Illinois government surplus auctions
Illinois sells state surplus on its own auction site, iBid, run by the Department of Central Management Services (CMS) in Springfield, and many Illinois local governments list there too. Colleges, counties and transit agencies also sell on GovDeals, where we tracked 2,559 Illinois auctions with a confirmed result from May 22 to October 31, 2026.
iBid, the State of Illinois auction site
CMS offers surplus to state agencies first, then to priority buyers (local governments, eligible nonprofits, and veteran- and minority-owned small businesses), and auctions the rest on iBid. New items go up weekly, typically vehicles, computers, furniture, outdoor equipment, appliances and lost or abandoned TSA items, per CMS.
The iBid terms give winners five government working days to pay and pick up, with Springfield pickups on weekdays from 12:30 to 3:45 p.m., and sales tax isn't added. Local governments list on iBid too, so not everything is in Springfield: check each item's pickup location. Questions go to State Surplus at 217-785-6903.
Illinois on GovDeals: the numbers
Every GovDeals auction with an Illinois pickup location that closed from May 22, 2026 to October 31, 2026 with a confirmed result:
| Metric | Illinois on GovDeals |
|---|---|
| Auctions with a confirmed result | 2,559 |
| Sold | 2,329 |
| Median bidders per sold lot | 10 (all GovDeals: 11) |
| Median winning bid | $410 (all GovDeals: $175) |
| Total winning bids | $7.7 million |
| Selling accounts | 242 |
| Auctions from commercial sellers | 7.3% |
| Lots open on November 7 | 383 |
Illinois GovDeals is local, and its vehicles sell high
With the state on iBid, Illinois GovDeals is a market of local sellers: 242 accounts, led by community colleges (Southeastern Illinois, Joliet Junior, Kankakee), Metra, and Lake and DuPage counties. The median winning bid was $410, more than twice the national $175.
Illinois vehicles sold above the national median: SUVs for $3,975 with 35 bidders (national: $3,000 and 30), pickups for $4,500 and dump trucks for $8,351. Cars sold for $3,325 but drew only 17 bidders against 28 nationally. Lake County's 58 sold lots, led by SUVs, went for a median $4,275 with 39 bidders. Furniture went the other way: at least half of Illinois furniture lots closed on a single bid.
What sells
The busiest categories (at least 10 sales each), with the GovDeals-wide figure for comparison:
| Category | Sold | Median bidders | Median winning bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUV | 154 | 35 (all GovDeals: 30) | $3,975 (all GovDeals: $3,000) |
| Pickup Trucks | 137 | 39 (all GovDeals: 38) | $4,500 (all GovDeals: $3,800) |
| Automobiles/Cars | 104 | 17 (all GovDeals: 28) | $3,325 (all GovDeals: $2,200) |
| General Merchandise | 105 | 6 (all GovDeals: 3) | $20 (all GovDeals: $35) |
| Furniture, Miscellaneous | 32 | 1 (all GovDeals: 3) | $10 (all GovDeals: $21) |
| Industrial Equipment | 52 | 2.5 (all GovDeals: 8) | $30 (all GovDeals: $102) |
| Mowing Equipment | 51 | 13 (all GovDeals: 25) | $750 (all GovDeals: $793) |
| Furniture and Furnishings | 44 | 1 (all GovDeals: 2) | $8 (all GovDeals: $15) |
| Fire & Police Equipment | 38 | 10.5 (all GovDeals: 6) | $205 (all GovDeals: $65) |
| Dump Trucks | 44 | 34.5 (all GovDeals: 33) | $8,351 (all GovDeals: $6,500) |
| Snow Removal Equipment | 41 | 7 (all GovDeals: 15) | $430 (all GovDeals: $410) |
| Office Equipment & Supplies, Miscellaneous | 35 | 3 (all GovDeals: 3) | $11 (all GovDeals: $17) |
| Laboratory Equipment | 35 | 6 (all GovDeals: 7) | $57 (all GovDeals: $100) |
| Office Equipment and Supplies | 28 | 1 (all GovDeals: 3) | $6 (all GovDeals: $19) |
| School Equipment | 24 | 1 (all GovDeals: 3) | $10 (all GovDeals: $27) |
Who sells
| Seller | Type | Auctions | Sold | Winning bids |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern Illinois College | Government | 153 | 145 | $4,144 |
| Joliet Junior College | Government | 121 | 110 | $51,738 |
| Account 32229 | — | 107 | 103 | $330,743 |
| Kankakee Community College | Government | 88 | 88 | $3,062 |
| Metra Commuter Railroad | Government | 70 | 58 | $78,907 |
| Lake County | Government | 61 | 58 | $266,349 |
| Abbvie Inc. | Commercial | 53 | 53 | $28,142 |
| Richard J Daley College | Government | 49 | 48 | $76,080 |
| Winfield Fire Protection District | Government | 49 | 40 | $2,453 |
| DuPage County | Government | 46 | 46 | $172,039 |
Where
| City | Auctions | Sold | Median winning bid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisburg | 149 | 141 | $10 |
| West Chicago | 146 | 142 | $525 |
| Joliet | 119 | 106 | $10 |
| Kankakee | 89 | 89 | $20 |
| Chicago | 85 | 83 | $750 |
| Downers Grove | 70 | 61 | $5,027 |
| Blue Island | 65 | 54 | $980 |
| Libertyville | 63 | 60 | $4,275 |
By month
| Month | Sold | Median winning bid |
|---|---|---|
| May 2026* | 153 | $500 |
| June 2026 | 231 | $550 |
| July 2026 | 334 | $518 |
| August 2026 | 576 | $485 |
| September 2026 | 518 | $358 |
| October 2026 | 517 | $256 |
What's open right now
371 Illinois 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.
-
Varian Vivta CCD Spectrometer Inductively Coupled Plasma-A
$20,000current bidBataviaEnds Nov 9, 9:00 PM ET -
-
-
2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 11k miles, AWD, 5.3 ENGINE
$16,669current bidDekalbEnds Nov 11, 12:30 PM ET -
2006 Toyota Forklift w/enclosed cab and removable doors
$6,600current bidPalatineEnds Nov 9, 7:00 PM ET -
-
-
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.
Try GavelGap free →Methodology
Our GovDeals figures include every GovDeals auction with an Illinois 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 Illinois'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
What is iBid Illinois?
The State of Illinois's online auction site, run by Central Management Services. It sells state surplus that no state or priority agency claimed, and Illinois local governments use it for their own surplus too.
How long do I have to pick up an iBid item?
iBid's terms give you five government working days from the award to pay and pick up. Springfield pickups run weekdays from 12:30 to 3:45 p.m. Check each listing's pickup location.
Is Illinois government surplus on GovDeals?
Some of it. From May 22 to October 31, 2026, 242 Illinois sellers, mostly local governments and colleges, ran 2,559 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result. Illinois SUVs sold for a median $3,975 and pickups for $4,500.
What does the winner pay on top of the bid?
iBid's terms say sales tax isn't added. On GovDeals, expect a buyer's premium, usually 12.5%, plus sales tax, and you handle pickup and removal.
Related: Retired police car prices · Dump truck sold prices · Car auctions near you
Other states: Alabama · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Florida · Georgia · Indiana · Iowa · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maryland · Michigan · Minnesota · Missouri · Nebraska · New Jersey · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · South Carolina · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Virginia · Washington · Wisconsin