Moe Magic

To make this year's event more "magical," we are fortunate to have the services of Moe Magic. 

Moe will be strolling through the ballroom and in the foyer to entertain guests with his magic.

"Moe" information about Moe Magic can be found here.

The Wilds

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Earlier, in a post about Big "O" Refuse, we wrote about the increasing awareness of recycling and concerns about the environment.  Ohio has a terrific example of how land can be recycled.

The Wilds, located in Southeastern Ohio, is on a nearly 10,000 acre site that was once used for coal mining and is now the home of a major center for the conservation of various species of wild animals.

Unlike traditional zoos, where the animals are forced to live in human habitats, at The Wilds, the humans vist the animals in their natural environments.

Up for bid are a pair of Transportation Passes to the facility.

Tickets to Put-in-Bay

The Miller Boat Line has contributed 2 adult round-trip tickets to Put-In-Bay.

There are lots of reasons to go to Put-in-Bay.  There are many fine restaurants, there are historical sites, not to mention the world's largest geode.  It's a perfect summer getaway destination; a place to people watch and to make memories.

For the right price, we will get you there, but the rest is up to you.


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Talking Trash

Big "O" Refuse is supporting this year's auction with the donation of 3 months of trash service.

We are all becoming more aware of the trash in our lives.  We spend money on trying to organize it, we feel guilty about not recycling enough of it and we are starting to ask more questions about what happens to it when it leaves the end of our driveways.

Big "O" is "a full-service hauler providing waste removal and commingled curbside recycling and a complete solid waste collection service for industrial or large commercial customers and construction sites."

4 Family Admission Passes - Columbus Museum of Art



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Central Ohio is full of wonderful places to explore and discover.  One such gem is the Columbus Museum of Art (CMA).

The Museum "...houses art that speaks to diverse interests and styles. We have an outstanding collection of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century American and European modern art. Our collection includes spectacular examples of Impressionism, German Expressionism, and Cubism. We are also recognized for extraordinary regional collections such as the largest public collection of woodcarvings by Columbus folk artist Elijah Pierce and the world's largest repository of paintings and lithographs by Columbus native George Bellows, who is widely regarded as the finest American artist of his generation."

The winning bidder will receive 4 family passes to the museum and an opportunity to be inspired by a their remarkable holdings.

Becoming a Great Gardener

Wilson's Garden Center has donated a gift certificate for this year's auction.  It's a great opportunity to get the right tools and plant material for your garden and, perhaps more importantly, to ask questions.  For the sake of your garden, get help before it's too late.

Venetian Blind

One of the more popular items we have offered at our auction has been the opportunity to use vacation homes.  Through the generosity of one of our Board members, we are able to offer another such opportunity again this year.

The winning bidder will enjoy a one-week stay in Venice, Florida in a 3-bedroom, 3-1/2 bath home just 10 minutes away from the beach.

In 2012, Venice will be celebrating its 85th anniversary.  We're not sure what the appropriate gift for an 85th anniversary might be, but maybe it's just enough to show up. 


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2 Weeks on a Digital Billboard

We are grateful for a donation from Kessler Outdoor Advertising that will permit the winning bidder to have 2 weeks on one of their outdoor digital billboards.

This is the perfect way to promote your business, announce a special event, or embarrass a close friend on a milestone birthday.

Indians Baseball Tickets

Having an auction blog gives us the opportunity to recognize those individuals and organizations that continue to support Mental Health America and its programs.  MedBen is one such company who, through the years, has made significant contributions to our agency.

This year, the Newark-based company has contributed 4 tickets and a parking pass to an early season Indians home game.

Auctions are Educational

One of the most interesting aspects of preparing for the auction is doing research into the various items offered for bid. 

Many times, we will receive a donation with partial information and no details on its retail value.  This information is important to us because, in the case of live auction items, it gives the auctioneer a place to start bidding and cues for how to describe the item up for bid.

For silent auction items, information on value helps bidders determine how much they want to pay for a particular item.

This all came to mind because we recently received a donation of a limited edition print by P. Buckley Moss.  According to the donor, the print was rare and might have been called "Heyday." 

The print does not have a clear title anywhere on it, as far as I can see.  Internet searches have returned thousands of examples of the artist's work, but none that match this particular print.

After trying a variety of strategies, I contacted a gallery in Zanesville which is an authorized dealer of Ms. Moss's work and have emailed a photo of the print to them to see if they can provide any more details.  I expect to hear back from them later this week.

All of this is by way of saying that there is never a dull moment when preparing for the auction.