For the first time in its history, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society has established an online preview of the exciting items that will be available for bid at its biggest fundraiser of the year, the Champagne Gala Lunch.

Also, for the first time, anyone whether or attending or not has the opportunity to bid now on the most unusual items, including two that are too big to bring to the event venue, Salty's on Alki.

The online auction preview can be found at: http://www.loghousemuseum.info/events/auction-preview-alki-lighthouse-f…. At this page, visitors can get an early peek at and make an early bid on several unusual items in the silent auction.

Each item has a description plus a photo or short video. Bidding is easy ? just one click to e-mail a bid, including credit-card information (name on card, account number, expiration date, security code and zip code) along with the bid.

Here are the major items available for viewing now:

-- A wood-framed couch and matching chairs that were used at the Alki Lighthouse for the past 40 years. (See video and description. The furniture will not be on display at the event but can be seen during open hours, noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays, prior to the event at the historical society?s Log House Museum.)

-- A charming, vintage-style Adirondack guideboat whose design stems from the mid-1800s. (See video and description. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWTlfgSqWxc .The guideboat will not be on display at the event.)

-- A day-long fishing trip on the salmon-filled Skagit River, complete with a personal guide. (See photo and description.)

-- A lunch with Karolyn Grimes, who played Zuzu in "It's a Wonderful Life," along with autographed books, artwork and a throw. (See photo and description.)

More items will be added soon. The items up for online bidding are only a few of the dozens of items that will be up for bid at the event. On the weekend of Nov. 2-3, anyone will be able to return to the online preview page to see the event's complete silent-auction catalog.

For items displayed at the online preview page, visitors can bid and over the next two weeks can keep track of how bidding is going by returning to the page.

Online bidding will continue through Friday evening, Nov. 8, 2013. The next morning, the highest online bids will be carried over, and starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Champagne Gala Lunch, final bids will be taken. Those who cannot attend can submit a maximum amount online that a volunteer at the event can make as your proxy.

Dozens of treasures and experiences will be up for silent auction on the day of the Champagne Gala Lunch, and seats are filling up fast. To reserve a spot by credit card, visit http://www.loghousemuseum.info/events/save-the-date-champagne-gala-lunc… and follow the instructions.

"Meanwhile, we encourage people to get an early start by watching the videos, viewing the photos and reading the descriptions," said Clay Eals, executive director. "We encourage people to join in the fun, all in support of a great cause, the promotion of local heritage through education, preservation and advocacy."