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Washington government surplus auctions

Published November 2, 2026 · GavelGap · Original data

Washington's state surplus is sold by the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) on GovDeals, through two storefronts: one for western Washington, run from Tumwater, and one for eastern Washington. We tracked 6,153 Washington auctions with a confirmed result from May 22 to October 31, 2026, and the state's own accounts sold more than half of the $8.5 million in winning bids.

Washington DES Surplus Operations

DES Surplus Operations sells state surplus on GovDeals, with separate storefronts for western Washington and eastern Washington. Some items are fixed-price Buy Now listings and some are auctions. You need a GovDeals buyer account; DES tells individuals to pick "End User" when they register.

Pickup, payment and shipping terms are set listing by listing, so read each one. For questions, DES Surplus lists 360-407-2270 and Surplus@des.wa.gov. Some surplus is reserved for state agencies and eligible organizations and never reaches the public.

Washington on GovDeals: the numbers

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

MetricWashington on GovDeals
Auctions with a confirmed result6,153
Sold5,816
Median bidders per sold lot9 (all GovDeals: 11)
Median winning bid$130 (all GovDeals: $175)
Total winning bids$8.5 million
Selling accounts169
Auctions from commercial sellers1.7%
Lots open on November 2546

Washington's market is almost all government

Only 1.7% of Washington auctions came from commercial sellers, one of the lowest shares of any state we cover (Colorado's is 1%). The two DES accounts had 2,231 auctions, more than a third of the state, and $4.9 million in winning bids. King County (823 auctions), the University of Washington (451) and Joint Base Lewis-McChord were the next biggest sellers.

Pickups sold for a median $4,350 with 41 bidders, above the national $3,850 and 38. Cars sold for well under the national median: $1,225 against $2,200. Desktop computers were hot (median $510 with 23 bidders; national $170 and 14), while tablets sold for a median $27: 157 of the 191 were 16GB iPad minis.

What sells

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

CategorySoldMedian biddersMedian winning bid
Communication & Electronic Equipment, Miscellaneous2366 (all GovDeals: 7)$112 (all GovDeals: $100)
Pickup Trucks20541 (all GovDeals: 38)$4,350 (all GovDeals: $3,850)
Automobiles/Cars20129 (all GovDeals: 27)$1,225 (all GovDeals: $2,200)
Furniture and Furnishings1401 (all GovDeals: 2)$13 (all GovDeals: $15)
iPads, Tablets, and eReaders1915 (all GovDeals: 11)$27 (all GovDeals: $124)
Computers: Laptops18921 (all GovDeals: 18)$235 (all GovDeals: $230)
SUV18933.5 (all GovDeals: 30)$2,800 (all GovDeals: $3,000)
Tools, All Types1714 (all GovDeals: 10)$30 (all GovDeals: $53)
Computer accessories1508 (all GovDeals: 5)$59 (all GovDeals: $58)
Computers: Desktops and All-In-Ones15123 (all GovDeals: 14)$510 (all GovDeals: $170)
Exercise Equipment1043 (all GovDeals: 9)$155 (all GovDeals: $111)
General Merchandise1027.5 (all GovDeals: 3)$50 (all GovDeals: $35)
Bicycles1035 (all GovDeals: 8)$48 (all GovDeals: $41)
Computers, Parts, and Supplies9213 (all GovDeals: 15)$205 (all GovDeals: $220)

Cell Phones is left out of this table: it mixes single phones with lots of 7 to 10, so the per-lot median isn't a phone price.

Who sells

SellerTypeAuctionsSoldWinning bids
State of Washington Surplus OperationsGovernment2,0142,005$4,147,915
King CountyGovernment823800$114,002
University of Washington Surplus PropertyGovernment451450$570,614
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, (MWR) WAGovernment293202$35,627
South Kitsap School DistrictGovernment224221$6,770
State of Washington - Surplus EastGovernment217215$796,476
Joint Base Lewis-McChord – Auto SkillsGovernment210205$172,041
Kennewick School District No.17Government173173$31,188
HMISGovernment169149$73,706
Northshore School District #417Government127121$43,973

Where

CityAuctionsSoldMedian winning bid
Tumwater2,0382,017$230
Seattle1,3461,306$59
Port Orchard273269$31
Joint Base Lewis Mcchord266253$300
Joint Base Lewis-Mcchord, Wa237154$25
Medical Lake203202$323
Kennewick174174$12
Richland173153$150

By month

MonthSoldMedian winning bid
May 2026*314$310
June 2026588$102
July 2026678$102
August 20261,276$99
September 20261,380$146
October 20261,580$160

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

What's open right now

453 Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington'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 Washington sell state surplus?

On GovDeals. DES Surplus Operations runs two GovDeals storefronts, one for western Washington and one for eastern Washington, with a mix of auctions and fixed-price Buy Now items.

Do I need to register to buy Washington state surplus?

Yes. You need a GovDeals buyer account to bid or buy; DES tells individuals to choose "End User" when registering.

What do Washington government pickups sell for?

From May 22 to October 31, 2026, Washington pickups on GovDeals sold for a median $4,350 with a median of 41 bidders.

What does the winner pay on top of the bid?

On GovDeals, usually a 12.5% buyer's premium plus sales tax, and you handle pickup and removal within the seller's deadline.

Related: Pickup truck sold prices · How to flip surplus laptops · Government auctions near you

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