similar to the garage sale idea, our guild has a yearly "Auffle" that is very popular. it's a combination of an auction and a raffle. Members bring in new or used items to contribute (items are donated and members do not receive compensation). They are randomly or strategically placed in marked off sections or tables. members buy raffle tickets at $1 each, write their name on the back, then drop off tickets into a cup or container that is placed in each "raffle" section. you can buy however many tickets you want. for example, buy 20 tickets and place one ticket in 20 different sections or all 20 in one section that you really want, or anything in between. once all tickets placed, a winner is drawn for each of the sections.
Do you have any senior members of the guild that can do a trunk show or have skill in a certain technique (paper piecing, art theory, quilt design, etc)