Have you ever thought about Police Auctions?

And no, it’s not where the police get auctioned off but it is about what happens to all that stolen and unclaimed treasure that has been recovered but never reclaimed by the original owners.

You see, Police eventually find many stolen items but the original owners never reclaim their goods because they have claimed them off their insurance policies. The goods have been replaced, the victims have moved on, and the Police stations can only hold so much ‘stuff’. After a limited time, it’s this ‘stuff’ that makes its way into Police auctions.

Stuff in this case is a good name for the wide variety of items that have been removed from people’s homes. Don’t forget that the thieves ransacked through all their victims drawers and personal possessions in a persons home. I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer someone not get into the top drawer of my bedside table! And I can’t say I blame the victims for not fronting a police station to claim some of their stolen property. So all this unclaimed stuff ends up in a police auction.  And that’s what makes them so much fun to go to. It’s even better when you get a lively auctioneer with a good sense of humour.

If you want a good outing, watch for the police auctions happening in your area. A good place to start looking for them is from www.gov-auctions.org and follow the links. But be prepared to either buy up big or have a good laugh. I have seen people’s false teeth offered and passed in (wonder why?) and I’ve seen some other ‘personal items’ that have been waved overhead while a “guarantee” of satisfaction has been offered to the roar and appreciation of a very appreciative audience. Mainly male, I might add so if you are a female attending Police auctions, be prepared to be “broad minded”.

And I have seen some very sad things offered too. I will always remember a baby album, beautifully covered with a hand-crochet cover that had obviously been custom made. I felt very sad to see that because it was as if someone’s childhood had been stolen.

Thieves are no respecters of people’s privacy and not all items that they steal are saleable. Some are taken simply because they can.

But there are many saleable items that can be found in a Police auction. Electronics and cameras are often very good buys but it does pay you to make sure you get to these auctions early enough to fully inspect any goods you think you will buy.  

If you are unsure of whether something is a good buy or not; it does pay you to have a good idea first of prices. The only way to know prices for sure is to do your homework first. If you don’t know what the normal retail price is for something, how can you fully appreciate the good buy that you will likely find at a Police auction?