Seized property offered at government auctions and police auctions are veritable treasure chests for bargain hunters. There is an astounding array of new and used merchandise, sold at rock-bottom prices, sometimes less than 10% of market value!

Exactly what is seized property? This is property that has been taken through state or federal “seizure laws”. These laws allow certain government agencies, such as US Customs, the IRS, DEA, even local police departments. to seize property that was used or acquired illicitly, such as a car or truck used to transport stolen goods or illegal drugs, or property imported improperly.

For instance, if a drug dealer uses the money he made from drug trafficking to buy a car or truck, even a house, it can be confiscated under the “seizure law”. Jewelry, furniture, computer equipment, art all can be seized.

The range and quantity of seized property sold at government auction is enormous. You can buy antiques, clothing, collectibles, tools, medical equipment the list goes on and on. Nearly anything you can imagine can be purchased at these government auctions or police auctions, for a fraction of their real value.

Another source of these auction goods is merchandise that was seized by US Customs. The seizure can be for improper importation, or failure to pay import duties or taxes. The Customs agency will often seize entire cargo containers full of property. These are usually brand new goods originally intended for retail sale, that are now liquidated through a government auction.

Government auctions and police auctions are carried out separately by hundreds of individual agencies, from federal government agencies like the IRS and US Customs, on down to local governments and municipal sheriffs departments. Each of these agencies will conduct their own auctions, sometimes online, some at specific locations.

How would you actually find all these seized property auction treasures? You can look through individual listings, but since each agency holds it’s own auctions, and change daily, you will miss most of them. A much better alternative is to join a government auction membership site that compiles all those listings together in one place. Since membership sites vary in cost and features, you will want to check out reviews such as those found at Government Auction Site Reviews.

Seized property auctions are vast treasure troves of merchandise. If you are willing to put in a little time browsing through them, you will find literally thousands of “deals of a lifetime” on just about anything in the world!

Click here to learn How Does Foreclosure Work from Helping Foreclosures.