Handbid Marketplace
Handbid Marketplace puts a curated catalog of travel and experience packages from Winspire directly inside your auction manager. Browse, pick a package, and add it to your auction in a few clicks.
It’s consignment, so there’s no risk and no money up front: you owe the package cost only after it sells and your winner has paid. Anything that doesn’t sell simply returns to the catalog at no cost to you.
Finding Marketplace
Section titled “Finding Marketplace”In your auction manager, click Marketplace in the left sidebar — it sits just below Items.
Browsing the catalog
Section titled “Browsing the catalog”The catalog opens as a gallery of package cards. You can narrow it down with the filters on the left:
- Search — type a package name or destination
- Experience Type — Beach, Food & Wine, Sports, Adventure, Animal Lovers, Art / History, City Getaways, Entertainment, VIP Tours, Shopping & Fashion, Spa & Relaxation, Family Friendly, Cruises, Private Residences & Villas, Winner’s Choice / Multi-Destination, Virtual Experiences
- Destination — US Travel, International, or Any Destination
- Group size — 1+, 2+, 4+, 8+
- Duration — number of nights
Use Sort in the top right to change the order of results.
Each card shows the package name, where it is, how many people it’s for, and how many nights it runs. Click Details to see the full description, images and terms before you decide.
Understanding the pricing
Section titled “Understanding the pricing”Every card shows two numbers, and most show a third:
| What it means | |
|---|---|
| Retail value | What the package is worth. This is the value your bidders see, and what you’d display as the item’s fair market value. |
| Your cost | What you owe Winspire — only if the package sells. |
| You keep | The difference, if the package sells at its retail value. |
For example, a package with a $4,500 retail value and a $2,799 cost means you keep $1,701 if it sells at retail.
A few packages are priced with little or no margin — you’ll see no “You keep” line on those cards. They can still be worth including if they’ll draw bidders to your event.
Adding a package to your auction
Section titled “Adding a package to your auction”Click Add to auction on a card. A window opens with everything you need to set:
Item type (required) — how the package runs in your auction:
- Silent — standard silent auction bidding (the default)
- Live — called from the stage by your auctioneer
- For Sale — a fixed price, no bidding
- Competitive Bid — Bid Box style competitive offers
- Sealed Bid — bidders submit a single private bid
Quantity — how many you want. The window tells you how many are available.
Starting price — where bidding opens. Handbid suggests a starting price for you, and will never suggest one below your cost. If 40% of the retail value would fall below what you owe, it defaults to your cost instead, and tells you so.
Bid increment — how much each bid raises the price.
Auction category — which of your existing auction categories the item belongs in.
The confirm button restates the deal, so there’s no ambiguity before you commit: “Add to auction — you’ll owe $2,799 only if it sells.”
Once added, the package becomes a normal item in your auction. You can edit its description, images, and settings exactly like any other item.
When a package sells
Section titled “When a package sells”When your winner pays, Winspire is notified automatically — including the winner’s contact details so they can issue the voucher and arrange the experience directly with your guest.
You don’t need to email anyone or forward anything.
Paying Winspire: you settle the package cost with Winspire directly. Handbid tells them what sold and to whom; the payment itself happens between your organization and Winspire, outside Handbid.
When a package doesn’t sell
Section titled “When a package doesn’t sell”Nothing happens, and you owe nothing.
After your auction closes, unsold Marketplace items can be returned to the catalog using Return UnSold Items to Inventory in the auction’s setup menu. This releases the package so it’s available to other organizations again.
Frequently asked questions
Section titled “Frequently asked questions”Do I pay anything up front? No. You owe the package cost only after it sells and your winner has paid.
What if the item doesn’t sell? Nothing is owed. Return it to inventory after your auction closes.
Can I add more than one of the same package? Yes, if more than one is available. The Add to auction window shows the number available.
Can I change the description or photos? Yes. Once added, it behaves like any other item in your auction and can be edited normally.
Can I set my own starting price? Yes. Handbid suggests one, but you can change it. Keep in mind that a starting price below your cost means the package could sell for less than you owe.
Who handles the experience itself? Winspire. They contact your winner directly to issue the voucher and make arrangements.
Can my bidders tell it came from Marketplace? No. It appears to bidders as a normal auction item.
Questions? Contact Handbid Support.