Aiport Lost Property auctions

Norman_Castle

Astons in Dudley has a £5 entrance fee!. I bought my last two bikes from the police auctions. The last one was eight years ago but was very lucky to get something decent at a low price. 90% of the bikes are tatty and tired with parts missing. They are stolen, abused by teenage idiots, then recovered. Anything worth buying now attracts bids and high prices.

Towser

I would like to attend one of these auctions... Where can I go to find out where they are? for around Luton airport?

soolin

Towser wrote: »

I would like to attend one of these auctions... Where can I go to find out where they are? for around Luton airport?

Probably need to spend some time doing clever google searches , the only one I know of, which might handle Luton, is Greasbys

http://www.greasbys.co.uk/

Just remember though that the bags are opened are pre sorted before they are auctioned so you are only buying dirty clothes. Anything of value is sold separately.

shaun_from_Africa

soolin wrote: »

Just remember though that the bags are opened are pre sorted before they are auctioned so you are only buying dirty clothes. Anything of value is sold separately.

Spot on.
I used to attend many lost property auctions (mainly looking for mobile phones), and I knew for a fact that all "unopened" baggage sold at these auctions had been well checked before reaching the auction houses.

If this wasn't the case, could you imagine what would happen if a buyer purchased a lost or unclaimed bag only to open it and find that it contained a couple of kilos of heroin or a 44 magnum.
I knew a few people who made a good profit from some of these bags but generally only if they contained a chanel/Gucci/YSL item that the sorters had missed.

RFW

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

If this wasn't the case, could you imagine what would happen if a buyer purchased a lost or unclaimed bag only to open it and find that it contained a couple of kilos of heroin or a 44 magnum.
I knew a few people who made a good profit from some of these bags but generally only if they contained a chanel/Gucci/YSL item that the sorters had missed.

A few years ago we were auctioning seized cargo that had been used for smuggling. It was checked externally and sent to us to sell.
It was usually in bulk stocks, so picture frames, exercise books, that type of thing. One regular customer purchased about ten pallets of goods that he sold on to a chain store. He later retired and I met him a few years later. He told me what good deal he had from me, one of the pallets was lined with over £1000 worth of cigarettes.
As a buyer I've had the odd good find in unexpected places but they are few and far between. I've no desire to handle dirty clothing in the seriously unlikely possibility of finding half a bottle of perfume!

soolin

RFW wrote: »

. I've no desire to handle dirty clothing in the seriously unlikely possibility of finding half a bottle of perfume!

Yuck, me neither, it is one of those things that makes me shudder.

As for mixed lots, there was a story going round my local auction houses a year or two back- and one never knows whether these stories are just urban myths or not, about a glass. Large boxes of glassware rarely sell well, and buyer bought a mixed lot for less than £10. In among the Edwardian and vintage glass was a thicker glass with a twisted stem, he happened to show it to another dealer who recognised it as a 16th piece of glass and he sold it for near £1000.

charlies_mum

We do well out of mixed lots, but our best buy lately was some atlases that we got for £2. After some research found out there were some rare maps in there. Sold £700 worth so far, and still have some left

Weavemaster

Are there any baggage or lost property Auctions in Scotland?


cheers

jeffuk

Weavemaster wrote: »

Are there any baggage or lost property Auctions in Scotland?


cheers

https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=police%20lost%20property%20auctions%20scotland

michael21

Auctions were great years ago now you are paying Wellers that are charging 25% commision plus internet charge for bidding 3-4% then 20% vat , TLH 22% commision plus the rest. Th cream has gone for dealers so we look elsewhere , its okay for individuals. Thats my tuppence worth.