Additionally, what kind of equipment do they usually have in auctions?
It’s pretty random. We start by stacking up all the stuff that needs to leave in the North Workshop, usually between the pallet racks. Once we feel like we’ve got enough, then we call in the auction guys. It’s usually well publicized here on Talk, and probably Discord too.
I know we’ve got at least one member who feels like the auction group from last time did a crummy job. Advertising (their job) was mediocre. Some expensive equipment went for a song.
They are online auctions with local pickup required.
There’s always at least one person who doesn’t like how things go down 
In the case of advertising we don’t pay the auction company for that. Our items are listed on their auction site but any advertising beyond that is on DMS and we have done our own thing in that regard. I want to say Google Ads and maybe FB but I really don’t get too involved in that.
DMS’s primary goal with auctions is to find a home for things we need to get rid of while complying with all the laws and rules that govern a 501c organization such as ours. We generally prefer giving things to other 501c groups whenever possible rather than auctioning them.
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Periodically, as donations are secured.
Given that the last one was in March, I’d not expect another one anytime this year.
Warren Liquidation has been the auctioneer of choice past two auctions. Bidding is online.
It’s a combination of DMS items that are no longer needed and donations.
I’ve seen:
- Hand tools of almost every flavour
- Handheld power tools
- Floor power tools
- Woodworking
- Metalworking
- Ceramics
- Electronic components
- IT equipment
- Computers
- Servers
- Printers
- Networking gear
- Materials
- Wire
- Scrap metal
- Light fixtures
… and much more.
Yup. Prior auction seemed more competitive.
When was the most recent one? How frequent are they?
In order to make it worthwhile for the auction company, we need to accumulate a lot of stuff that we want to auction. That’s not exactly predictable …
Count on it being several more months, at the very least.
We may try and get one in before construction begins in 102 but as others have noted, there’s a number of variables.
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