Need ideas for annual Ducks Unlimited donation (sort of long)

[Royce Meritt]

Evry year I make something for our local Ducks Unlimited chapter to raffle or auction off at our banquet. I am fresh out of ideas for what to do this year. Due to the present economy I think I need something nice but something that I could expect to sell in the $100-$200 price range.

In the past I have made:

Duck & Goose calls- Would rather not do these as they don't seem to go over that well. Everyone seems to have enough duck calls and in today's economy I'm not sure anyone wants to buy a high dollar duck call.

Wooden beer mugs & display shelf- These were nice but again with the present economy I don't think they would raise a lot of money

Wood, hard-sided gun case- Did these 2 years in a row. They were great and sold for almost $400 each. Not sure how many people would come this year and expect to spend $400 on a gun case. Money is tight everywhere.

Gun Cabinet- Last year I went all out and made an 8 place oak gun cabinet. It was well received but only sold for a little over $400. Only about half of what I thought it should bring.

So, anyone have any suggestions?

I'm really concerned about the economy. I'm not really worried about how much money something sells for. It is a donation to Ducks Unlimited, after all so any money I help raise is better than nothing. On the other hand, I don't really want to spend a lot of my own money and time making something and then practically give it away.

If I spend $100 on materials making something and it only sells for $100 I just as well give the $100 donation directly to DU or better yet spend that $100 on raffle tickets, etc. at the banquet. My money is not the issue, however. I don't mind spending a lot of my own money making something as long as it results in a good return for Ducks Unlimited.

Look forward to hearing some of your suggestions. Thanks.

[Justin Leiwig]

Look forward to hearing some of your suggestions. Thanks.

Unfortunately your experience mirrors every other experience I've heard regarding making something to donate. A poker forum I used to be a member of, people would make poker tables for donation at fish fries and the like, and people wouldn't bid what they were worth, often times what was bid would just barely cover material costs if someone were to have bought it.

Maybe an idea would be to make a lot of smaller items that will net less per item, but more overall for the chapter?

What if your duck calls weren't high dollar, but you provided a lot of them? Or you made the hardsided cases not as nice, but more of them?

[Mike Wellner]

Mantle clock, get a quality clock component from a repuatable maker.

[Todd Crawford]

There is a guy that donates one of these every year at my local chapter and they always seem to do really well. If people aren't working, they'll need somewhere to sit..

[Dave Lehnert]

For your price range I like the Rocker idea. Carve or wood burn a duck into the head rest.

Another idea. When Shopsmith had there retail store here in Cincinnati one of the workers would make a Duck bandsaw box. He would fill with candy and people went crazy over them. I remember the plans were in one of the older bandsaw box books. UPDATE-here is a link to the book it was in. http://www.amazon.com/Making-Wood-Bo...1527491&sr=8-1

[Royce Meritt]

Those are some good suggestions. Keep 'em coming.

One idea I did come up with since I posted the question is a verticle, corner gun rack. Attached is a quick sketch I did. What do you think of this idea? Keep in mind that the sketch is not to scale or anything like that.

Should be quick and easy to do and not too much material cost.

[Justin Leiwig]

There is a guy that donates one of these every year at my local chapter and they always seem to do really well. If people aren't working, they'll need somewhere to sit..

Around here people would say they could get the same thing at Cracker Barrel for a lot cheaper.

I do like the mantle clock though. Maybe see if you could get one of the creekers with a laser to burn a ducks unlimited logo with the chapter info in the back of the clockface?

I'd like one of those and I'm not even a hunter!

[Dan Gill]

Maybe a small hanging shelf/hatrack with a duck-themed carving or inlay.

Perhaps the same idea with a mirror.

Perhaps at a lower price point, a wooden photo album with duck-themed inlay.

A glass-case end table to hold a mounted duck.

Anything with a Lab on it.

[Joe Jensen]

Royce, I know how you feel. I make something every year for a charity auction. 800 very affluent all the way to super rich attendees. Two years ago the ladies who organize it convinced me to build a fancy dog house and paint it up with ASU colors. The convinced another gentleman to do another with UofA colors. I spent over $400 and maybe 80 hours and it sold for a whopping $500. I definitely would have been better off with $400 of raffle ticket

Last year I donated one of the Curly Maple jewelry chests I built. I used amazing 5A grade wood and had maybe $100 in materials in the box. I spent maybe 20 hours on it, and it sold for $600.

[Ben Abate]

I know when I was the treasure of our local chapter I was always amazed at the price of framing. Does your chapter give any unframed prints away? If so, you could have a frame or two on display and let it be known that you would do custom framing.. just a thought.

Ben