 How to 'spot' a good deal
<<Sounds of auctioneering>> Narrator Says: King County’s Spot Bid Auction might vary a little from the traditional ones. Instead of an auctioneer calling out ascending bids and audience members accepting, each bid is written on a slip of paper, and the highest bidder takes the item. A bit of a guessing game, the process allows the county to get the best price for items it can’t use anymore, and allows bidders to potentially pay significantly less than an item would cost new. The auctions take place at King County’s Surplus Warehouse on Orcas Street in Georgetown, on the second Wednesday of every month. What’s available for bidding is somewhat predictable but does vary from auction to auction. King County Fleet Inventory Specialist D.J. Yasui Says: I guess the variety, to me just running these auctions for the last several years now, I look around and I just see a lot of the same sort of things so we'll probably have about 20-30 people here today. But really the items are not going to be of big interest, I mean maybe the laptops will cause some interest but the other items, it's just kind of the same old stuff right now. Narrator Says: Some of the items are county equipment that is no longer practical to maintain while others might come from metro’s lost and found or other county facilities. It normally includes an array of laptops, office equipment, washers and dryers, and items for food preparation. King County Fleet Inventory Specialist D.J. Yasui Says: It's the useful life that really dictates what the county does, it's past its longevity, or usefulness, it costs more to operate the item than it does to purchase new, or it costs too much to maintain the item so that's really the definition regarding surplus to the county. Narrator Says: As you might imagine, the auction does attract a certain number of regulars. Larry Melton is one of them; he’s been coming to the Spot Bid Auctions for the past two and a half years. He says it’s a chance for him and his friends to get things he and they couldn’t afford to buy new in a store. King County Spot Bid Auction Participant Larry Melton Says: I get good deals. I work with electronics and even the broken stuff supplies me with parts. Most of my friends are low-income and I can put together computers for a price they can't buy them in a store. These laptops over here that are parts surplus, occasionally I get one that's in tact over there it just depends on the bidding. Narrator Says: Larry also says he’s been to auctions with less direct bidding processes, and that he prefers the Spot Bid Auction because it’s clear and simple. King County Spot Bid Auction Participant Larry Melton Says: It's a fair auction, I like the Spot Bid Auction, it's fair. The high bid gets it. It's not any cronyism, it's not any Tuesday evening deals and Thursday morning deals. It's all right here once a month, you put down the highest money you get it. Narrator Says: Along with the regulars are also first-timers. Kevin Lheureux is one of them; he says this auction is a good opportunity because the crowd is a little smaller than auctions he’s used to. King County Spot Bid Auction Participant Kevin Lheureux Says: Well, this one's a lot less people, so I see at as a better opportunity to get better deals here, better price on items, different items. Narrator Says: The Spot Bid Auction is always ready for more first-timers. So if you’d like to attend, the address is 707 South Orcas Street. Auctions start at noon and payment by cash, cashier’s check or certified check is due by 1:30 p.m. the day of the auction. If you have any other questions, you can e-mail them to kcsurplus@kingcounty.gov.
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