Online Auctions for Equipment

[Sixeight]

Good Afternoon Brethren! I'm curious if anyone has experience with online auction houses like PCI. We're currently looking to outfit a BBQ restaurant and I have watched these auction websites for years now just to browse. Up to this point I haven't purchased a thing, but we are now looking because you can't beat some of the pricing. I have noticed you have to look through several auctions before you find anything good and there is also a lot of junk. Many have an inspection days and a removal day. They also add a premium of 10-15% for the auction company. Still after everything is added up fryers are going to $50-75, tables bases for $10 each, Food warmers for $100, etc.

If anyone has bought through an auction I'd love to hear about the experience.

 

[Stlsportster]

I tried to buy a slicer in a local auction about 3 months ago. They had about 30 of them. Waited online for about 4 hours for them to get to my items.

None of the pre-bids mattered...as soon as a group of items would come up...the auctioneer would group them all and start bidding...the winning bid could pick just one item, or all of them for that price. If the bidder didnt take all of them....the remaining items would go back up for bid again until all were sold.

When they got to the Berkel slicers...winning bid was $650 - guy took 2, second winning bid was for $525 guy took 1, third winning bid was $450...guy took the remaining 25 and I walked away with nothing...

YMMV