Grand piano for $5 — the weird and wonderful world of government liquidity auctions

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/01/02/grand-piano-for-5-the-weird-and-wonderful-world-of-government-liquidity-auctions.html

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The home made toilet on trailer is being sold by Butte County. Can’t make this stuff up.

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Interesting, in my area there’s a couple of nice DSLR cameras up for bid for a decent price. Will keep an eye on it, doubt i would win but i’ll give it a whirl in case i do get a deal

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I found a locomotive engine for only $28,500. Anyone wanna pool resources and see if we can get it?

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The helicopter engine is cheaper.

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Well sure, but that’s because a locomotive “engine” is the whole freakin locomotive, minus the cargo cars! It’s a train! For the price of a used car!

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Does it come with a dog?

Go Faster Wallace And Gromit GIF by Aardman Animations

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Lotta people in the skoolie community keep an eye on these sites. They’re a good place to find recently decommissioned buses.

Even saw a full electric a year or two ago. Department bought 3-4 of them, figured out after a year ore so that they wouldn’t work for their needs. If I’d had the money, I would have gone for it. Enough room for 10kw of solar on the roof, throw in a diesel generator for emergencies.

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Not familiar with that term. What is it?

Liquidation auction, surely? A liquidity auction would mean that it’s being done to raise ready cash, rather than to dispose of inventory.

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Liquefication auction - whatever inventory doesn’t move is dissolved in acid.

ETA: I like the idea of a liquidity auction, though. “We have too much ready cash! Everyone propose ways for us to spend it.”

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I did not wake up this morning believing that I would bid on a 2020 Genie boom lift and a 12 lb lot of Leatherman multi tools and yet here we are.

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I contemplated bidding on a gross of aviation coms head sets on GC Surplus once. I used to trawl that site looking for cool scientific equipment antiques, cameras, audio equipment, plan cabinets and library card catalogue cabinets. Only on obscure stuff is there ever any deals. I did end up with a Land Rover tho. Most irrational purchase I have ever made but don’t regret it at all.

Also got rare Land Rover parts of the British version, which seems to be run by selected contractors rather than a Government service. A bit of a pain in the ass getting stuff shipped home to Canada.

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I had never thought about these at all until last fall. I was in Albuquerque and saw signs advertising these kinds of auctions everywhere. No idea why.

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Old buses built out into mobile homes. A good chunk of folks live in them and travel full time, and there’s a big network of campgrounds, workshops, events, and such dedicated to the lifestyle.

This is my girl, Archer. Lived in her full time for over a year, covered 12k miles and 42 states, plus part time for another year or two.

Unlike a typical RV, skoolies are built like a tank, and should run damn near forever. Every one is customized for, usually by, the owner- Mine has all my recording gear for making music, and dedicated rapid-access storage for my art stuff.



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I checked the piano and it closes in 5+ days, not today. Did the auction get extended?

Ooh, I love the look of that.

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Most of the deals in my immediate vicinity are for knives, sometimes by the pound

cat try me GIF

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I would be interested to know if there might also be an e-service like Deals on Wheels or ZipAuction that might obtain successful bids for us and deliver them back to us for a livable fee.

It’s great, really it is, but somehow I feel like the paint job isn’t living up to its full potential…

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