--- title: "📝 Paper Auctions with ClickBid: Step-by-Step Guide" description: Learn how to set up and manage a paper auction using ClickBid, including printing bid sheets, manually entering winning bids, and ensuring a smooth in-person experience. --- [Skip to content](https://support.cbo.io/-paper-auctions-with-clickbid-step-by-step-guide#main-content) ![clickbid\_logo\_22\_left\_0\_margin](https://support.cbo.io/hs-fs/hubfs/clickbid_logo_22_left_0_margin.png?width=200&height=59&name=clickbid_logo_22_left_0_margin.png) - [Blog](https://blog.cbo.io/) - [ClickBid Admin](https://cbo.io/admin/login.php) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Blog](https://blog.cbo.io/) - [ClickBid Admin](https://cbo.io/admin/login.php) - [View our Training Videos](https://training.clickbidonline.com/all-courses/) [View our Training Videos](https://training.clickbidonline.com/all-courses/) Welcome to ClickBid's Knowledge Base - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [ClickBid How To Articles](https://support.cbo.io/?hsLang=en) 2. [Items](https://support.cbo.io/items?hsLang=en) 3. [Items Overview & Setup](https://support.cbo.io/items?hsLang=en#items-overview-setup) # 📝 Paper Auctions with ClickBid: Step-by-Step Guide ### 👋 What is a Paper Auction? A **paper auction** allows your guests to place bids using printed bid sheets at your in-person event, instead of online bidding. After collecting the sheets, you’ll manually enter the winning bids into ClickBid. We **do not recommend** opening your silent auction for online bidding *before* your in-person paper auction. Doing so may cause confusion among bidders and complicate your workflow. --- ### ⚙️ How to Set Up a Paper Auction #### 1️⃣ Add Your Auction Items 1. Navigate to **Items \> Manage Items** in your admin. 2. Click **Add Item**. 3. Mark the **Item Type** as **Silent**. 4. Enter a **Starting Bid** and **Bid Increment** for each item. You can batch upload your items if you have many! Use the "Import Items" feature under **Manage Items**. --- #### 2️⃣ Create and Print Bid Sheets 1. Go to **Items \> Printable Bid Sheets**. 2. Adjust your settings: - Choose which items to include. - Select formatting preferences (columns, line spacing, etc.). 3. Click **Display**. 4. Click **Print** to generate your bid sheets. ![](https://support.cbo.io/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Feb-07-2026-05-28-45-8350-PM.png?width=670&height=243&name=image-png-Feb-07-2026-05-28-45-8350-PM.png) --- #### 3️⃣ Change Items to "Live" After your bid sheets are printed: 1. Return to **Items \> Manage Items**. 2. Edit each item and **change the Item Type from Silent to Live**. > 🔁 This makes it easier to enter winning bids in the next step. 3. Click **Update Item**.                                 ![](https://support.cbo.io/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-Feb-07-2026-05-30-36-6662-PM.png?width=185&height=337&name=image-png-Feb-07-2026-05-30-36-6662-PM.png) --- ### ➕ Add Winning Bids After the Paper Auction #### 4️⃣ Manually Enter Winning Bids 1. Navigate to **Event Central \> Butler**. 2. In the **Add a Bid** section: - Type in the **winning bidder’s name or bid number**. - Enter the **item name/number**. - Enter the **final bid amount**. ![Add a bid](https://support.cbo.io/hs-fs/hubfs/Add%20a%20bid.jpg?width=655&height=486&name=Add%20a%20bid.jpg) --- #### 5️⃣ Confirm the Bid 1. Click **Add Bid** to place the item into the winner’s cart. 2. Click **Place Bid** to finalize. The bidder now owns the item, and it will appear in their invoice automatically. --- ### 📋 Final Reminders - **Don’t forget to close out your auction** once all paper bids are added. - You can **email receipts or invoices** from the **Bidders \> Manage Bidders** section. - Consider using **Bidder Notifications** if you'd like to let guests know which items they’ve won. - [Account & Setup](https://support.cbo.io/account-setup?hsLang=en#main-content) - [Users & Logging In](https://support.cbo.io/account-setup?hsLang=en#users-logging-in) - [Billing/Renewal](https://support.cbo.io/account-setup?hsLang=en#billing-renewal) - [Organization Account](https://support.cbo.io/account-setup?hsLang=en#organization-account) - [Event Settings](https://support.cbo.io/account-setup?hsLang=en#event-settings) - [Auction Settings](https://support.cbo.io/account-setup?hsLang=en#auction-settings) - [Welcome Page](https://support.cbo.io/account-setup?hsLang=en#welcome-page) - [Get Started](https://support.cbo.io/get-started?hsLang=en#main-content) - 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