Selling Multiples is a live auction strategy where an item is sold to multiple bidders for the same final bid price.

Let’s say three donors are locked in a bidding war over a luxury vacation at $2,500. Instead of driving the price up and declaring just one winner, the auctioneer sells it to all three bidders at the $2,500 price tag. 

That $2,500 just became $7,500.

With one simple shift, your organization triples its fundraising revenue from a single item—with zero extra effort.

The catch? This approach only works with items that can be sold more than once, making it the perfect strategy for auction consignment items. 

These auction-ready packages are endlessly resellable and risk-free to offer at your auction, making them ideal for maximizing returns.

Live auctions are all about emotion, momentum, and the thrill of competition. Selling multiples lets you act on the energy and enthusiasm of the moment.

Instantly Multiply Proceeds

According to the data, live auction items get an average of 5.36 bids per item. Imagine turning those bids into revenue for your auction! By selling to two, three, or even more bidders, your nonprofit instantly multiplies funds without lifting a finger—and no one walks away disappointed. 

Raise More Than a Single Sale

While it may be tempting to drive bidding up until only one bidder remains, you'll often net more by selling to multiple eager bidders at an attainable price. Compare a winning bid of $3,500 to three sales at $2,750. A single winner raises $3,500 for your nonprofit while multiples raise $8,250!

Keep the Momentum Going

The strategy also preserves the excitement of the auction. It keeps the room engaged, rewards competitive bidders, and avoids undercutting the sense of urgency that drives bids upward.

Simplify Your Fundraising

It’s a go-to technique our fundraising experts and auctioneer partners love because it’s simple, adaptable, and incredibly effective at turning one strong item into multiple high-impact gifts. 

Not every auction item is suited to this strategy. Donated auction items are one-and-done, meaning you can’t duplicate them even if bidders are willing to pay. 

Consignment travel experiences are ideal for this strategy, as they’re: 

• Universally desirable: Travel and unique experiences are some of the most appealing and in-demand auction prizes, accounting for 51% of all item bids. 
• Emotionally powerful: Donors bid with their hearts, not just their wallets, and travel taps into that aspiration.
• Flexible and repeatable: Consignment travel experiences can be sold an unlimited number of times
• Higher value: Compare selling 3 wine baskets at $250 vs. 3 trips at $2,500. The revenue difference is massive.

In short, the scalability of auction consignment travel packages makes them the ultimate tool for selling multiples.

 What makes this strategy so powerful—and appealing—is that it’s easy to implement and even easier to scale:

• Flexible: You or your auctioneer can decide in the moment whether to sell more than one trip
• Simple: No extra logistics required—the consignment package details and price stay the same
• No Extra Costs: No need to purchase trips beforehand. Consignment means you only pay for what sells and keep 100% of the remaining proceeds.
• Scalable: Whether it’s two bidders or ten, everyone walks away happy—and your nonprofit walks away with more raised.

One of our nonprofit partners sold our Oceanfront Siesta experience to thirty-six different bidders, raising $38,000 in a matter of minutes!

 To get the most from selling multiples, a little pre-planning goes a long way:

• Prep your auctioneer: Let them know which items can be sold more than once so they can watch for bidding momentum
• Sell strategically: Instead of driving up bidding until only one donor can afford it, sell when there are still multiple bidders competing
• Choose the right items: This strategy works best with consignment travel, especially trips that balance appeal with affordability

Not all auction items are created equal—especially when it comes to selling multiples. To maximize your fundraising impact, you’ll want travel experiences that combine broad appeal, strong perceived value, and affordability. 

Here are some of our top recommendations: 

 Multiply the Bids, Maximize the Impact

Selling multiples is a smart, scalable way to raise significantly more—without adding cost or complexity. When paired with travel experiences that can be sold again and again, it becomes one of the most effective strategies in your live auction toolkit. 

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