Does Your City Need Some Money? Grab Your Gavel & Hold an Auction!

By
Real Estate Agent with Better Homes & Gardens | The Masiello Group

gavelA few weeks ago I wrote about the city of Lewiston's plans to hold an auction to get rid of the piles and piles of old equipment and other things filling up city warehouses and buildings.

I promised an update on how it went.  The items that I was most interested in were being sold in large lots (bicycles, etc.) so I was not able to get them, but the auction was a HUGE success.

At one point, the city estimates there were about 500 people milling about looking at items.  When all was said and done the city netted a whopping $83,102!  They were able to get rid of almost everything, with the exception of a few broken office machines from the 80s.  Nope, Mainers don't throw anything out since you never know what might come in handy later.

They were even able to sell 18,000 yards of reclaimed asphalt they had stored in 3 giant piles.  With the success of this event, the city is considering making this a regular event every 2 years or so, but since it took them about 30 years to collect the items auctioned off, they plan on inviting other towns to participate.

So if your city needs some cash (and whose doesn't) tell them to consider auctioning off all of that junk they have been stashing away for years.

 

 

Posted by

The Maine Real Estate Network - Kristen Wheatley - Lewiston-Auburn Maine Real Estate

Maine Realtor Kristen Wheatley  

Kristen Wheatley is a Maine Realtor working and living in Central Maine.  She specializes in the sale of residential and investment property in the Lewiston-Auburn area and surrounding towns.  Kristen uses the latest tools and mobile technology to provide a superior experience and results for her clients and enjoys sharing these technology skills and teaching other real estate professionals and local small business owners.

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Comments (10)

Chris Canfield
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Tucson, AZ
Homes for Sale in Oro Valley and Tucson, Arizona

What a great idea!  I am glad my kids and their friends didn't go, however, as they are major fans of "old technology," and probably would have come home with the broken office machines from the 80s.  : )

Sep 24, 2010 08:53 AM
Kristen Wheatley
Better Homes & Gardens | The Masiello Group - Brunswick, ME
Supporting Success - Best Job in the World!

Chris, I might be able to arrange to have those shipped down to them!  :)  The best things they had were all the old stop lights.  I still think that would be fun to have.

Sep 24, 2010 09:00 AM
Lisa Hicks
Hoang Realty - Augusta, ME
Serving Central and Southern Maine

Someone bought 3 piles of reclaimed asphalt?  Makes me wonder why the City didn't reuse it.

Sep 24, 2010 12:55 PM
Jack Mossman - The Nines Team at Keller Williams in Lodi
The Nines Team at Keller Williams in Lodi - Lodi, CA
The Nines Team in Lodi

Kristen:  If they need to increase the bottom line in some places  they should auction off the mayor, city manager and at least two council members  .... ah, make that three.  They'd throw in the chief-of-police .... but then they'd have to get a release from the historical society ....  Think I'm kidding ... follow the news to Bell, Ca and attorney general Brown's "review" of salaries over $300,000 ...  sorry.... that's another soap box!

Sep 24, 2010 01:23 PM
Kristen Wheatley
Better Homes & Gardens | The Masiello Group - Brunswick, ME
Supporting Success - Best Job in the World!

Lisa:  Yup!  It was actually extra that they didn't need.  It can be used for other types of paving, but not the type the city needs.  At least they get some money for it instead of just dumping it.  Ecologically AND economically sound.  Wahoo!

 

Jack:  I heard about the Bell thing...are you there?  Wowie, just firing them saves the town a ton!  I don't think they'd get anything for auctioning them off, but maybe charge $100 an egg to throw at them...now that could raise some serious funds!  

Sep 24, 2010 01:41 PM
Ryan Case
SCA Real Estate - Anaheim, CA
877-828-0710

Great Idea! And why they're at it mise well throw out all the council members making $800,000 HAHA

Sep 24, 2010 06:35 PM
Kristen Wheatley
Better Homes & Gardens | The Masiello Group - Brunswick, ME
Supporting Success - Best Job in the World!

Sounds like that's what they need to do in Bell, CA.  Our guys don't even make a live-able wage, so they all have to have other jobs.

Sep 24, 2010 07:11 PM
Ginny Gorman
RI Real Estate Services ~ 401-529-7849~ RI Waterfront Real Estate - North Kingstown, RI
Homes for Sale in Southern RI and beyond

Super idea kristen...i see they do that in some of the cities here but not on a wide scale...i want to throw out many of our legislature & see what they're hiding under their desks we can auction off.

Sep 25, 2010 01:18 AM
StepStone Realty
StepStone Realty, LLC - Austin, TX
Freedom to Succeed

Cool idea, Kristen!  I wonder if they'll take some of MY old office equipment too! ;)  Auctions are wicked awesome!

Sep 25, 2010 02:31 AM
Kristen Wheatley
Better Homes & Gardens | The Masiello Group - Brunswick, ME
Supporting Success - Best Job in the World!

Ginny:  They were going to have a garage sale like event.  They have had smaller ones in the past, but this time they really wanted to clear things out and went with the auction.  I guess they got the purge bug!  I'm sensing a trend here in regards to comments about the leaders!  We don't have as much of thathere, but we did go through a little upheavel a few years back. :)  One good thing, if there is one, about this economy is that it fostered a lot of creativity when it came to saving money and finding ways to generate revenue.

Daniel:  Who knows!?  It seems there is someone for everything piece of junk someone else wants to get rid of.  :)

Sep 25, 2010 02:51 AM