Going online garners gains

Date: 11/23/2010

Nov. 22, 2010

By Chris Maza

Reminder Assistant Editor

LONGMEADOW -- Longmeadow's first online auction turned out to be a huge success.

Citing a much larger pool of bidders as a major advantage, Longmeadow procurement manager Chad Thompson reported that an eBay auction of surplus property yielded an influx of $26,638.47 to the town's general fund.

"It was very successful," Thompson said. "The concept of doing [the auction] online was new this year and it went very well."

In the past, surplus property was sold off at on-site auctions, which require interested parties to be present to bid. Last year's on-site auction raised approximately $3,500, while the 2008 auction made $9,566.

"In the past, bids were limited to the people who were able to attend the auction. This year, the bidding came from all over the place," Thompson said, adding that one item was sold to a buyer in Maryland, who is now arranging for shipping. "We at least doubled and, in some cases, tripled, what we would have made on some items."

This year, items were placed on eBay and were open for bidding over an 11-day period from Nov. 3 to 16. Local bidders had an opportunity to see the items at a preview event on Nov. 13 at the Department of Public Works' (DPW) yard on Pondside Road. It was mandatory that all items be picked up by Nov. 20, at the latest.

Of the 225 listings, 114 items sold, including 40 lost or unclaimed bicycles from the police department, equipment from the high school's now defunct shop classes, old street signs that have been replaced recently and old DPW equipment, such as lawn mowers.

Also, chandeliers from the Center School that were removed during renovations were sold.

Items that did not sell will be held and most likely put up for bidding at a future auction, according to Thompson.

"The majority of the items we didn't sell were street signs," Thompson said. "But somewhere around 30 street signs were sold."