Did you ever wonder what happens to all the property seized by police agencies in raids and arrests around the state? How about items left behind at the TSA Checkpoints at Detroit Metro Airport? Or personal property unclaimed when someone dies with no apparent survivors? And then there’s truly ‘surplus’ property in government buildings or on college campuses, no longer used in the age of Zoom?
Well, the State of Michigan is bringing it all together starting Friday in a warehouse in Lansing–and they’re having a SALE!
It’ll be a ‘grab bag’ of big and small, new and old, practical and frivolous. And it’ll all be up for sale, utilizing an auction format. Here’s how the Department of Technology, Management and Budget summarized it in an official announcement:
The sale includes a wide array of items, including sporting goods, tools, automotive equipment, desks, file cabinets, chairs, bookshelves, jewelry, and other fashion accessories.
Sale inventory is obtained from property seized by police, items voluntarily surrendered at airports, surplus property from local public colleges, and property no longer needed by government agencies. Payments can be made with cash and credit cards. All items are sold as is and no loading assistance will be available. All sales are final.
The state surplus agency will begin hosting in-person sales the first Friday of each month beginning Friday, Oct. 6, from 8 a.m. – noon. In-person sales will be held in Lansing at 3111 W. St. Joseph St, Building 600
A sale may be cancelled due to lack of inventory, so please visit Michigan.gov/Surplus for the latest news on state surplus events.
The agency also explained that DTMB’s state surplus team works with state agencies to reutilize and sell State of Michigan surplus property. Surplus also sells confiscated property for the Department of Natural Resources, Michigan State Police, and the federal Transportation Security Administration.
For more information about DTMB’s state surplus program, visit Michigan.gov/Surplus.
