Charity auction consignment items explained

Charity auction consignment items come up in almost every conversation I have about sourcing lots, usually because someone has a genuinely valuable item they are willing to offer, but not willing to give away entirely.

What are charity auction consignment items?

Consignment means the item’s owner agrees to let it go under the hammer at your event but keeps a percentage of the winning bid, rather than donating the full item and its value to your cause.

This is a fundamentally different arrangement from a donated lot. With a donation, whatever the room bids goes entirely to your charity. With a consignment item, an agreed cut goes back to the owner once it sells, and only the remainder benefits your cause. Neither is wrong, but conflating the two in your planning, or your catalogue, creates real confusion about how much money an evening actually raised for the cause.

How is consignment different from using a commission-based lot supplier?

Consignment is an agreement with the actual owner of a specific item, while a commission-based lot supplier is a third-party business that sources generic lots for your event and takes a cut regardless of who owns what.

I am generally against sourcing lots through commission-based suppliers, because it takes money away from the cause for items that could often be sourced directly instead. Consignment is a separate decision. It is not about outsourcing your lot sourcing to a middleman. It is a direct arrangement with someone who owns a specific, genuinely valuable piece and is not willing to part with its full value for free.

When does consignment actually make sense?

Consignment makes sense for high-value items where no donor is willing to gift the piece outright, and where the item’s presence still adds enough excitement or prestige to the evening to justify giving up a share of the proceeds.

A significant piece of art, a rare collectible, or a high-end item can draw attention and lift the whole room’s energy, even if your cause only receives a portion of what it sells for. The judgement call is whether that item’s presence earns its place given the cut you are giving up. Not every valuable item clears that bar.

What to agree with a consignor before the event

Agree the exact percentage split, a reserve price if one applies, and what happens if the item does not sell, in writing, before it goes anywhere near your catalogue.

I have seen ambiguity here cause real friction after an otherwise successful evening. A verbal understanding is not enough for anything above a token value. Put the split, the reserve, and the fallback plan in writing, so there is no disagreement once the gavel has fallen and the money is being distributed.

Should your catalogue disclose which items are consigned?

Yes. Being transparent with your board, your donors, and anyone asking how much an evening raised protects your charity’s credibility, since a consigned item’s full winning bid does not entirely benefit the cause.

I would rather a board or a major donor hear upfront that one lot was consigned than assume every pound bid that evening went straight to the charity and discover otherwise later. This does not need to be a prominent catalogue disclaimer. A simple internal note in your post-event reporting is usually enough, but it should exist.

★★★★★

“We invited Kevin to be our charity auctioneer and he completely hammered it. Loads of energy, loads of excitement, loads of people bidding more than they perhaps wanted to. It really added a huge amount of value.”

He completely hammered it

A quick decision guide for consignment items

• Is the item genuinely valuable enough to justify giving up a share of the proceeds?
• Is there truly no donor willing to gift it outright? Always ask before assuming consignment is the only option.
• Is the split agreed in writing, including what happens if it does not sell?
• Will your board or major donors need to know it was consigned rather than donated?
• Does the item still earn its place in the catalogue given the cut you are giving up?

Consignment is a legitimate tool for the right item, used deliberately rather than by default. If you want the fuller picture on sourcing lots more broadly, including when to go straight to a donor instead, my guide on sourcing auction lots and my piece on the best auction items for charity events both cover the donated side of that comparison. For how a professional auctioneer’s own fees compare to a percentage-based arrangement, see my fees page.