how do the online government auctions work?

You open an account with the gov agency you want to deal with. You use a credit card for payment. When you see an auction you want to bid on, you bid on it. You are able to see "cloaked" names for the other bidders and you can see how you are doing.

If you want to place a maxiumum bid of $500 (or any amount) you can do that and the agency will only bump the bid by a certain amount (say $10) to put you in the lead. If the other person has also done this "proxy" type of approach then his bids will automatically go up against yours. This way you don't have to watch the bidding every day (or hour). When it gets close to the bid closing time, you want to start watching. Auctions usually run for a week.

They do have a thing that protects them a bit.  As closing time come they have a 10 minute window in which they will CONTINUE to take bids. In other words if you are the winning bidder at closing time with say $475 they give a 10 minute window for others to bid. If your high bid was $1000 and someone outbid your $475 by the $10 jump, they would go in at $485 and your auto-bid (proxy) would trump them at $495; this could go on for awhile with 10 minute leeways until one of you used up your auto-bid max.

Now to the question that some will ask (and I will not answer...maybe someone else will); WHAT ARE THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THAT DO AUCTIONS?

I won't answer that because unlike the auctions in our different states that I can not attend, ANYONE can compete in an internet auction and thus BECOME COMPETITION. Despite the fact that the kind of item I like to buy only comes up once a year (or less) to provide info on where the auctions are is providing the competition with info and in business that would not be a good idea.  DO SOME RESEARCH and you will find info on government auctions.

Here's another interesting look at AFTERMATH's take on his exposure to auction lockers.

See reply #7 in the following link.

http://storageauctionforums.com/index.php?topic=1200.0

16 days later (May 21, 2011) same gas station.....unleaded now $3.99 a gallon.

7 days later, May 28, 2011, now my gas station is showing $3.87....interesting considering it is Memorial Day weekend. Friggin' gas companies are making billions in profit per quarter...gas should be below $2.00 a gallon.

Went to the auctions yesterday, and after a couple of months of crowds and prices slowly dropping I thought the enthusiasm from the TV shows was over. Nope! A HUGE crowd, a "third wave" of newbies struck the auction circuit yesterday and they made it a bloodbath!

That "third wave" action is not a good sign!  I was also thinking the crowd situation was improving...and at the moment still think that way, but it will only take one big crowd to burst my balloon....maybe there will just be isolated instances.

Auction Hunters finale is Tuesday, May 31,2011 and then it will be re-runs for it and Storage Wars until whenever the new episodes kick in. Hopefully the crowds WILL be down through the summer. Hot weather should keep some away too.

Went to 2 auctions today  (Thursday, May 26, 2011) and the report is good regarding crowd and (for the most part) prices.

Auction #1 had 5 lkrs and maybe 18 bidders. First couple were nothing special. One 10 x 15 had a double-door stainless refrigerator and was packed; couldn’t see to the back. I would have been happy to get it at about $800, but I took a regular up to $1,200 before I bailed, and then it went on up to $1,450 when the regular bidder got it. Pushing profit at that point considering what you could see. A nice frig like that goes for about $400 or so on Clist in my area.

Then a 10x10 about 1/3 full went for around $425…would have been nice at $200 or so.

Last one was a 5x10 showing an old 25” tv, coffee table and some loose clothing. Went for $100.

Auction #2 had 3 lkrs…all trash and only about 12 bidders. One very dusty, crap sofa, etc went for $425 to a regular bidder. I wouldn’t have paid $100 on a gamble; couldn’t see to the back. Sofa was on end at front of lkr.  Other two were junk; one went for $80, didn’t stay for last one but it was trash.

Sad part is I chose Auction #2 over a competing auction at a different location. The one I went to only had about 12 bidders, but 3 trash lkrs. The competing auction was over by the time I got to it about 1 mile away. I looked at the sign in sheet and only 5 bidders. Haven’t talked yet to one friend who went there, but wish I had chosen it instead of where I went. Oh, well !

Edit: talked to friend who went to auction I missed. There were also 3 lkrs there and she got one for $75. With only 5 bidders it would have seemed to be a bidder's dream, but the auctioneer there is the owner and he is wierd. He asks for a starting bid like any normal auctioneer, but if he asks for $75 and some one offers $25 he gets irate. This happened on one locker and after my friend offered the $25 he asked for $50 and no one spoke up. After a long time my friend said $40 and he wouldn't take it. Closed down the door. So he sold 2 of 3 he had available to the 5 bidders there.

No, no, Movieman. Garland is only about 13 miles from Dallas. I can't wait to leave New England. I love the Dallas/Fort Worth area

Whoops...how'd that zero get on after that 15 mile figure I was going for ! 

I usually don't take wikipedia seriously but near the bottom of this wiki article, it says he was an accomplished animal handler, and him appearing on the show you saw is listed on the IMDb website.

Yes, it's been well-documented since January, 2011 about the acting history of both Allen and Ton.

This link has bio info as well, and I posted it on Wednesday, May 25, 2011.

http://storageauctionforums.com/index.php?topic=1240.0

They have got to be in Dallas right, anybody know?

Don't know for sure where the finale episode will be, but follow the link below to a good article
on the two guys as they WATCH an auction in Garland, TX which is ABOUT 150 miles from Dallas.

http://storageauctionforums.com/index.php?topic=1240.0