Browse the items up for selection. Ask questions about where the items come from and if there is any significance behind the items. A good school auction project may be anything from a functional item, such as a nice chest of drawers, to a personal object, such as an art project your son or daughter made in class.
Make a careful selection on the item or items you desire. Limit your items to one or two selections. Take note of the popularity of the object. Focusing on one or two choices allows you to observe more closely the others who may be interested in the item -- allowing you to determine an approximate idea of how strongly you may have to compete for it. A good auction tends to evoke interest from many people.
Decide how much you are willing to bid in advance of the auction. Limit yourself to a reasonable amount of money, depending on your budget. Remember, this is a school event, not a professional auction.
Begin bidding on your selected project and do not give up. Continue increasing your bid until the item is yours or your financial limit is reached. Additionally, bidding on an item that is personal to you -- or one that is significant to your child -- may not be as significant to others, thus decreasing competitive bidding. Less competitive bidding increases your odds of obtaining the item. Bidding on an item of personal significance may bring a greater likelihood of success over bidding on a large, ostentatious object that will attract a lot of attention and a larger number of bidders.
Purchase as many raffle tickets as you can within your budget -- if the bidding process includes a raffle. Limit yourself to a reasonable amount of money, depending on the price of tickets and your budget. Place all of these tickets into bidding on your selected item(s). If you choose two objects, divide your tickets in half, bidding 50% of your tickets on one item and the other 50% on the other item.