Re: School sales...do they happen any more?

[SonomaProducts.com]

Here on the west coast (of the USA) a company called Interschola seems to have cornered the market on liquidations and the pace is incredible. I have seen hundreds of machines going out the door. I got a few myself. I found them on eBay and I'm not sure but that might be their exclusive method.

In the past I usually found the best quality buys from schools that > were selling off shops. > > Is anyone seeing this happen any more or has it become stuff for metal/ > woodworking legends? > > Also I would like to hear of some of your experiences...the gloats, > the losses, the memories. > > Thanks > > TMT

[Mike O.]

Locally we seem to have one auctioneer that has the school district contract. Normally he has at least one school auction a year. Sometimes there might be shop tools and other times it might be desks or tables or whatever and no tools. Two years ago I bought an early 60's Uni with a 52" Bies and a Bies overhead guard. I had to have the bearings done but sold the overhead guard for about half of what the saw cost. They also had a half dozen old Rockwell floor drill presses that went for about $150 each. I shoulda bought one but figured I was in enough trouble for hauling the saw home.

Mike O.

[Sonny]

Do a search for State Surplus Auctions. Many states have surplus auctions, though they may contract a particular auction firm to handle the sales.

Here in Louisiana there is a sale each month and sometimes twice a month. We have a site we can view pics of some items and a booklet listing all the items. Your state might have something similar. Our state auction is not an online auction. We have to go to the physical site and bid on the items as they come up.

might check out the Military auctions, also. This site is pretty thorough. This is an online auction: at the top of the page you can search by item, state or manufacturer. Or page to the right for category listings.

Sonny

[stans4]

No "vocational" training left around here. Last school auction I went to had some fairly large machinery, mostly three-phase. A fellow was really interested in the small Delta jigsaw they had, it was 220 three- phase. I mentioned that to him, he said "what's that?". He went ahead and bid on it. I'd never seen a half-horse 3-phase motor before. Was a special integral mount, no swapping a washing machine motor in there possible. Most of the equipment was really beat to hell. Had a 36" bandsaw missing the blade welder and about half the variable-speed drive guts. Floor ballast unless you needed spare parts.

Any subsequent auctions were for furniture and dead A/V equipment, 286 computers and the like. Junk, in other words.

With the rise in the internet sales sites, a lot of governmental outfits are going that route rather than using local auction companies.

Stan

[KD7HB]

Stan. I have a couple of 3-phase motors, 208v, about 1/4 hp. They are German made, so the power is in watts. I am home, they are at the plant, so I can't go look. They also have a variable speed control on the output that consists of a steel ball in a cage between two spring loaded circular plates. One plate is driven by the motor, the other is driven by the ball. A cage is around the ball and a screw moves the cage and ball between the center of the plates and the outer edge, giving speed control.

Sure would like to find a home for them.

Paul

[Frank Warner]

My local school district (in California) just contracted with Interschola to auction all its surplus equipment. And yes, there are lots of metalworking tools involved. Several Southbend lathes, a large (don't know brand) mill, metal brakes, shears, spindle shapers, even a foundry. Plus vehicles, office equipment, computers, etc.

Trouble with the metal stuff is that it has been sitting in an open field loosely tarped for about two years. Wouldn't want to scrape the rust off those.

And the stuff is OLD, and likely misused by generations of high school kids.

-Frank

[ATP*]

Here's one for the east coast, tri-state area: