Each year the federal government sells billions of dollars of surplus, seized, forfeited and exchange/sale assets. And yes, you really can find cars, trucks, computers, office equipment, even commercial and private property through government auctions.

But searching for these auctions, whether on Google or a government auction site, will result in a seemingly bottomless pit of listings, websites, agencies, etc.

In fact, there is very little likelihood of finding a good deal on whatever it is you are seeking by looking for it directly.

The reason? These government auctions are held independently by hundreds of federal and state agencies. And that doesn’t even cover police auctions, where you can find equally compelling deals on seized property, and lost or forfeited merchandise!

As a means to address this jungle of auctions, a number of membership websites have cropped that aggregate these auctions, providing a “one stop shop” of listings, often searchable.

This is the secret to getting those potentially extraordinary deals at government auctions.

It doesn’t end there, however. As with anything else, there are good and not so good government auction membership sites. So how do you know which ones are good?

The things you want to look for and pay attention to:

* Are their listings current?

* Are their listings complete?

* Do their listings cover federal, state, and local agencies, as well as police and sheriff’s auctions?

* Do they offer phone support in using their website?

If you can answer yes to these questions, then it is a probably a good site that will enable you to take advantage of these auctions.

Your best bet, however, is to look for reviews of the site before signing on. There are even some websites that review these membership sites, such as Government Auction Site Reviews.

Do some homework, and you really can walk away with a great bargain on a cheap used car, computer, camera, or any of the millions of items auctioned each year!

By: Michael Ullman

About the Author:
Mr. Ullman blogs about Government Auctions, Police Auctions, and Real Estate Foreclosures at Government Auction Sites