Finding government auctions

Posted by Nick Niesen on November 1st, 2010

Government auctions are probably one of its kind in the country - government itself is involved in selling off those cars, necklaces, computers - on you name it, we have it pattern. Government has different types of goods for sale - some items are outdated, some have been confiscated, some have been forfeited, and some don't have a legal heir. Some other may have been seized or foreclosed. Government is forced to dispose off such items to the public. This may prove to be a good bargain. You may end up with an excellent item for a throwaway price, or you have paid way too much for a battered car.

First thing to know about government auction is that nobody has been authorized to sell the information relevant to government auctions. You may simply enlist yourself for this purpose, and get to frequently know about the upcoming sales items. There is no need to pay a dime to anybody. You may, however, have to pay to the government authorities few dollars to be enlisted on the mail list.

Once you decide to attend a particular auction, don't forget to thoroughly research the item. Try to know more abut the condition of the item on sale. Dig deeper for the bidding process to be adopted for that item of interest. It may be a sealed bid process or online or spot bid or fixed price or portfolio sale. Equally important is to know about the payment options. Some places may not accept credit cards, while some may ask for advance deposits through bank draft or check.

In some cases, auction-sponsoring agency may allow prior inspection of the items on sale. Other cases may allow you to do so at the time of bidding process. Get these details in advance. Once you reach the inspection place, get some professional help. For example, if you are buying a car from government auction, get a mechanic along with you. What may look an excellent bargain for you, may not be all that lucrative from the point of view of mechanic.

There are many myths surrounding government auctions. It is the common perception that the items available through government auction are dirt-cheap. You are grossly misplaced on this. If you really find the item dirt cheap, you should be doubly careful about its condition. There is no big idea of buying a car for $500 having no engine and axles. Otherwise, government tries to sell the goods at fair market value.