Want a ‘Zoofari’ bus? An ambulance? How to bid for NC’s unique surplus property
Have you ever wanted to own your own fire truck? How about safari-style tour bus, or antique surveying equipment?
Or, maybe you’re just looking to buy a treadmill or office furniture — or a dental chair — at a steep discount.
Behold, North Carolina’s State Surplus, which operates online auctions and retail stores where you can bid on or buy all of those items and more.
For a look at the odd and interesting items currently available, and those that have recently sold, through State Surplus, we perused the state’s active auctions and recent social media posts from the N.C. Department of Administration.
Here’s what we found, plus more information about State Surplus and how you can shop for your own unique surplus goods.
What is State Surplus?
Part of the N.C. Department of Administration, the State Surplus Property Agency is “the seller of all surplus supplies, materials and equipment owned by the State of North Carolina.”
▪ The agency works to create an “audit trail” for the disposition of the state’s personal property, as well as return the property’s maximum value to the state.
In other words: When the state has surplus goods or supplies — whether that’s filing cabinets and other office supplies or more unique items, such as ferries — from state agencies or departments, State Surplus works to transfer ownership of that property from the state and attempts to get a maximum monetary return value for it.
▪ Funds from surplus sales are returned to the state’s budget.
▪ The agency offers online, and sometimes live, auctions, as well as several retail stores around the state, allowing the public to bid on or buy various surplus items.
How do State Surplus auctions work?
The State Surplus auction site is located online at recoup.bid.assetworks.com/bid/f?p=2501:4000.
To bid in an auction, you first need to create an account.
▪ To create an account, visit the auction site, then click “Register User” on the left menu.
▪ Fill out all of the information on the registration form, then click “Submit.”
▪ Once you submit the form, you will receive a verification email at the address you provided with a link to validate your email address. Once you click the link to verify the email address, your registration request will be sent to State Surplus staff for review and approval.
▪ The department reviews account registration requests in the order they are received, and asks that you do not register repeatedly.
▪ Once your account is approved, you will be able to login to the auction site and place bids on the surplus items, which can be found on the main auction site.
▪ The auction system uses proxy bidding, which will allow you to set a maximum bid that you are willing to pay for an item. The system will then bid for you by the bid increment until someone places a big higher than your maximum.
▪ Bids cannot be withdrawn. You can only raise the amount of your bid, not lower or delete it, once you submit the bid.
▪ If you win an auction, you will have 10 days to pay your invoice, which should be available within 60 minutes after the bidding ends.
▪ All payments must be made in the form of a cashier’s check, certified check, credit card (Mastercard or Visa) or money order. State Surplus will also accept cash payments for invoices under $1,000.
▪ All auction items are available for viewing while the bidding is ongoing, but where you go to look at the item will depend on where the item is being kept. For many items, that will be the State Surplus warehouse in Raleigh (6501 Chapel Hill Rd.), but other items are located around the state. You can find out where each auction item is located on the items’ bidding pages.
▪ All items are sold as-is, where-is, condition unknown. That means you’ll be responsible for moving the item if you win the bidding.
You can find out more about how to bid in online State Surplus auctions in the Bid User Guide at files.nc.gov/ncdoa/Public-Bid-User-Guide.pdf.
What is available through NC State Surplus auctions?
State Surplus offers a wide variety of items big and small for auction, from chainsaws and leaf blowers to vehicles and office furniture.
More unique offerings through State Surplus that are currently being offered or have recently been offered include:
▪ A “Zoofari” bus from the N.C. Zoo. The bus was listed as a 2008 Blue Bird bus and appeared to have a little more than 103,000 miles on it, according to the item’s description and photos available on the listing. The bidding for the Zoofari bus ended on Jan. 31.
▪ A 2000 Ford ambulance. The ambulance appears to have been used by the N.C. Zoo, and is decked out in giraffe print decals. If you’d rather have an ambulance that’s not zoo-themed, there’s a more basic option available in Raleigh.
▪ Several hydraulic dental chairs. One listing for a dental chair appears to be from Central Piedmont Community College and is “unknown” condition.
▪ A paddle board with a paddle. Ready to ride the waves? Place a bid on a paddle board set, complete with a paddle. If you need extra paddles, there’s a lot of those available. And if you’d rather surf than paddle, you can also place a bid on a surfboard instead.
▪ A lot of five commercial hair dryers with chairs, plus five manicure tables. Ready to set up a beauty salon? Place your bids on these items located at Haywood Community College.
▪ An American LaFrance fire engine. Yes, a fire truck. The bidding for this item ended Jan. 28.
▪ An antique Theodolite. This antique surveying equipment is located in Clyde, NC, and has an opening bid of $200. A steal!
▪ A 1994 Prevost bus, which looked perfect for charter tours. The bidding for this item ended Jan. 28.
▪ The state also recently offered an auction for a ferry with a minimum bid of $1 million, The News & Observer reported.
The N&O also reported in 2020 and 2021 that State Surplus was offering an auction on part of an old Ringling Bros. circus train.
Moral of the story: If you don’t see something unique or bizarre up for auction right now, keep an eye out. You never know what could be offered in a few days, weeks or months.
What are State Surplus retail stores?
In addition to the online auction site, State Surplus also offers several retail stores where you can buy surplus items that are marked for immediate cash sale.
▪ Items at the State Surplus retail stores are sold as is and where is.
▪ All sales are final, and there are no refunds, exchanges or returns.
Common items offered at the surplus retail stores include:
Desks
Bookcases
Fling cabinets
Chairs
Office supplies
Books
Calculators
Copiers
Audio/visual equipment
Building materials
Kitchen equipment
Housekeeping equipment
Automotive parts
Those items might sound basic or run-of-the-mill. But rest assured, there are hidden gems — such as an inspirational Little Mermaid snowglobe that was available at the surplus warehouse in Raleigh as of Jan. 27, according to a tweet from the N.C. Department of Administration.
Where are the State Surplus retail stores?
State Surplus operates a retail store at the agency’s warehouse in Raleigh, and has also authorized the operation of several off-site retail stores at universities around the state, including UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University.
The addresses and phone numbers for the State Surplus retail stores in the Triangle and central North Carolina are:
▪ State Surplus Property Agency Warehouse — 6501 Chapel Hill Rd., Raleigh; 919-814-5600
▪ N.C. State University surplus — 3240 Ligon St., Raleigh; 919-515-5525
▪ UNC-Chapel Hill surplus — 1000B Estes Dr. Extension, Chapel Hill; 919-962-2134 (This location is closed until further notice.)
▪ UNC-Greensboro surplus — 2900 Oakland Ave., Greensboro; 336-315-7047
Note: Hours may be reduced or sales may be on pause at the university surplus stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Try contacting each store to confirm their hours.
Additional information about State Surplus
Find out more information about State Surplus at surplus.nc.gov.
This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Want a ‘Zoofari’ bus? An ambulance? How to bid for NC’s unique surplus property."
