Event This Weekend

Always, always, always use a tablecloth to cover the table when showing off anything.
I went to a 50th birthday party at a friends house and the children had all the tables in the living room without a tablecloth.
Does not have to be cloth, just covered.
Also, if you happen to have any flower petals (dollar store has them) to spread around. They also have the table covers. (Confetti is just too messy to put on the table.
I believe $ store has white and red. Maybe get a purple colored tablecover. It really looks attractive.
Feathered boa, garland, etc.

C.,
I've been in direct sales for about 5 years now and setting up displays in peoples home 8-10 times a month inside of 15 minutes. In direct sales the product normally sells itself so the display is not critical but I've always said presentation is half the battle. Here's what I have learned...

Be sure to group like colors together
Use display fabric that will help tie together the colors of the items or the theme of them...I don't know what you are auctioning off but say you had some sports stuff signed by athletes...you could use a flag with a team logo on it for example.
If you can put together groupings in odd numbers...put 3 5 or 7 items together.
Be sure to varying the height of the items and let the fabric drape down whatever you are using as risers...it creates interest by keeping the eye moving
use small props...maybe you have dinner for two gift certificate...display it with a couple of champagne glasses and some rose petals

hope those ideas help.
btw - I sell (LEGAL) handbags and jewelry and might be willing to donate an item or collection depending on the minimum required value. Let me know if you need any additional donations or if I can get on a list for next year maybe - would at least like to discuss it with you.
Best of luck!
A. E.
____@____.com
###-###-####

I guess it would help to know more about the items. It's more of a visual thing. So just tossing it out there, could they be put on clear cubes at different hights? Maybe some could be hung from a rack on the table...
Thank you for reminding me of art scraps, I want to check it out sometime.
Have fun with it.
A. H

C.,

A simple way to make the table look smashing is to get take some cardboard boxes of different sizes and place them under the table cloth to make different height levels for the items. The smaller things- like gift certificates can go on "top" of the boxes, the larger items on the surface of the table. Also, getting some of that confetti glitter works well, is easy and inexpensive. Then tie some helium balloons in bunches, again in different heights if you like around the inside of your "boxes". Hope this helps- good luck!

At a fundraiser that my friends put on last year they used dollar store wood picture frames to hold a description and approx value of the item that was up for auction. So if it was 4 tickets to Henry Ford it would say a little something then Valued of over $120 - etc. I thought that was nice especially if you have an item people arent automatically fmailiar with.