Want a Holden Jackeroo 4WD for $AUD50? How about a Ferrari that sells for $AUD100,000? Those are just some of the unbelievable deals you can find at police auctions!
At these events, you can bid on goods that were lost or stolen but were never claimed, as well as objects seized from police raids.
Since these items need to be sold after a mandated holding period, it’s not unusual for lucky bidders to score awesome bargains. If you’re dreaming of buying a vehicle or a rare collectible, attending these auctions might just do the trick.
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What Can You Buy At Police Auctions?
Most people attend police-seized auctions specifically to purchase inexpensive passenger or commercial vehicles. These include ex-police cars, as well as impounded and repossessed vehicles. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you can also attend government auctions to find surplus cars.
Other products that are typically auctioned include the following:
- Sporting goods
- Bicycles and scooters
- Boats
- Electronics
- Power tools
- Foreign currency
- Memorabilia and collectibles
- Alcohol
- Household furniture and construction materials
- Clothes and accessories
Similar types of items can also be bought at bargain prices at a confiscated goods auction. At these events, you can buy objects that were taken from airport passengers. Each auction typically offers at least one rare or precious item.
Understanding The Police Auction Process
Sorting and labelling recovered items can become a tedious process. To make it easier for law enforcement agencies, they partner with local auctioneering firms, which will become responsible for inspecting the assets, transporting the goods to the showrooms, and assigning serial numbers.
Once the products are sorted, auctioneering firms post details on the items online for a certain period. This gives anyone an opportunity to make a bid.
After the auction, proceeds are returned directly to the police. This will cover a small portion of the organisation’s expenses from recovering and storing the items.
Claiming Property You Own
If you see items for sale you believe were stolen from you, advise auction staff immediately. They’ll remove the products from sale and hold the item for you until you supply proof of ownership at your local police station.
Which Companies Hold Police Auctions In Perth?
1. Ross’s Auctions & Valuers
Ross’s is a full-service auctioneering firm based in Welshpool, Western Australia. They hold online and traditional auctions on several days of the week and weekends. You can check the complete schedules on their website.
You can view the products from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m – a day before they go under the hammer. A catalogue of products will also be posted online one day prior to the auction. All items bought at Ross’s auctions are sold as-is so it’s important to check the condition before bidding. No refunds or returns are offered for any of the products.
Contact the firm directly to ensure that the items you’re planning to bid on are still available. Products on the Ross’s auctions catalogue can be withdrawn at any time leading up to the event.
2. Pickles
Pickles is the official auctioneering firm for the Government of Western Australia. At these government car auctions, you can buy passenger, light commercial, and 4WD vehicles. Some of these are still covered by manufacturer warranty. You can also find salvage vehicles, which are damaged cars that cost more to repair than their fair market value.
Interested buyers can purchase items prior to auction for a fixed price, either online or at the company’s Bibra Lake facility. You can also make biddings at their weekly public auction.
The company allows buyers to inspect vehicles at their facility prior to sale. Photos are also posted online.
3. Mannheim
Mannheim is a provider of automotive remarketing services for government vehicles, passenger cars, commercial vehicles, light and heavy trucks, boats, and RVs.
Cars and light commercial vehicles are classified depending on the repairs needed. They can fall under the SMART (small, medium repair technique) repairs, minor body shop repairs, or major body shop repairs.
Note that interested buyers are not allowed to take vehicles on a test drive for health and safety reasons. Viewing is generally open from the day of the auction to the morning of the event itself.
The auctioneering firm occasionally holds ex-Western Australia police vehicle auctions. Some vehicles can be bought before the event for a fixed price. Buyers can also bid online or in person.
Tips For Bidding at Police Auctions In Perth
You need to be careful – you don’t want to bid more than you can pay or purchase items that end up becoming useless. Here are a few tips if you want to attend these events:
TIP#1: Check A Vehicle’s Certifications
Before bidding at car auctions, find out if the vehicle you want to buy has a certificate of roadworthiness. Adding the cost of registration and repairs will also give you a better idea of how much the vehicle’s worth.
TIP#2: Ask Questions
Most auctioneering firms welcome questions or concerns before the goods they go under the hammer. Use this opportunity to learn where the product came from and to verify its authenticity.
TIP#3: Know The Market Price
Once you see something you like, find out how much it sells for. For example, when purchasing auction jewellery, research on the gemstones. Examine its colour, clarity, and saturation. This will help you understand the product’s value.
Find Police-Seized And Unclaimed Goods
Police auctions draw hundreds of people because they give everyone an opportunity to buy items at about a third of their retail price. Even if you’re not planning to purchase anything specific, bidding on cool things that catch your eye can be a really fun experience.
But remember, buying vehicles or precious collectors’ items at police auctions is a race against time. Seized goods are required to be sold off after a certain period, so it’s best to learn about them as soon as the auctioneering firm posts advertisements. Subscribe to their newsletters to get regular updates. Who knows? You might just bag yourself a Ferrari too!
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