Global Auction Blog

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Secrets of My Favorite Government Auction
by: Dean Novosat

I love bargains. And there’s no better place to find bargains than an auction. And there are no better auctions than government surplus auctions. My favorite government surplus auction takes place the 3rd week of September every year in the County Park. I won’t tell you which county park as this is my best-kept secret! Even though the auction is advertised in the local papers (as required my law), I usually find the same 20-30 people mulling around, looking at all the lots. And many of them I know are not high-bidders!

This annual auction is the county-wide surplus auction. You will find everything and anything here as the county has various and departments. They have the typical office equipment and furniture, cars, trucks, law equipment, etc. But some more unusual things that have been auctioned off have been things like a street sign maker (for making stop signs and the like), a row of metal lockers (from the old county pool), playground equipment, 5000 plastic cafeteria trays (that sold for $8!), a stainless steel chef’s cart, a chrome torpedo trash can, and a fully operational dump truck that went for several hundred dollars.

Since I have been attending for many years, I know what to expect and I know how much to pay. For example, they typically have a dozen retro office chairs that sell very well on ebay. The opening bid on the chairs is usually $5.00 each. However, by not bidding, I can usually wait (and luckily no one else knows what a gold mine these chairs are…they just look like dirty old chairs!), and the auctioneer will lower the opening bid to $3.00, then $2.00, then $1.00, then fifty cents! Still, I am patient and wait as he throws in two or three more chairs for fifty cents! My last trip to the auction, I netted seven chairs for $4.00! I turned around and sold them for $25.00 each!

This is just one of the examples of the deals that I have found at the County Auction. The secret to my success is three-fold:

1. I know what is “hot” in the market by browsing ebay, watching HGTV, and flipping through home magazines.

2. I know what the going retail prices are and keep these in mind when I am bidding. I usually arrive at the auction early with a notebook and check out all the lots that will be auctioned. I jot down the lots numbers and the highest price I am willing to pay for that lot.

3. When the bidding starts, I wait for someone else to start the bidding. I place myself so I can “read” how badly they want the item. I will wait to place my bid. I never get caught-up in the bidding. And I always bow out at my high price that I wrote in my notebook. This way I can avoid buyer’s remorse!

Using these tactics, I have successfully won many items at the local auction and have made a huge profit reselling these items. If you use these techniques, you will also be successful at your local auction. I just hope you never find my gem of an auction, and never bid against me!

About The Author

Dean Novosat regularly attends local government auctions and participates online. Much of what he wins, he resells. He has several informative websites including http://www.buy-sell-gov-surplus.com and http://www.government-deals.com. He maintains his own blog at http://www.novosat.us/wp

Copyright © 2001-Present ArticleCity.com

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Animal auction focuses on exotic

By DL Perrin Truth Correspondent

On the blockBeautifully colored birds like this Golden Red Pheasant were on the auction block at the Northern Indiana Fall Exotic Animal & Bird Auction at the Topeka Auction Barn this past weekend.Photo: DL Perrin / The Truth

TOPEKA — One woman needs a skunk. A man in a cowboy hat is looking for a breeding pair of camels.

From alpacas to zebras, if it is an exotic animal and available for sale, you will most likely find a seller and a buyer at the bi-annual Northern Indiana Exotic Animal & Bird Auction.

Jacob Kurtz, who’s had a lifelong fondness for unusual livestock, had been traveling as far as Ohio to buy and sell his animals. He knew there was a need for a place in Indiana where fans of unusual animals could buy, sell, talk shop or trade their favorite creatures.

More than eight years ago, according to the Topeka resident and longtime Topeka auction committee member, he suggested they dedicate one auction day a year to unusual animals. The exotic animal auction started out as a half day. It soon grew into a two-day event.

“I’m not a farmer but I had land and I have always liked animals that are different,” Kurtz said. “It’s fun to watch the cars drive by and, at first they slow down, then turn around and come back down the road to get a second look.”

Kurtz isn’t alone in his fondness for exotic birds and animals.

Daryl Blackman has been driving to the auction from Bloomingdale, Mich., for years. “I have my parents’ farm now,” Blackman said. “I don’t farm now, but my parents raised beef and horses. Out of all the kids, I was the one that raised unusual animals — no regular livestock for me.”

Friday he was at the auction selling some Barbados sheep with magnificently curved mahogany horns. He also brought along a cage filled with doves. “It all starts from two,” Blackman said. “The next thing you know, you have a couple of dozen.”

Bob Bale, auction manager and auctioneer, said it is his job to post regulations and warn all participants about the laws regarding state and federal permits, vaccinations, inoculations and licenses for their animals. “The laws are constantly changing,” Bale said. “We keep on top of all of the changes, but the end responsibility lies with the owners.”

Blackman wants to expand his flock of sheep, so he is selling off a few rams and ewes and buying others to change the bloodline of his flock. Among other birds such as peacocks, he acquired homing pigeon pairs to breed so he can raise their young to “home” when they grow up. He says he might even look at a starter pair of emus.

Blackman said he doesn’t raise any animals for food; his collection is a hobby gone wild.

He said he is glad there is a sale like Topeka twice a year. If he took his exotic sheep to a contemporary livestock auction he wouldn’t expect to find any buyers. He knows he will find buyers in Topeka every year.

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In the world today, Voiceover artists are used in literally countless applications and areas of business. The film, television, radio, and music industry employs Voice Talent regularly. Voiceover artists are used extensively in commercials, announcing, marketing promotions, and movie trailers.

As auctioneers, we are always looking for additional services to add to our roster. I have mentioned becoming an appraiser before, but if that’s not your cup of tea, then perhaps Voice Talent may be your answer and solution? After all we use our voices every day in our profession, so it makes perfect sense to pursue a complimentary sideline.

Voiceover is used in the following business applications everyday. Telephone Messaging & Call Waiting, Corporate Training Videos & CD’s, Presentations, Narrations, Audio Marketing & Brochures, Announcing, Radio & TV Commercials, Online Learning Programs, Web Sites, Video Games, and Interactive CD Rom Games. Businesses even look for talented writers that can write Voiceover scripts.

Who’s doing Voiceover work? The voice of Mike Meyers in the movie Shrek. James Earl Jones was the unforgettable voice of Darth Vader, and the announcer for CNN, and he has even done a few commercials for Hummer. Think about all of the movies using voice talent today. Finding Nemo and Toy Story are just a few of the many.

Don’t look for an agent yet. Voiceover work is highly competitive. I recommend the following steps. (1) Find an accomplished Voice Talent coach (beware of the rip-off’s) and train with them for awhile. (2) When your coach feels you have what it takes, then cut a professional studio CD of your work. (3) Now find an agent. (4) Like auctioneering, the Voiceover work rarely comes to you, and that means that you must find the work. Once you have accomplished these steps, you are ready to make some extra money. The good news is that with today’s technology and satellite uplinks you can record scripts from virtually any studio around the world.

Keep in mind, again like auctioneering, it will be your passion and drive that makes you successful. Nothing worthwhile comes easy, and many look at Voiceover work in that way. Like most businesses, there will also be an initial investment of your money (i.e. Voice Coach, Studio CD, etc.) before you may even see a return on your investment. Worst case scenario, you will become a much better auctioneer, with a very talented and controlled voice. In the words of Yoda (another talented voice), “Don’t try. Do!”

Tom DiNardo is co-owner of DiNardo & Lord Auctioneers of Anacortes, WA. Tom is an Auctioneer, Appraiser, and Writer.

To contact Tom, visit www.DiNardoandLordAuctioneers.com

(c) 2004 Tom DiNardo - All rights reserved.

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Real Estate Auction Action - Buying A Home At Auction
by: Jakob Jelling

Due in part to the popularity of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)’s home auction program, more potential homebuyers than ever are buying homes at auction. Homes for auction aren’t limited to just HUD, however. Many government entities auction homes for payment of back taxes, and some homeowners even auction their homes on eBay.com!

Homebuyers considering buying a home at auction should take some steps in advance to help them with their bid price, and even whether to bid at all on a specific home. There will always be a degree of risk when buying a home this way, but with a little diligence, potential homebuyers could save a lot of money buying in this manner.

Before the auction, you should have your financing arranged, and have enough cash on hand or in your bank account to cover a deposit on your purchase. You need to check the features, location, condition, and ownership history first. Afterwards, be sure to learn what the property is worth by looking at sales of comparable properties in the same area. Compare homes with the same number of rooms is possible, but be sure to allow for price differences due to pools, decks, carpeting, window treatments, etc.

At the auction itself, resist the temptation to get into a personal bidding war, just “to beat out the other guy”. Have a set price limit and stick to it. Other houses will come along, and you don’t have to win the first auction that comes your way.

You should know that the price of a home at auction is typically the loan balance (if foreclosed), plus any back taxes owed, plus legal fees and other expenses in foreclosing the property. This will typically be the opening bid amount, and the price will go up from there. Even so, it’s possible to get a great deal in an auctioned house, with a little research and planning first.

Also, know that you probably won’t be able to get an inspection, and are buying the home “as is”. If you can’t do any needed repair work yourself, or can’t hire it done within your budget, you may not end up getting such a bargain in the end.

About The Author

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate.

Copyright © 2001-Present ArticleCity.com

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Save Thousands at Auto Auctions - Without Marrying a Car Dealer!
by: Cat Tobin

The Common Misconception: Auto auctions are only open to car dealers.

The Surprising Truth: Anyone with the right resources can participate in the same auctions as the dealers!

Think about it. How much could you save if you bypassed the dealers and purchased directly from their sources? 30%, 50%, maybe even 75%.

As unbelievable as this sounds, it is possible with a little patience and research.

As you probably already know from past experience, car dealers will do ANYTHING to get you into the car of your dreams. Whether you can afford it or not!

I can recall a former coworker who got into a new luxury vehicle with a little “creative financing.” The manager divided his mortgage payment in two. His justification: As a married man his wife was responsible for the other half of the mortgage….even though she was a stay at home mom! Luckily for them, they found a way to pay their huge car payment and avoid repossession.

Unfortunately, others aren’t quite as lucky. Thousands of people default on their loans everyday simply because they couldn’t really afford it in the first place.

This can work to your advantage. The banks and financial institutions that serviced the loans want to recoup their loss as quicly as possible. Add to that the exhorbitant cost of storing these vehicles, and you can easily see why the banks want to dispose of them in a timely manner.

After all, the longer financial institutions have to store these vehicles, the less money they’re going to get back.

Auto auctions are the quickest way for banks to rid themselves of repossessed vehicles.

Car dealers know this, and they go to great lenghts to protect this knowledge from the general public. After all, auto auctions are a huge source of revenue. Dealers can purchase vehicles at a fraction of their value, and then resell them at a huge mark-up.

But what if you could avoid the dealer’s mark-up and instead pay what they pay? What impact would that have on your wallet?

Amazingly enough, auto auctions are not solely restricted to car dealers. Up until a few years ago, I too shared this common misconception.

It was only by sheer luck that I stumbled upon a website that allowed me to search local auctions by zip code and vehicle make that I learned the surprising truth. I was paying dealers thosands of dollars in unnecessary mark-ups.

I tried the website’s search feature out, and to my surprise the cars listed were exactly what I wanted. Only a few years old with very low miles. Many of them were still under the manufacturer’s original warranty! This made sense of course, since most of them were repossessions.

The auction house was even willing to throw in a vehicle history report at no extra cost and a 3 month warranty.

Sure I wouldn’t get the complimentary car washes and oil changes the dealer throws in, but that surely wasn’t worth thousands of dollars in premiums.

After a little hesitation I joined the auto auction membership site. They helped me locate auto auctions in my area, and gain admission to them through their exclusive access rights. I learned what questions to ask, and how to handle the bidding process.

It was a lot simpler then I ever imagined it could be.

The day of the auction, I showed up a few hours early to inspect the vehicle I was interested in and get a feel for the place.

It must have been a slow day, because when my car came up for auction only a few dealers were bidding against me. Since I wasn’t buying the vehicle for resale, I succeeded in outbidding the dealers!

It was a truely empowering experience. I got the vehicle of my dreams, and I only paid a little over half its book value!

What did this experience teach me? Auto Auctions can save you thousands in unnecessary dealer mark-ups.

About The Author

Cat Tobin

How Much Could You Save With Auto Auctions?

Begin Your Local Auto Auction Search at: http://www.autoauctionfinder.com/search

(c) autoauctionfinder.com

Copyright © 2001-Present ArticleCity.com

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