Beginning this month Douglas County has started testing online auctions of government surplus property, making it the first county in Nevada to do so.
The county is posting its surplus items on the Internet where people from all over can bid on them.
The service is provided by LightGov, LLC, an Internet-based company in Youngstown, Ohio, founded in 2000, which does similar property auctions for Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin governments.
The LightGov auction service also is endorsed by the Nevada Association of Counties.
The Douglas County items are listed online for 14 days and can be accessed at www.douglascountynvauctions.com.
There is also a link on the county's web site www.co.douglas.nv.us or at LightGov's site, www.lightgov.com.
"It's a good way for specialized pieces of equipment to get out to a lot of people," said Jim Braswell, operational services director for Douglas County.
Current government property up for auction includes a 1987 Chevrolet Caprice, Dumpsters and electrical switchgear.
More items will be posted at a later date.
Braswell said items are appraised and given a value, then placed online.
After winning bids are awarded, arrangements are made between Douglas County and the purchaser for transportation of the items.
The items are stored in the Douglas County warehouse and must be picked up or shipped within 10 days after the winning bid is placed.
The online auction is on a trial basis for the next 12 months, said Braswell, at which time the county will evaluate the program and see if they wish to continue it.
For one thing, Braswell said county staff would keep tabs on how much money the county can make through the service and weigh it against operating expenses.
He added the new auction would not kill traditional auctions because some surplus items couldn't be sold over the Internet.
So far, it seems to be working, said Dan Sciortino, an account executive for LightGov.
He said Douglas County's auction has generated about 2,500 hits for items since bidding began on May 12.
"It is a very significant number," Sciortino said.
"It like the old saying goes, 'What is someone's junk is someone else's treasure.'"
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