimidating for some. It puts most people, especially bidders, outside their comfort zone. You either have the resources to purchase what’s for sale or you don’t. When you bid, you may take a bit of ownership for the item up for sale. So being outbid can lead to some very intense stares between bidders around the room. All in good spirits, of course!

Factors are constantly changing. Nowadays, change happens frequently and quickly. Setting a defined date for an item to be sold, allowing only those qualified to participate in the buying process, and informing both buyers and sellers the terms and conditions of the sale - all of these factors combined level the playing field for all involved. So as more buyers and sellers look for more transparency in their business dealings; we will see auctions, becoming more often, the preferred method of conducting these types of transactions.

Estate sales

How would you like someone, anyone to take off your hands, a dearly departed family member's house filled to the rafters with stuff? In return, you've saved a ton of time and still end up with money in the bank.

A real estate auctioneer can do that for you.

Instead of you and your siblings having to coordinate a time to meet, in order to sort through an entire household of remnants from the past and take carloads of used clothing to goodwill. Then empty, clean, stage and list that old house in wait of the right buyer to make an offer acceptable to you. Why not hand that task over to a licensed broker slash auctioneer to liquidate your shared family home and its entire contents? Even that old car that hasn't been started for years, collecting dust in the garage, can be taken care of in one fell swoop.

I happen to be one of a very few professionally-trained auctioneers in Portland, who is also a licensed real estate broker in the state of Oregon. If an estate sale auction peaks your interest or sounds like it might work well for you and your family, ask away. I will try to answer any questions you might have or be able to point you in the right direction.

School fundraisers

School fundraising auctions are some of my favorites amongst the variety of events that I do. They give parents and teachers an opportunity to socialize outside of the school environment. You have a highly motivated captive audience. Everyone in attendance has a student who benefits from the proceeds of the evening. It's a winning combination.

With smaller budgets and fewer subsidies, more and more schools are required to do their own fundraising - from kindergarten to high school, private and public school. Academic institutions are raising money for sports fields and equipment, international exchange trips, scholarships. The list goes on.

I'm a part of the fundraising team at a local private school's annual gala. For the past few years, a table of desserts made with love by the school's teachers goes to auction after the dinner portion of the night. The parents get pretty competitive. Little Lisa wants to hear how her dad made the highest bid for everyone's favorite teacher's triple-layered chocolate cake. I've seen bids go as high as $1,000 for a homemade cake. This year, the dessert auction raised $7,500 for the school's foundation!

Something to think about as yet another school year comes to a close. Have a fun and safe summer out there.

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The magic of the appeal

"What is an appeal?" you might ask.

An appeal in auction speak is a call for donations of cold hard cash. You may find it hard to believe, but some individuals and corporations would rather make a cash donation than to bid on another unnecessary trinket or luxury item. With increasing environmental and social awareness, it is no wonder why. It doesn't hurt that the entire amount of the donation is tax-deductible.

As a not-for-profit, you'd be surprised at the potential revenue an appeal may bring. Oftentimes, the appeal portion of your event may generate more money than ticket sales or even the live auction. Donation by appeal is quickly growing in popularity. If your charity happens to have close community ties, you may find support in a corporate donor that is willing to match your combined appeal donations. Thus $10,000 in individual cash donations grows to a whopping $20,000. In this scenario, not only is that company helping a worth cause; it is receiving a tax receipt and public recognition in return for its generosity.

Levy Moroshan Photography

I wanted to give Levy Moroshan the photo credits he deserves for the excellent work that he did for us. If you want to move away from the conventional headshot or put a different spin on a new website, like I did; Levy can help you with your photography. He's also really easy to work with. I would recommend Levy to anyone in a heartbeat. You can check out more of his work at levymoroshan.com.

Big or small, we can help

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Last weekend, one of our fundraising auction patrons told me how pleased he was with the results of the evening. Then he asked whether or not I did small auctions. "Of course!" I said. Actually, I love the small grassroots auctions when they are just getting started. All fundraisers or benefit auctions have to start somewhere, and it's exciting be there from the start to watch them grow and develop into major events. Most of the charity work I've done through the past twenty years has been working with groups who are just starting out. So if you've been thinking about putting together your first auction, or maybe hiring a professional auctioneer for an established event; give me a call or drop a line.