Special to The Hays Daily News

BUNKER HILL -- An autographed guitar signed by classic country stars, hand blown glass, a signed Kansas State University basketball, art trays, trips, a gazebo and more are part of Smoky Hills Public Television's annual Signature Auction airing Saturday and Sunday.

The auction will be broadcast live from The Mall in Hays from 5 to 10 p.m. both nights.

Items are already on the Smoky Hills Public Television Web site to be viewed, and pre-bids can be made at www.smokyhillstv.org.

Viewers who wish to make an on-air bid must have a bid number. Bid numbers can be obtained in advance by contacting the station or at the time of the first bid. If a person had a bid number in last year's auction, their number will be the same.

Pre-bids can be placed prior to the auction by completing a form online.

The highest pre-bid will become the opening bid for that item when it is presented on-air.

At the close of selling time, a bidder must be on the phone with one of the volunteers to be eligible to continue bidding. Bidders on the phone line at the end of the selling time will continue to bid against each other until the highest bidder remains.

Purchases can be picked up during the auction, on Monday at The Mall or at the SHPTV corporate office in Bunker Hill beginning Wednesday. Buyers can arrange for their item to be delivered, but this option includes a fee for delivery and insurance costs if necessary.

Online bidding is different this year. There is no proxy bidding. If someone has an item they are watching, they will have to check back to make sure they haven't been outbid.

All proceeds from the Signature auction go to Smoky Hills Public Television, a non-profit organization. The auction has been one of the station's major fundraising efforts through the years.