January 5, 2000
SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- The state of Oregon is cashing in on the frenzy over Internet auctions by selling some of its old junk -- from street signs to traffic lights -- on the eBay Web site.
Oregon is the first state to auction its surplus property over the Internet, said Skip Morton, manager of the state's property distribution center.
Considering how much of a markup there is on the items, other states might soon follow suit. Profits are twice that of the traditional oral auctions, said Nole Bullock, representative with the surplus property program.
"So far it's been phenomenal," Bullock said.
The property comes from state agency surplus and police confiscations, Bullock said. Eighty percent of the profit goes back to the contributing agency. The other 20 percent pays for salary and administrative costs of the program.
"We work like a consignment shop," Bullock said.
The online project has been such a huge success that officials from other states are asking for advice in launching similar programs.
"We've had a lot of states really get interested in this," Bullock said. "Everyone is getting on board with this and wanting to know how we did it."
Bullock predicts eBay auctioning eventually will replace traditional oral auctions, but the state still conducts oral auctions six times a year, and has a general store open the rest of the year.
The state also will launch another Web site allowing consumers to buy property over the Internet and pick it up locally. That will enable the state to sell its larger, bulkier items like desks and chairs without the costs of shipping, Bullock said.
For now, the state is selling lighter, pricier items over the Internet.
There's also the cheaper goods that might find their way onto dorm-room walls.
"I've sold some wacky stuff out there just to see if there's a market for it, like a wrong way street sign for $20," Bullock said, adding that she has sold such items to buyers all over the world. "Scotland, England, Guam, Australia, Korea. ... The power of the Web is immense."
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