How To Score Big At A Government Auction!
How to Score Big With Items At Government Auctions
Government Auctions are quickly becoming a great buying resource for the United States and people around the world. You can find a veritable swath of items ranging from home appliances to seized cars to foreclosed houses to military surplus and much more. Not only can you find these auctions online, but state counties generally hold live auctions very often. These auctions are also generally open to the public, but before attending one, here are a few things you should know.
1) You will probably get a great deal on more than a few items. Why? Simply because these are not private auctions. The government has no need for these items, has to make space, and will not price haggle with you. The government has no incentive other than to get rid of these items and aren’t concerned with a profit margin.
2) Why Are These Items There? You generally have two types of items available at these auctions and they are either seized or surplus. The difference is that seized merchandise could have been bought at one time by individuals who obtained their merchandise through illegal means, or was an item trying to be smuggled. Surplus items and basically items that the government has no need for such as surplus goods, autos, or even land.
3) What can you find at these auctions? The simple answer is: anything and everything that has been seized or is surplus. You could find a tricked out car once owned by a drug dealer to a house that belonged to a movie star and everything in between. There is no limit to what you may find. Sometimes the most odd and unique things show up at these auctions. Now that you are intrigued by the what and why of it all. We can give you a few tips on what to do and how to conduct yourself. This is a very big world that you are stepping into and you don’t want to miss out and get lost in the mix. You may not be gambling but use this old gamblers code: set a limit to how much you want to spend and stick to it. Even though you are getting items at a discount, you can still lose your shirt.
Remember to time your bidding. Generally, you could score big if you bid on items at the beginning of an auction (lots of people can’t make early auction start times) or at the end of the auction day (most people leave to get back to work, or have won what the wanted) You could walk away with very good buys that would have otherwise cost you more.
Be in control of your own money. Many times the auctioneers will try to inflate bids by calling out higher sums than normal. Do not fall for this tactic. You can place a normal bid at the normal bid increment as is your right as a customer.You can also check out this Government Auction Guidlines article for more helpful info. You can visit this Government Auctions Blog and take a look at a sample of what could be available also.
