An old weight bench? Antique typewriter? Why Tacoma is selling a bunch of random stuff
I hate garage sales. Some people love them. A friend of mine recently had one, and he posted a few pictures on social media. To my eyes, it looked miserable, the odds and ends of his life strewn out on collapsible tables in the front yard.
On the other hand, my friend scored a couple hundred bucks for an old lawnmower he rarely used, from what I hear, so there’s that. Opinions differ.
As it turns out, the city of Tacoma has a few things it’s trying to unload, too.
In fact, according to Patsy Best, Tacoma’s procurement and payables division manager, the city almost always has a few random things it’s trying to make a buck on — as is.
You just have to know where to look.
They don’t call it a garage sale, but it’s the same idea. The action happens online, instead of in a driveway or lawn.
In recent years, the city has sold everything from a lot of 17 rickshaws (including at least two with missing wheels) to a barber chair — which went for the low, low price of $35, according to information provided by the city.
In government speak, it’s called the sale of surplus property.
It’s all part of what Best described as Tacoma’s responsibility to be “good fiscal stewards of public public funds.”
When the city owns something it no longer has a use for, oftentimes it’s sold to the highest bidder to help recoup some of the cost, with proceeds going back into the general fund, she explained.
“Our aim is to get the best value for the city,” Best told me.
So how does it work? Rest assured, there’s an elaborate process spelled out in Tacoma Municipal Code — and a website that has all the details, along with a current listing of the city’s used stuff.
According to Best, the first step is determining whether the item could be transferred to another city department and put to use. The city’s policy on the disposal of surplus property includes guidelines for when city property can be donated to an eligible group or nonprofit, she said.
If that won’t work, items that have an estimated value of less than $25,000 are made available by best offer online, Best told me.
Items estimated to be worth worth $200,000 or less are also put up for sale through a more formal bidding process, while items estimated to be worth more than $200,000 are sold through a sealed bidding process, she said.
In addition to smaller items listed online, the city sells things like used vehicles at auction through a separate process.
The annual proceeds from the sale of surplus property varies, Best said, largely dependent on what’s put up for sale.
In 2022, the sale of surplus property netted more than $750,000. In 2019, it was only $285,000.
So far in 2022, proceeds have exceeded $950,000.
“Although we post surplus property items for several days, there are times when we receive few or no offers/bids,” said city spokesperson Maria Lee, perhaps as subtle enticement for eager bargain hunters.
Now that the finer details are out of the way, here’s the the most pressing question of the moment:
Who wants to buy a used Powertec Multi-System Station — which is basically a huge workout bench.
It’s just one of the items the city has listed for sale in recent weeks, and as of this writing, it’s still up for grabs.
Just make an offer, Best says.
“It’s always happening, year round,” Best said of the sale of surplus property.
“We always want to get the word out publicly.”
Clearly, I’m having some fun with this column; chances are slim that it will put me in the running for a Pulitzer. But I was mildly fascinated when I stumbled upon the city’s stock of random items for sale a few weeks ago and figured at least a few readers might share the curiosity.
Along with the old weight bench — which was once used by Tacoma firefighters at a local station, according to Lee — I was intrigued by another unusual item the city was accepting bids for, an antique Underwood typewriter.
How did the city come to be in possession of such a weird and random thing, I wondered?
And why was it up for sale now?
According to Lee, the typewriter — which has since been sold to a winning bidder who will pony up $51 — was previously owned by the Tacoma Public Library.
“The Underwood typewriter, although historic, was not connected to any particular collection, and was therefore deemed as surplus property that could be sold to the public,” Lee explained via email. “In addition, Tacoma Public Library sells discarded materials such as books, magazines and media from its collection. Proceeds from these items fund its Summer Reading program.”
According to Best, who has spent nearly 25 years as a city employee and the last eight leading the Tacoma’s procurement and payables division, there’s no telling what might go up for sale next.
Over the years, Best has seen everything from file cabinets and TV-VCRs to recumbent bikes and stretchers sold off.
The moral?
The next time you’re looking for a deal — the city might have exactly what you’re looking for, and any money you spend will be deposited into Tacoma’s coffers. It’s a classic win-win.
Best of all?
It beats the heck out of making the local garage sale circuit, at least if you ask me.
“Everything that is sold through the surplus process is as-is, so it may not be perfect,” Best said.
Just like my friend’s old lawnmower.
