Online auctions are all the rage. Thanks to sites like Ebay, anything you want, from lead castings to rare Star Trek action figures are no more than a few mouse clicks and a credit card transaction away. But up until now there have been very few contenders to replace public auctions involving large lots and building materials. Material confiscated by governments or surplus items are still auctioned off using age old methods in person. Until now. The city of Tucson, Arizona is involved in a pioneering online auction for public items that you may be able to make use of. Let us tell you more.
Who
The sellers involved in public surplus auctions are public agencies affiliated with city, state or even federal governments. This might include the mayor's office, parks and recreation, or the vehicle maintenance garage that does all the valve repairs on city owned vehicles. Buyers at the public auction are members of the public. It can be anyone, a business, a private citizen, or even another public agency.
What
A wide variety of items are auctioned off by public agencies every day. These include baggage confiscated or abandoned by travelers at airports, livestock equipment, children's toys and games, clothing and footwear, computers and their peripherals, electronic equipment like cell phones or radios, appliances, DVDs, industrial machinery, jewelry, medical equipment, furniture, even spare or outdated school buses and cars originally bought from a car dealer supply.
Where
The online auction is active at www.publicsurplus.com. This website features items public agencies all over the country wish to get rid of, so the shrink sleeve for packaging that caught your eye might be coming in from as far away as North Dakota. If you wish to narrow your searches to items in your region (for instance, if you were buying something large and ungainly where the transport costs might be significant) you can do so using the advanced search tool.
How
The public auctions work much the same way as auctions on Ebay. Before you can place a bid or list an item, you first need to register with the site. The site screens applicants to make sure only legitimate public agencies are listing items on the site, minimizing the incidences of spamming for online printing services and such like. Once registered, you can place bids on items up until the time limit has expired. The winning bidder may get the item - but only if the seller's reserve (minimum price) has been reached.
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