How to Bid / Important Notes
You will want to read this page before the bidding (on Silent Auction items) goes live in early November. Bidding on Live Auction items is in-person or via absentee or phone bidding. See below for more info.
As you begin bidding on these wonderful pottery pieces made by some of NC's best potters - who are indeed craftspeople and artisans - consider that the true value of each piece lies not just in the beauty of the physical piece itself but in the time each artist spent making these pieces.
The true value of each piece also lies in the belief each artist has in the nonprofit North Carolina Pottery Center's mission of Sharing North Carolina's Clay Stories, Past and Present, thereby promoting awareness and appreciation of the history, heritage, and ongoing tradition of pottery making in our great state. Did you know artists can not deduct the value of their pieces on their taxes? They support us by donating pieces, not for their benefit, but for ours - because they believe in our mission.
Please bid to show that you appreciate the value of those things in addition to the piece itself. Because this is a charity auction benefitting our nonprofit mission of Sharing North Carolina's Clay Stories, Past and Present, and as a sign of respect to the potters and ceramics artists who donated these items, bidding on our Silent Auction pieces will start at the fair market value of the item.
We, and the artists, greatly appreciate your support of the center!
Lindsey - Executive Director
Note #1: Online Silent Auction Initial Bid = Fair Market Value (FMV)
For items in our Online Silent Auction, the Initial Bid (minimum) is the Fair Market Value (FMV) of the piece. Why? See the "Welcome!" note on our Online Silent Auction homepage.
Note #2: How to Bid on Live Auction Items
Bidding on Live Auction Items is in-person at the event or via pre-arranged telephone or absentee bidding. Contact the center at 336-873-8430 by 12:00 PM EST on Friday, November 8th, to arrange telephone bidding or an absentee bid.
Note #3: How To Place A Regular Bid On An Online Silent Auction Item
Click on an Item to view the description as well as the current bid.
The system will auto-populate the bid amount based on the set increment for the item.
Click Bid.
Note #3: How To Place An Auto Bid On An Online Silent Auction Item
You can allow the system to automatically bid up to a designated amount for you. The system will bid incrementally up to the amount designated as long as someone else places a bid against you. If no one bids against your auto bid, the price remains the same. (Note: When two bids are placed for the same amount, the bid placed first based on the timestamp wins.)
Click on an Item to view the description as well as the current bid.
Click the Auto Bid tab.
Enter in the maximum amount you would like to bid.
Click Bid.
Note #5: There Is No "Buy It Now" Option This Year
Note #6: Auction End Date/Time
Bidding on all our Online Silent Auction Items ends at 5:00 PM (EST) on Sunday, November 10, 2024, unless an Auction Item goes into "Extended Bidding."
Note #7: Extended Bidding
Items in our Online Silent Auction will close on an "extended bidding" basis. What this means… If a guest places a bid on an item in the final 60 seconds of the auction, the bidding on that item will be extended for 1 minute to give other bidders the opportunity to place a higher bid. Each time a new bid is placed during the extended bidding period, an additional 1 minute will be added to the auction ending time. Once the extended bidding period has passed without another bid being placed, the extension and bidding will end.
Note #8: After the Online Silent Auction Ends
Once the auction has ended, the winning bidders will be alerted and will be able to pay securely online. Please pay within 24 hours, if possible. Please pay online if at all possible. If you must pay by cash or check, please let us know in advance.
Note #8: Sales Tax
No sales tax is being charged as we are a 501(c)(3)nonprofit organization. Per NC DOR rules, this event qualifies as one of the two fundraising events that we are permitted to have without collecting sales tax.
Note #9: Optional Purchase/Transaction/Processing Fees
As part of the Check Out process, purchasers have the Option to pay the merchant services transaction/processing fees (approx. 3.63%) associated with their purchase thereby further helping to support the nonprofit North Carolina Pottery Center. If purchasers opt not to pay the transaction/processing fees, the Center absorbs that cost.
Note #10: Tax Deductibility
Per the IRS, the amount you pay for an item in a charity auction minus the Fair Market Value (FMV) of the item is the amount you may deduct on your taxes.
(i.e., You pay $700 for a piece with a FMV of $400. Per the IRS, you may deduct $300.)
After the auction ends and your account has been settled, you will receive an email that lists any purchases and/or donations you have made via this online auction along with the transaction dates. Attached to that email, you will find a statement indicating cash contributions and any purchased items. The statement provides an estimate of the value of goods or services provided, if any, that have been rendered to you in return for your contribution. We'd like to remind you again that your contribution is deductible only to the extent that it exceeds the Fair Market Value (FMV).
Note #11: Item Pick-Up / Delivery / Shipping
Winners who are in attendance at our Gala & Auction at The Umstead Hotel & Spa on Nov. 10th may take the items they have won with them at the conclusion of the Gala.
Winners not in attendance at the Gala & Auction may pick up their Auction Items at the North Carolina Pottery Center during regular business hours (Tues-Sat 10 AM - 4 PM) or by appointment. If a winner is located in NC, it may also be possible for us to arrange delivery.
If shipping is necessary, the winner is responsible for paying for shipping, handling, and insurance for said item(s). Costs for shipping, handling, and insurance will vary according to the item's shape, size, and weight as well as the location to which said item is to be shipped. Shipping of items is limited to the United States.