Time to make your bids...

It's that time of year again when the annual WPT Auction makes its way to the Madison-area airwaves to raise funds for the great programming you see each day on WPT. Beginning with tonight's Art & Antiques Auction at 6, the WPT Auction offers a chance for viewers to bid and buy artwork, travel packages, gifts, collectibles and much more during the course of six days.

The event culminates in Sunday night's statewide Auction Showcase, which features big items available with the potential for great savings. And, while the WPT Auction is a regular event, it is a huge undertaking for the staff, volunteers and event underwriters.

According to Auction Manager Kelly Joerres, here is the WPT Auction by the numbers:

3000 -- The number of items donated from around the state to this year's Auction.
2000 -- The number of local volunteers who will donate their time to make every facet of Auction run smoothly.
171 -- The number of art and antique pieces donated by local artists and businesses.
50 -- The number of hours of live television that will be produced during the six-day run.

This year's WPT Auction features a brand-new studio set and a slew of exciting bargains waiting to be had when you call your bids into 263.4040 or 1.800.236.3636.

To bring you a sneak peak behind the scenes of WPT's largest on-air event, Be more Tuned In took a camera backstage in the hours before the controlled chaos of staff, volunteers and bidders begins. (Photos after the jump...)

(Click on the photos for a larger view.)









Auction signage directs volunteers and Art & Antiques bidders into the Vilas Hall studios in Madison.










Art and Antiques available for bidding Tuesday night are displayed in one of the station's studios for perusal by potential bidders.








The volunteer cafe will provide refreshments donated by generous local vendors to the thousands of Auction volunteers.











The shelves of the Auction warehouse are lined with some of the thousands of items that will be transported to the set for bidding during the six-day run.







The new Auction set is vibrant and colorful, allowing ease for viewers, bidders and volunteers alike.










Additional volunteers sit at these stations directly behind the set to tabulate bids and keep the whole process running smoothly.







A crew member puts the finishing technical touches on the new set just hours before Auction hits the air.



While Auction airs in the WHA-TV (Madison) viewing area, the rest of the state's viewers can enjoy a selection of WPT favorites on their WPT affiliate channels. Please check out the WPT homepage for updated schedules.