Some of our items are donated by wonderful alumni and businesses. We can sell those items to the highest bidders whenever the item is closed out for further bidding. However, everything is not donated. For the items that are not, we must cover what is called the RESERVE PRICE or what it would cost us. So four people can be bidding on a trip but until someone meets the reserve figure, it can't be sold or else we would go into the hole. Once the reserve is met, the system tells you, the bidder, that you've hit the reserve. The fun comes in outbidding someone else in the bidding space between the reserve and the estimated value. There's still room for a good bargain. When you place a bid, you tell the system what your maximum bid is. It raises your bid against others in automatic increments until your maximum is reached. If two or more people TIE or bid the same maximum on an item, and it covers the reserve, then the first person who bid that maximum gets the item unless the other bidder then raises his or her maximum and bidding continues. You can always increase your bid until an item is closed out. Remember shipping and handling are not included in the final bid price for items. IMPORTANT - READ BELOW FOR INFORMATION FOR BUY NOW SALES ITEMS.