Are you in the market for a used fire truck or ambulance? Maybe a piece of heavy equipment, say a dump truck or excavator? Or something smaller like a Crown Vic or golf cart?
Well then turn on your computer and get ready to place your bid at auction.
Several middle and east-Georgia governments are joining together to liquidate over 100 surplus vehicles and various pieces of equipment in an online-only internet auction that will end next Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 12 noon. Items can be viewed and bid on at www.BidderOne.com.
The auction is being conducted by Macon-based L.W. Benton Company, Inc., an auction and Real Estate company that conducts both traditional live auctions as well as internet-only sales.
Ben Roberts, Sales Manager for the company, says that while live auctions continue to make up the bulk of their auctions, the online-only method is catching on with buyers and sellers alike.
“Internet auctions have been around for a number of years. Most folks are familiar with eBay and the way it works,” Roberts says. “And while dealers have been buying heavy equipment and vehicles in online auctions for some time now, the general public finally seems to be getting comfortable with the idea.”
The internet is also becoming a chosen venue for many sellers, particularly government clients. Roberts says that in the past, governments would build up an inventory of surplus items until they had enough to justify a live auction; but with budgets continuing to rise and revenues on the decline, many municipalities simply can’t afford to do that anymore.
“They’re looking for a way to liquidate smaller groups of items – maybe just a single piece – which is just not feasible for a live auction,” Roberts says.
According to Roberts, from a seller’s standpoint, internet auctions don’t differ all that much from a live sale.
“Rather than selling everything on a Saturday morning in a couple of hours, we simply spread the bidding process out over a two or three week period,” he says.
Currently, L.W. Benton Company holds an internet-only auction every other month, with the bulk of the property in those sales coming from various government agencies in Georgia. These agencies group their pieces together without ever moving them, allowing for a sizable auction that can draw a crowd, even if the bidders never leave their home or office.
Roberts admits the biggest challenge on these types of auctions is easing bidders’ minds over making a sometimes large purchase from pictures on their computer screen. He understands the difficulty some face in purchasing something like a used car from a photograph, so he and his company work hard to give as much detail as possible about the pieces up for auction.
Each item is photographed extensively, from all sides and different angles, inside and out. L.W. Benton Company’s staff works closely with sellers to provide specific details about the condition of vehicles and equipment and do their best to note any defects. Sellers are also required to provide an “inspection contact” for bidders to call with further questions about a particular piece of property. And, of course, descriptions also list where the item is located for those buyers who want to make the trip to see the piece for themselves.
“Sometimes there’s just no substitute for laying your hands on something;” Roberts says, “so we give buyers that option as well.”
