In the market for a used fire truck, but not sure where to look?
The City of Louisville, Georgia has two their looking to unload.
The City, along with the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners and the Board of Education, will be selling a number of pieces of surplus vehicles and equipment in an internet-only auction beginning June 6.
The auction is being conducted by L.W. Benton Company, Inc., a Macon-based auction and realty firm, which specializes in numerous types of auctions throughout the state. The surplus items will be available for bidding on the company’s website at www.BidderOne.com beginning June 6 and ending at various times on June 17. The auction includes government surplus items, as well as privately owned pieces, from the central Georgia region. Among the items up for bid are fire trucks, garbage trucks, tractors, bulldozers, pick-ups, flat-beds and cars. The Board of Education has a unique piece in an automotive paint booth at Jefferson County High School.
The company has previously conducted live auctions for Louisville and Jefferson County, as well as the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Glascock County Board of Commissioners. The shift to an internet-only based auction away from those held live, on-site is part of a growing trend among government auctions, according to Ben Roberts, an auctioneer and sales manager for L.W. Benton Company. He says that while internet-only auctions have been popular among antique and collectible buyers for the last decade, the format has only recently caught on for larger items like vehicles, equipment and even homes and land.
“The internet has had a big impact on the way our company does business. It allows us to reach any buyer, anywhere,” he says.
Roberts explains that governments and municipalities are no different from other businesses and entities and that the current economy has been hurtful to them as well.
“In the past, our clients might hold on to surplus items a little longer to build up auction inventory or they were turning over equipment more frequently for something new,” Roberts said. “We’re finding more and more that they need to liquidate these items quicker and an internet-only auction can be a faster and more cost-efficient way to do that.”
According to Roberts, even the State of Georgia quit selling their surplus property at live auctions a couple of years ago.
Roberts says it’s the ease and convenience of these types of auctions that appeal to governments, when moving a piece of property isn’t feasible or cost-effective, citing the BOE’s paint booth as the perfect piece for an internet-only sale.
“It’s a specialty-item that won’t appeal to your everyday buyer, so you need to advertise it far and wide,” he says. “At the same time, you can’t just load it up and move it someone to showcase it and how many buyers are going to make the drive to Louisville to see it up close?”
Roberts admits that buying an item sight-unseen over the internet seems unfathomable to some, for many, however, it has become a daily part of their business. He recommends buyers do their homework and if unsure about a company or items up for bid, call the auction company directly to get answers.
“The auction industry is like any other business, you can have your bad apples,” he says. “Any reputable company with experience in these types of sales is going to work with you. They understand that buyers can be unsure about the process.”
Roberts, who is a current Board of Director for the Georgia Auctioneers Association, says that all of the items in his company’s online-only sales are available for inspection with an appointment.
For more information, go to www.BidderOne.com or call L.W. Benton Company at 478-744-0027. Sales tax will apply to all purchases as well as a 10-percent buyer’s premium.
