Seized property offered at government auctions and police auctions are veritable treasure chests for bargain hunters. There is an astounding array of new and used merchandise, sold at rock-bottom prices, sometimes less than 10% of market value!
What is seized property? Most states have “seizure laws” in place. These laws allow law enforcement agencies to seize property that was used to commit a crime, such as a car or truck used to transport stolen goods or illegal drugs, as well as any real property that was bought with money acquired from the commission of a crime.
For instance, if a drug dealer uses the money he made from drug trafficking to buy a car or truck, even a house, it can be confiscated under the “seizure law”. Jewelry, furniture, computer equipment, art all can be seized.
The numbers and types of seized property that is sold through government auctions is mind-boggling. You can buy cars and trucks, boats, antiques, jewelry, office equipment, even aircraft. And they can be had for mere pennies on the dollar.
Another source of these auction goods is merchandise that was seized by US Customs. The seizure can be for improper importation, or failure to pay import duties or taxes. The Customs agency will often seize entire cargo containers full of property. These are usually brand new goods originally intended for retail sale, that are now liquidated through a government auction.
Government auctions and police auctions are held by hundreds of individual agencies, from federal government agencies like US Customs, the IRS, FBI, and DEA, down to your local city government and municipal sheriffs departments. Each agency conducts it’s own auctions, some online, some at specific locations.
How do you go about finding these seized property auction treasures? There are basically two ways to find them. First, you can look through each agency’s listings, but you will spend countless hours since each agency is independent, and auctions change daily. Secondly, you can join a government auction membership site. These compile all the thousands of auctions together through their website. Membership sites vary, so you must check out reviews such as those found at Government Auction Site Reviews.
Seized property auctions are treasure troves of merchandise for bargain hunters. With a little effort, you can actually find those “deals of a lifetime” for nearly anything in the world!
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