# prepare query
my $query = <<"EOSQL";
INSERT INTO closedauctions (
 seller, sellerusername, category, title, bids,
 pounds, description, winningbid, price_per_pound,
 highbidder, buyerusername, month, day, year,
 itemnum, filename)
VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?)
EOSQL

my $sth = $dbh->prepare ($query) or die $sbh->errstr;     

# Execute query
$sth->execute (
    $sellername, $sellerusername, $quota, $category, 1,
    $pounds, $desc, $buyit, $price_per_pound,
    $buyername, $buyerusername, $month, $day, $year,
    $form{ITEM}, $cat
    ) or die $dbh->errstr;

# Done inserting
$sth->finish;

# disconnect from database
$dbh->disconnect;

##</code><code>##

my $dbh = DBI->connect ($dsn, $user, $pass, {
    RaiseError         => 1,
    PrintError         => 1,
    ShowErrorStatement => 1,
    });