Governments use eBay to sell high

[underpants]

Mon Dec 8, 7:18 AM ET


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=676&e=2&u=/usatoday/20031208/ts_usatoday/12060509


Cash-strapped state and local governments are discovering what millions of eBay aficionados already know: You can sell almost anything on the Internet.

Police departments and public works agencies are turning to online auction sites to get more money for the unclaimed stolen or confiscated goods and surplus items that they're required to sell. They're finding a global market for everything from Rolex watches to jail-cell bunk beds and Lamborghini autos.

Many agencies say the online auctions are netting them three times the revenue they formerly got from one-day local auctions. That doesn't count the savings in manpower and warehousing space required to conduct local auctions.

How some state and federal agencies are using eBay:

• Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich Jr. will announce Tuesday that the Maryland Independence, the 112-foot custom yacht the state owns, will be auctioned on eBay. The proceeds will help pay down a $700 million deficit the state faces in the fiscal year that begins July 1.

• California Controller Steve Westly, a former eBay vice president, announced last week that the state will sell unclaimed items found in safe-deposit boxes on eBay. Nevada, Oregon and 11 other states have sold surplus and unclaimed property on the site.

More than 300 police and fire agencies in 23 states have signed up with Property Bureau, an Internet auction service for law enforcement. Clients range from tiny to big: Williamstown, Mass., police (eight full-time officers) to the New York Police Department (more than 39,000). The site sells items such as the roof lights of patrol cars and kitchen sinks.

[flamingyouth]

1. The Washington State Ferry Service

sold one of our older passenger-only ferries (which, due to budget cut, natch, was eliminated) on eBay. There was some controversy because a lot of people felt they sold it at a fire-sale price. :shrug: