The city of Denver surplus auction floor was divided Wednesday afternoon.
Up front, a pack of bidders stood eagerly below the auctioneer to snatch up a variety of goods for under face value. Behind them, a smaller crowd was waiting patiently to jump in, believing the group up front was paying too much.
Auction veterans and first-timers alike had a chance to take home items such as consumer electronics and furniture as city agencies shed extra property.
Police-confiscated and abandoned items also were up for grabs, with proceeds contributing to Denver’s general fund and law enforcement programs. In part, the money may help chip away at the city’s $56 million deficit.
“It’s a revenue generator. Anytime you can recoup some money and sell unused items, it’s important, especially in this down economy,” said Denver’s deputy director of purchasing, J.D. Whiteman.
Such warehouse auctions are usually held four or five times a year. Revenue averages about $35,000 per auction.
As one GameBoy Advance sold for $35, and a Nintendo DS for $70, Broomfield resident Jeremy Meyer, 38, kept his distance. He described himself as an “electronics freak” who knows what the stuff was worth.
“I’m hoping what’s going to happen is, the people who have never been to an auction before are going to spend their money right up front,” Meyer said. “Toward the end, there might be some better deals on some bigger items.”
Chris Carbino of Denver said he was particularly interested in electronics and appliances to resell on eBay. Carbino said that some auction bidders will pay up to 90 percent of retail and leave happy but that he can’t make any money that way.
“You have to do your research and check to see the price (a product) is going for. I won’t pay over 50 percent of that,” Carbino said.
