Police auctions…what luck have you had ?

Years ago these used to be a thing in my area with one location conducting about three different types of auctions on the same day in a large physical facility.

They had an auto auction, a building with furniture, appliances, etc. Sold by the lot or piece by piece, and an outdoor area with surplus stuff from military bases, business closeouts etc.

Now that place is gone !

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Here are three results I got from a Google search; I didn't drill down in these to find any local area results. I'm still busy
with picking locally.

policeauctions.com/

propertyroom.com/?gclid=COG4xq2IzrsCFWUV7Aodqm0Aog

seizedacquisitions.com/listings/categories/index.cfm?auction=2281&gclid=CO3p9MaIzrsCFSvl7AodAxYAaA

I used to do propertyroom.com but as of a year ago the prices are just about retail so its pointless.  You can of course find some good deals once in a while but artwork, coins, jewelry, tools ..etc. are bid up fairly quick.

Example
propertyroom.com/l/gail-rodgers-audry-oneofakind-handpulled-silkscreen-on-gallery-wrapped-canvas-30-x-36-hand-signed-wcert-list-3250/9366668

This is "valued" at 3250 and has one bid for 600.  On other non auction websites the sale price has been slashed to around 700-750.  In a non retail setting or non art gallery setting I would only be able to sell it for 250-300.  Opening bid of 50 would have been the norm a year ago with 1 or 2 people bidding.  It would have sole for 80 and I could have made some decent money.

I don't like using these sites. They inflate the price of shipping on most items, will not combine shipping, etc. I like to use proxibid or auctionzip and deal with licensed auctioneers.

in my experience most stuff online in relation to police auctions is either a scam, selling you free publicly available info, or selling individual pies and too hgih priced.

i go to the actual chicago police dept auction a few times a year as well as the us marshals auction. its actually facilitiated by one of the storage auctioneers in my area ace auctioneers for anyone else in the area.

basically here's how it works, auction starts at 10, you can show up at 8 they have merch on the tables you can view. most stuff you just walk by, jewelry you have to wait in line, get a ticket and they pass around big plastic sleeves full of like maybe 20 pieces in a plastic case you buy the whole lot.you can inspect items.

when auction starts normally first hour or two is nothing but bicycles, if your into bikes you'll be in heaven, if not bring something to keep yourself occupied for 2 hours lol.

rest of the auction prices  are kinda wierd. lost of stuff goes for retail prices which is crazy to me but some good deals. i got a good deal on a projector a few years back. it was like an $800 projector i got for like $200. totally random stuff though basicaly anything which was seized or found and known to be stolen but coudln't find origional owner is auctionsed so sum stuff is new in box other stuff is like golf clubs out of some guys garage.