Who can actually buy anything at genuine below-market prices? Better yet, who would actually sell anything knowingly at a real bargain if they could easily get more?

Honestly, I always assumed "government seized" was just a lot of "hype" and that at the end it would all just be an illusion. I thought the government was too bureaucratic and inefficient to organize any useful "auctions" that would actually allow us "ordinary citizens" to obtain a genuine "bargain", a super value low price high value car or other seized merchandise.

Well, it turns out it is the very "government bureaucratic inefficiency" that causes, or allows "us" to actually pay a low price for valuable cars and other merchandise. Not surprisingly, the government does not advertise or promote these auctions as extensively as they could. This is the key to the bargains. We all hear that prices are determined by supply and demand (unless there is a monopoly in place).

The government seizes so many cars and other merchandise that it can not dispose of it fast enough, and storage costs a lot of extra money. These auctions often have an inadequate supply of buyers for the amount of merchandise available, which keeps the prices low. Car dealers love to buy at these seized car and surplus auctions because almost no one knows about them. The dealers do not want competition so they keep quiet.

Besides offering cars and trucks, you can obtain residential and commercial real estate, business establishments, motor vehicles, boats, aircraft, jewelry, art, furniture, office equipment, computers, antiques and collectibles, along with other personal property forfeited under laws enforced by the US Department of Justice. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) alone sells about 20,000 items a year.

Some other sources of surplus bargains for cars, trucks, boats, aircraft and other vehicles, houses and real estate along with office equipment and military surplus are the Federal Supply Service, U. S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Postal Service, Department of Defense Reutilization and Marketing Services, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Tennessee Valley Authority, Department of Defense, HUD, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Office of Property Disposal, SBA, FDIC, Bureau of Land Management, and USACE-HAP.

Autos from the fleet of leased vehicles by the government agency, General Services Administration (GSA) are also sold at auctions after their 3-5 years leases expire. These vehicles are typically well maintained by government employees using them as their own work vehicles.

It is easy to see why it is so difficult to locate the date, time and place and what is being auctioned, particularly because they are randomly established from time to time at different locations only as different property becomes available. The auction can take place before very many people become aware of it. The next one is not held on a regularly scheduled basis. This can work to an astute buyer's advantage.

The best way to efficiently locate all the separate contacts for all these agencies enabling a buyer to track the various auctions is through a web site offering a comprehensive list of appropriate contacts.

Copyright (c) 2007 Dave Mallegg