Press kit: what government surplus really sells for

GavelGap tracks GovDeals, where thousands of cities, counties, schools and state agencies sell their surplus, and publishes what the lots actually sold for. Reporters can use any number here with a link to the source page. Data and charts are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.

About GavelGap

GavelGap is an independent company that makes a Chrome extension for people who buy and resell government surplus. It scores GovDeals listings by comparing what a lot is likely to cost the winner (bid, buyer's premium, tax, shipping) with what it resells for. GavelGap is not affiliated with GovDeals, Liquidity Services or any government agency, and it never bids or buys on anyone's behalf.

Key numbers

From GovDeals' own auction results, May 22, 2026 to October 31, 2026. Each links to its sourced sentence on GovDeals statistics, refreshed monthly.

• 180,905 GovDeals auctions sold from May 22, 2026 to October 31, 2026, for $375,954,480 in winning bids. Source
• The median GovDeals winning bid was $175; half of sold lots went for $35 to $1,375. Source
• 55.2% of GovDeals auctions that closed September 14, 2026 to October 31, 2026 sold, counting each relisted auction; 75.2% of lots sold at least once. Source
• The median sold lot drew 11 bids, and 21.7% closed on a single bid. Source
• Tractor - Farm drew the most competition: a median 45 bids per sold lot. Source
• The largest single sale was $1,820,000 for public utility equipment in California. Source

A winning bid is what the buyer paid, not what the item is worth. We don't publish resale estimates for individual lots.

Story angles

• What one police car is worth at each stage. One retired cruiser: about $40,000 of taxpayer money new, $1,570 at government auction, $4,250 on the open market.
• Nearly half of government auctions don't sell. Only 55.2% of auctions sell, yet 75.2% of lots sell at least once, and 49 sellers almost never sell. Sell-through by category.
• Vehicles draw crowds; furniture goes for nothing. Tractor - Farm lots draw a median 45 bids, while home and garden lots usually close on 1. Most and least contested categories.
• Your state's surplus program. Where each state sells its own surplus, from official sources, and what its GovDeals auctions sold for.

State reports

• Alabama: 6,355 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $150 median winning bid, 12 bids per sold lot.
• Arizona: 957 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $420 median winning bid, 18 bids per sold lot.
• Arkansas: 2,114 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $240 median winning bid, 9 bids per sold lot.
• California: 13,634 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $150 median winning bid, 7 bids per sold lot.
• Colorado: 5,513 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $87 median winning bid, 16 bids per sold lot.
• Florida: 9,801 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $588 median winning bid, 9 bids per sold lot.
• Georgia: 10,376 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $240 median winning bid, 8 bids per sold lot.
• Illinois: 2,559 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $410 median winning bid, 10 bids per sold lot.
• Indiana: 6,423 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $56 median winning bid, 6 bids per sold lot.
• Iowa: 6,536 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $84 median winning bid, 10 bids per sold lot.
• Kentucky: 5,929 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $101 median winning bid, 12 bids per sold lot.
• Louisiana: 4,138 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $210 median winning bid, 14 bids per sold lot.
• Maryland: 5,199 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $310 median winning bid, 13 bids per sold lot.
• Michigan: 3,193 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $83 median winning bid, 7 bids per sold lot.
• Minnesota: 996 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $1,000 median winning bid, 11 bids per sold lot.
• Missouri: 5,819 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $82 median winning bid, 11 bids per sold lot.
• Nebraska: 1,639 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $30 median winning bid, 6 bids per sold lot.
• New Jersey: 3,866 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $625 median winning bid, 14 bids per sold lot.
• New York: 6,231 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $700 median winning bid, 14 bids per sold lot.
• North Carolina: 5,486 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $391 median winning bid, 13 bids per sold lot.
• Ohio: 15,482 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $140 median winning bid, 11 bids per sold lot.
• Oklahoma: 3,161 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $77 median winning bid, 7 bids per sold lot.
• Oregon: 2,280 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $220 median winning bid, 14.5 bids per sold lot.
• Pennsylvania: 4,438 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $362 median winning bid, 13 bids per sold lot.
• South Carolina: 4,344 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $1,000 median winning bid, 18 bids per sold lot.
• Tennessee: 11,768 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $135 median winning bid, 15 bids per sold lot.
• Texas: 9,757 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $550 median winning bid, 15 bids per sold lot.
• Utah: 1,182 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $604 median winning bid, 7 bids per sold lot.
• Virginia: 9,567 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $180 median winning bid, 7 bids per sold lot.
• Washington: 6,153 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $130 median winning bid, 9 bids per sold lot.
• Wisconsin: 633 GovDeals auctions with a confirmed result, $320 median winning bid, 9 bids per sold lot.

Data and methodology

Download the GovDeals results CSV (8,234 rows by month, state and category). How we count, what we exclude and why: methodology. Item-level sold prices: sold prices by item.

Suggested credit: "according to GovDeals auction data compiled by GavelGap," with a link to the page you cite.

Logo and images

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Contact

Email mike@gavelgap.com for interviews, custom cuts of the data (a county, a category, a seller) or charts.