Been to a few auctions, I guess it's universal that folks just don't know what they are bidding on, driving the price to close to or over new.
On the other hand, you do get lucky occasionally and there is that one thing no one wants.
I bid on a gigantic copy machine, I mean this thing was huge, about 4' tall, 8' long, 3' deep. Ran on 240v.
Paid $5 for it, cost me $65 to rent a lift gate van to get it home, another $160ish for the local copy company to come look it over and clean it up.
Sold it on eBay (back when eBay was good) for $1600+freight to someone in Colorado I think.
Bought a lot of overhead projectors and resold them as well.
Picked up a nice commercial paper shredder (~$300 new) for $1 because no one bid on it. Took it home, pulled the business end of a notebook out of the things teeth and it's been working for years.
Know what you are bidding on.
Don't get caught up in the other guys bid.
Take everything you bought with you when you leave.
On the other hand, you do get lucky occasionally and there is that one thing no one wants.
I bid on a gigantic copy machine, I mean this thing was huge, about 4' tall, 8' long, 3' deep. Ran on 240v.
Paid $5 for it, cost me $65 to rent a lift gate van to get it home, another $160ish for the local copy company to come look it over and clean it up.
Sold it on eBay (back when eBay was good) for $1600+freight to someone in Colorado I think.
Bought a lot of overhead projectors and resold them as well.
Picked up a nice commercial paper shredder (~$300 new) for $1 because no one bid on it. Took it home, pulled the business end of a notebook out of the things teeth and it's been working for years.
Know what you are bidding on.
Don't get caught up in the other guys bid.
Take everything you bought with you when you leave.