Tinsel Town Auction game should have a theme. When you plan the event, either tell everyone the plan or ask everyone to vote on them. Here are some ideas to get you going but the only limit is your imagination! Mix it up every year.
Standard
Everyone bring one nice gift and one funny gift
Thrifty
Everyone brings 3 gifts and one of them has to be from a thrift store, garage sale, etc…
Super thrifty… 3 gifts all home made or thrift store finds
The Re-Gift
Everyone brings a serious gift, a food item and one re-gift or something nice from their home they don’t want any more.
Food Only
2-3 gifts all about food. One nice food basket and something weird like flavored spam, 2 gallon jar of olives, etc…
Takes a little more planning but you could put different food categories in a hat and everyone pick out of the hat. Then you buy food items in that category. Example: Chocolate, cookie, meat, fish, nuts, breakfast, etc… that way the gifts are varied and you don’t end up with tons of similar items.
Home made
Everyone bring 1-2 store bought gifts spending $50 and then one thing you make yourself.