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California government surplus auctions

Published November 1, 2026 · GavelGap · Original data

California's state surplus sells on GovDeals, alongside school districts, UC campuses, cities and a large group of commercial sellers. We tracked 13,634 California auctions with a confirmed result from May 22 to October 31, 2026, for $19.3 million in winning bids. It's the least contested of the big state markets: a median of 7 bidders per sold lot, against 11 across GovDeals.

How the State of California sells surplus

The Department of General Services' Office of Fleet and Asset Management runs the state surplus program. State agencies first offer property to other agencies and school districts; what's left is sold to the public at auction, and state surplus personal property is listed on GovDeals, where anyone can register to bid.

On GovDeals that shows up as the "State of California" seller (896 auctions in our window, $351,610 in winning bids) and smaller agency accounts. Cities, counties, school districts and UC campuses sell separately, often on GovDeals too.

California on GovDeals: the numbers

Every GovDeals auction with a California pickup location that closed from May 22, 2026 to October 31, 2026 with a confirmed result:

MetricCalifornia on GovDeals
Auctions with a confirmed result13,634
Sold11,417
Median bidders per sold lot7 (all GovDeals: 11)
Median winning bid$150 (all GovDeals: $175)
Total winning bids$19.3 million
Selling accounts499
Auctions from commercial sellers36.9%
Lots open on November 13,444

Lots of supply, fewer bidders

California has more GovDeals supply than any state we've profiled, and less competition for it. The median sold lot drew 7 bidders and went for $150. Industrial equipment drew 6 bidders against 8 nationally, and cars 18 against 27, though cars still sold for a median $2,400.

Commercial sellers make up 36.9% of auctions, more than anywhere else here, including an art auction house with 1,157 listings that sold only 112. Among governments, Los Angeles Unified School District (971 auctions) and the State of California (896) were the busiest. Pickups are the exception to the quiet: 44 bidders per sold truck and a median of $4,250.

What sells

The busiest categories (at least 10 sales each), with the GovDeals-wide figure for comparison:

CategorySoldMedian biddersMedian winning bid
Fine Art1661 (all GovDeals: 1)$75 (all GovDeals: $65)
Industrial Equipment8186 (all GovDeals: 8)$46 (all GovDeals: $102)
Automobiles/Cars48318 (all GovDeals: 27)$2,400 (all GovDeals: $2,200)
Jewelry4951 (all GovDeals: 4)$100 (all GovDeals: $100)
Medical Equipment and Supplies4465 (all GovDeals: 5)$56 (all GovDeals: $60)
Bicycles4306 (all GovDeals: 8)$32 (all GovDeals: $41)
Test & Measurement3929.5 (all GovDeals: 10)$510 (all GovDeals: $500)
Laboratory Equipment3655.5 (all GovDeals: 7)$210 (all GovDeals: $100)
SUV36922 (all GovDeals: 30)$2,825 (all GovDeals: $3,000)
Computers, Parts, and Supplies31014 (all GovDeals: 15)$160 (all GovDeals: $220)
Pickup Trucks26144 (all GovDeals: 38)$4,250 (all GovDeals: $3,850)
Computers: Laptops24515 (all GovDeals: 18)$100 (all GovDeals: $230)
Knives / Multi-Tools24424 (all GovDeals: 18)$405 (all GovDeals: $137)
Commercial Food Service and Cafeteria Equipment2073 (all GovDeals: 7)$190 (all GovDeals: $103)
General Merchandise2253 (all GovDeals: 3)$27 (all GovDeals: $35)

Who sells

SellerTypeAuctionsSoldWinning bids
Quality Art Auctions, Inc.Commercial1,157112$22,485
Los Angeles Unified School DistrictGovernment971952$96,565
State of CaliforniaGovernment896895$351,610
Global Vault Auctions - Government RemarketingCommercial620608$193,107
LoadsumCommercial377297$64,814
UC Davis – TransportationGovernment322322$10,031
USPS – Asset Accountability Service Centers – WestGovernment273243$68,086
HP Inc.Commercial264249$260,844
University of California - San DiegoGovernment258193$84,878
Hope in Hand Foundation Inc.Commercial248192$30,661

Where

CityAuctionsSoldMedian winning bid
Los Angeles2,5071,396$50
Sacramento1,1731,158$248
San Diego753641$100
Montclair626612$1,526
Tustin620608$75
San Leandro587566$461
Davis441434$30
El Monte426423$42

By month

MonthSoldMedian winning bid
May 2026*715$110
June 20261,535$110
July 20261,679$125
August 20262,452$150
September 20262,306$200
October 20262,730$175

* Partial month: our tracking starts May 22, 2026.

What's open right now

2,696 California lots were open on GovDeals when this page was last updated (Nov 8, 11:23 PM ET). These 8 have the highest current bids among lots closing in the next few days. Bids move fast, so open the listing for the current bid, the pickup address and the removal deadline before you bid.

Listings and photos from GovDeals, refreshed every 6 hours. We don't publish resale estimates for individual lots.

The winning bid is your cost, not the item's value. Everything above is what buyers paid. Your profit is what the item resells for, minus the winning bid, the buyer's premium, tax, removal and shipping. See GovDeals fees explained and sold prices by item.

GavelGap puts the other half of the math on every GovDeals listing: what the lot resells for, what it costs you landed, and the pickup-only, title and condition problems that sink a deal, right in your browser.

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Methodology

Our GovDeals figures include every GovDeals auction with a California pickup location that ended from May 1, 2026 through October 31, 2026 and whose outcome GovDeals confirmed by status, bid history or bid count. Lots we couldn't confirm either way are left out, as are real estate and land sales and sellers that sell at a fixed price with no bidding (at least 90% of 20 or more sales with no recorded bid). "All GovDeals" figures use the same rules nationwide over the same dates. "Bidders" is the bid count on the sold lot, which can include several bids from one person, so read it as a measure of how contested a lot was. Category medians are per lot, so a multi-unit lot counts as one sale at its full price. Categories need at least 10 sales. Commercial sellers are businesses and remarketers selling on GovDeals rather than government bodies, using GovDeals' own seller type. We don't show sell-through: before September 2026 our tracking didn't record every unsold auction, so early months would overstate it. We don't publish per-lot resale estimates. Facts about California's own surplus program come from the official sources linked above; programs change, so confirm terms with the agency before you buy.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the State of California sell surplus property?

On GovDeals. The Department of General Services' Office of Fleet and Asset Management runs the program, and state surplus personal property is listed on GovDeals for public bidding.

How competitive are California government auctions?

Less than average. The median sold California lot on GovDeals drew 7 bidders, against 11 across all of GovDeals, from May 22 to October 31, 2026.

What do California government pickups sell for?

The median winning bid was $4,250 with a median of 44 bidders, above the national GovDeals median of $3,850.

What does the winner pay on top of the bid?

Usually a 12.5% buyer's premium plus California sales tax, and you arrange pickup within the seller's removal window.

Related: Pickup truck sold prices · Competition by category · Government auctions near you

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