Got an old mower your district needs to get rid of? How about an old bus or lockers? Have you tried using Public Surplus?
MSBO partnered with Public Surplus in 2005 to offer school districts an opportunity to sell their old items without having to hire an auctioneer.
Imagine this...
You have a couple of old school buses you want to sell. You don’t think you’ll get much for them but you decide to post them on the Public Surplus website to give it a try.
The auction begins and you see a lot of interest. You end up selling the buses to a school in Central America. Not only do they purchase the buses, but they come to your district, pick them up and drive them back to Central America.
All thanks to Public Surplus LLC. This scenario really happened to Paul Hain of Farmington Public Schools.
Public Surplus is the only system in the world that “exclusively” provides public agencies with both an online auction and the tools to organize, automate and simplify the entire process.
At Public Surplus, simplicity is their motto. This site is so easy to use you can be set up and ready to begin auctioning in less than one hour.
MSBO was introduced to Public Surplus through the Purchasing Committee. As a result, MSBO serves as a lead agency to offer Michigan districts a discounted fee when an item sells.
Districts using Public Surplus are generating 30 to 60 percent more net revenue than using conventional methods, which include live auctions.
Other things to note about Public Surplus:
- There’s no cost to register, list or re-list items for sale.
- There is a 7.5 percent fee payable when an item sells. (The fee was slightly higher before MSBO became a lead agency.)
- No commitment is required.
Be sure to register to sell items on MSBO's Products & Services page so that your district receives the appropriate rebate. If you need help registering, selling or navigating the site, contact Jared Ewell (800/591-5546, 152) or Darryl Williams (800/591-5546, 152)