UNCLE SAM'S SURPLUS SALES

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ADVERTISING AIDS

Advertising is a very important factor for successful Army surplus selling. The owner should establish a budget for this purpose and adhere to it. We think the most effective selling method is to advertise in a daily newspaper and the little "shopper" papers that are handed out free in groceries and other stores. My husband and I run two or three ads scattered throughout our area's weekly shopper, and keep a few lines running every day in the classified section of the local newspaper.

SHOPPING FOR SURPLUS

Naturally, before you can set up a shop and begin advertising, you must accumulate some goods to sell. There are many places to find government surplus. The property disposal officers at local Army bases will, upon request, send catalogs to you describing upcoming sales. You can also obtain information about items available for purchase around the United States by writing to DOD Surplus Sales, Dept. TMEN, P.O. Box 1370, Battle Creek, Michigan 49016. (You'll first be sent a questionnaire, which you can fill out to indicate what sorts of surplus you'd like to bid on.)

The government doesn't offer "mystery" packages. Everything is open for close inspection, and merchandise is always sold on an as-is, where-is basis. In other words, Uncle Sam does not deliver, nor does he guarantee, anything. If a box full of jackets is put on the block, the bidder should be certain he or she has looked at those jackets carefully. Each disposal office does categorize the state of its surplus items, but keep in mind that one disposal officer's definition of "fair condition" may not match yours . . . or your customers'.

Bidders are given from ten days to a month to inspect the merchandise. It's wise to be prepared before you go to check out the property, too. So refer to catalogs from retail stores, browse through other usedgoods shops, and compare prices before you begin to bid. Keep in mind, too, that as a rule you should bid only half of what you'd charge your customers. Don't overbid, or you'll have to set too high a retail price . . . and you may end up stuck with 1,000 knapsacks (or worse).

You'll also find that a self-taught course in the prices commonly paid for scrap paper, tin, aluminum, iron, and rags is a necessity. Any recycling center can give you this information. (And do remember to take a magnet along when you inspect scrap metals.)

Generally speaking, there are three different methods of bidding. Some sales use the "spot bid" method, in which participants write down their offers on slips of paper and hand them to the auctioneer ... who determines the highest one and then awards the merchandise. A second sales technique is the "oral auction", in which each potential buyer holds up a numbered paddle to signify a bid, and the highest sum wins the items. The third method of sale is called the "sealed bid". Individual offers are mailed in . . . and the results are mailed back.

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