ALLBIDS Blog

This article was first published on https://the-riotact.com/how-much-are-your-unwanted-items-really-worth/230231When the time comes to declutter your home, you’ll no doubt be thinking of selling some of your household items. But how do you know how much your items are really worth?There’s a lot of guesswork when it comes to setting a realistic price when you don’t have any expert knowledge about their true value, so it’s not surprising that most do-it-yourself sellers get their pricing strategies completely wrong.To find out where most sellers go wrong when pricing their items and how to work out the right price when selling, I spoke to Angus Bowers, an expert evaluator at Canberra’s own auction site, ALLBIDS.It’s easy to seek our expert advice—just give us a call, email a photo of the item, or drop by our Fyshwick showroom with your item to get the ball rolling. Alternatively, if you have a household full of items, we can even come to you to make the whole process much simpler!Read the full article on The RiotACT Website - https://the-riotact.com/how-much-are-your-unwanted-items-really-worth/230231

Club Lime are currently upgrading their facilities. They have enlisted the team at allbids.com.au to auction off their gym equipment with no reserve. Everything starts at $1and is online now here, closing on Wednesday 7 February.This is a great opportunity to grab commercial fitness equipment at a ridiculous price. Coming from such a well respected gym you can be confident that it’s been well-maintained and meticulously cleaned. Up for grabs there is various plate and pin equipment, rowing machines, racks and more.Canberra’s leading online auction site allbids.com.au, have over 100,000 registered Canberra bidders and are handling the entire process. To bid, simply:

1. Go to allbids.com.au and register. Registration is free.
2. Click the banner on the home page to view the gym equipment sale.
3. Items are available for inspection at the ALLBIDS showroom in Fyshwick.
4. If you are the highest bidder when the auction closes on Wednesday night, simply pay online or head into the showroom to pay and collect your purchase.

If your home is anything like mine, you have way too much stuff yet not enough money for when bills are due. As I head into the Christmas silly season, my challenge in this blog post is to convert some of my unwanted and unloved junk into cash.This is a slightly confronting issue for me to deal with. I know some people are really comfortable with selling things that they don’t need, but somehow, mentally, I feel like it is wrong. I worry that things that I have would not be perceived to be of value, that maybe people would laugh at me for listing them or for charging too much. I much prefer to gift to my favourite op shops or to give away via the Buy Nothing Project.This is, I realise, a limiting belief. I buy second hand goods all the time. I love a bargain. I also like looking for things that are slightly obscure (at the moment prasiolite aka green amethyst and vintage jewellery). So why wouldn’t someone just happen to want the odd thing that I have listed for sale? And if I thought something was valuable enough to buy it, why wouldn’t someone else want to own it?Some readers might remember that a few months ago I earned a few hundred dollars from selling some old Chinese provincial chairs that I no longer needed by listing them for auction with Allbids. They were lovely chairs, but didn’t fit into my apartment and were just cluttering up my car park in the basement. Now I have more room for my bicycles, and even room for my man’s motorbike.As an aside, if you are looking to attract a romantic partner into your life, one of the best things you can do is to signal to the universe that you are ready is to declutter. Start by clearing space in your garage for another car (or motorbike if that is your thing) and room in your closet for someone else’s clothes. Yep, I’ve done this and it works. It really works.Kylie from the Thrifty Issue is a big fan of ‘flipping’. Her blog is featuring a challenge of creating $20,000 in extra cash. Selling things you no longer need is one of the big ways that and she and others in her community make extra cash.Last month, during the Cashed Up Christmas month, I started on a challenge to list as many things for sale as I can between now and Christmas. Even if I only earn small amounts, I know they will add up. I am putting these small amounts into my new Acorns account. I am finding that watching how my savings adds up is quite addictive .What I have discovered through this is that it is now much easier than ever to list items for sale. There really are no excuses not to declutter and earn cash from your unwanted trash. These are some of the places that I am listing items that I no longer need or want:

• Allbids. This is a Canberra-based online auction platform that is expanding throughout Australia. It is especially good for antiques and items that are a little bit quirky and might be of value because they have specialists who can appraise you of value and help you market it. (That kitsch knick nack that your dad or granddad bought in Asia on posting in the 70s might be worth more than all your household contents put together.) They are also really good for bulky furniture because they can pick up for you, and they are great for handling large lots such as deceased estates and items from people who are downsizing. Best part is that they do all the work – they take photos, list the items, liaise with the sellers and then just give you money when it is all finished. (Beware: this website is addictive and you might end up wanting to buy more than you sell.)
• Gumtree. Gumtree has a large reach throughout Australia, and I find it works well for things that you want to be able to see in person such as furniture, handbags and clothes and bicycles. Listing is free, but there are inducements to encourage you to bump up your add. The only real problem is working out how much to list things for. I find that people tend to put on slightly higher prices to factor in it being negotiated down. Some of the jewellery on here, for example, I believe is over priced relative to Allbids.
• Facebook marketplace. Facebook has been aggressively promoting its marketplace option, perhaps ahead of Amazon entering the Australian market. I have bought items off here, but I am yet to successfully sell something. I am slightly appalled by the amount of used make-up and perfume that is being offered, and the strong consumer culture (some people seem to have endless amounts of clothes). But it is soooo easy to just flick through and look at things.
• Facebook groups such as buy, sell, swap and giveaway. There are several groups in Canberra and I am sure there are many groups in other places. If you list on Facebook marketplace it also gives you the option to list items into groups that you belong to so you can list in more than one place fairly easily. An added advantage is that your friends are notified when you have something to offer. I find this works well for household items such as baby items that you no longer need. The items can’t really be searched or curated as neatly as other platforms (there isn’t really a database as such), and I find that items tend to pop up for a day or two then disappear.
• Work classifieds. If your work has an online classifieds forum, or even a cork board in the kitchenette, then use it. An advantage of selling through work is that it is easy to bring it in to sell (assuming the item is not too large). A disadvantage is that you might want a functional separation between your home and office lives.
• Ebay. I am finding that increasingly sellers are commercial in nature with their own shops, but there is no reason you can’t list individual second-hand items on this platform. This can work well for the obscure. But as (unlike platforms such as Allbids) you don’t have someone to advise on value you risk underselling or overselling items that are potentially rare or valuable.

Stock up on your favourite varieties in time for your holiday festivities thanks to ALLBIDS.There’s no question the festive season is quite possibly the busiest time of the year. While the holiday period should ideally offer the opportunity to relax, refresh and reset, it rarely does.Whether you’re trying to juggle parties with friends, end of year work functions or hosting the extended family at your place, most of us have little to no spare time left in between organising the decorations, getting through the gift shopping and sorting out the catering.With the holiday season creeping closer every day, most of us are looking for a few shortcuts to help get everything sorted quickly and easily so we can make the most of our well-deserved time off.Well here’s a convenient and affordable solution to help you stock up on all the wine you’ll need to get right through the festive season, without even having to leave the house – ALLBIDS, Canberra’s home-grown online auction site, conducts daily wine auctions where you can get your hands on a wide range of premium quality wines, at bargain basement prices.

Successful business owners know better than anyone how important it is to have the latest and greatest equipment to help them stay at the forefront of their industry, but long gone are the days when you could invest in business equipment that would last a lifetime.Today, you would be lucky to get your hands on mobile phones that last longer than one year, computers that perform well for more than two years or a fleet of motor vehicles that you can get more than four or five years out of.While some equipment and tangible assets are worth holding on to for the lifetime of your business, most aren’t, which is exactly why so many businesses are looking for an easy, reliable and cost-effective way to dispose of their retired business equipment.ALLBIDS have the perfect solution.As Canberra’s premier home-grown online auction site, they can help you free up much-needed space in your office or workplace by turning your redundant, surplus or unwanted items into cash, with little to no effort required from you.Whatever your core business is, chances are you’ve got much better things to do with your time than worry about how to dispose of your old equipment. The smarter move is to outsource it to the experts.ALLBIDS can provide a customised, complete end-to-end solution where they’ll manage the collection, sale, and delivery of your unwanted items, so you don’t have to do a thing.So how does it work?Once you contact ALLBIDS, your personal vendor manager can arrange immediate collection of the items you no longer want from your workplace so you can get access to some much-needed extra space straight away. If you need it gone in less than 24 hours, they’ll make it happen!Having provided collection services for a wide range of businesses and Government departments throughout their more than 12 years in the industry, they can provide a solution no matter what challenges are involved, even if you’re operating in a highly secure environment or if your item/s are large or difficult to remove.Once they’ve collected the items, they’ll store them at their Fyshwick warehouse until they’re sold, absolutely free of charge.They’ll photograph and list the items for sale for their database of more than 100,000 users to see. With more than 50 percent of their users located in Canberra, they know your items will sell. In fact, they guarantee they’ll sell the first time, every time!They’ll even facilitate inspections from potential buyers who want to get a good look at the items before the auction. Even more, if you’d prefer to keep the item at your workplace until they’re sold, they can even facilitate on-site inspections with prospective buyers at your workplace so you don’t need to do anything.All items are advertised with a $1 starting price which helps raise awareness and interest from potential buyer before the bidding war begins and your items are sold to the highest bidder. It’s a tried-and-tested process which has proven to be a great way for businesses to achieve the best price for their items with vendors often surprised to achieve a higher price than expected.Selling through ALLBIDS even makes it easy for you come tax time. When you sell an item, they’ll provide you with a comprehensive record with a full breakdown of every item sold, the return you got on the items, the GST collected on your behalf and what you can claim back.Once your item is sold, the team will even take care of delivering it to the buyer, so you really don’t have to do anything.Surely there’s no easier way to sell your unwanted equipment quickly and without any of the hassle! Simply contact the team at ALLBIDS to get started.This is a sponsored article, though all opinions are the author’s own. For more information on paid content, see our sponsored content policy.This article was first published on The RIOT ACT Website by Amelia Stephenson https://the-riotact.com/need-more-space-the-easy-way-to-sell-your-retired-business-equipment/221380

The National Capital Authority appears to have added the historic Lobby Restaurant in Parkes to the menu of Commonwealth property sales in the Parliamentary Triangle.The Lobby and its sister the Pork Barrel Cafe closed in December last year and have been idle since. The NCA is believed to be readying the iconic property for sale including gathering photographs for the sales agent to use in a marketing campaign.The NCA was approached for comment but did not respond to a series of questions.The Lobby Restaurant was launched almost 50 years ago to serve MPs and staff from Parliament House across the road, and has been a witness to major political intrigues and events, as well as being a landmark dining destination.The iconic main restaurant first opened in 1968 and in recent times had transformed into a function centre, being a favourite choice for the capital’s weddings, with the nearby National Rose Gardens providing the perfect backdrop for photo shoots.The move comes soon after the sale of West Block opposite to local developer Geocon, which plans to convert the building into a luxury heritage hotel.It was one of six buildings, including East Block which houses the National Archives of Australia, identified by the Commonwealth for sale to the private sector.The NCA’s Heritage Plan for Parkes Place and the National Rose Gardens, says the NCA will promote the conservation of the Lobby Restaurant building consistent with its currently understood heritage values and any future revised understanding.“The conservation of the Lobby Restaurant should seek to be mutually consistent with the conservation of Parkes Place,” it says.The Lobby Restaurant is on the Register of the National Estate but not the Commonwealth Heritage List, and there is no separate conservation management plan.In January more than $300,000 worth of shop fit-out from the Lobby, including tables, chairs, glassware, crockery and catering equipment was auctioned unreserved on Allbids.At the time a former staff member said, “It’s very sad. The restaurant was just two years away from turning 50, and it’s seen many significant events in its time – including playing host to hundreds of weddings over the years.”Allbids CEO Rob Evans said then that it was the end of an era. “It was the only restaurant of its kind and has been around for longer than New Parliament House,” he said.This article was first published by The Riot ACT Website by Ian Bushnell https://the-riotact.com/nca-readying-historic-lobby-restaurant-for-sale/221654

On a recent trip to Sydney, my new boyfriend couldn’t help but notice that I liked to pause and look at jewellery shops. Doesn’t every woman love a bit of bling? I certainly do, and perhaps, just perhaps, I like to daydream about a present of bling from the man I love. But as a frugalista, I certainly do not like paying top dollar for it. Nor do I want my man to.A guy at work is thinking about buying something special for his girlfriend. Yes, he is ready to pop the question and he wants to do it properly. The convention wisdom is that he must invest two months’ worth of wages into the ring. In an era when wages are stagnant and many young people are struggling to get a foothold into the housing market, spending a small fortune on a rock seems criminal. But what options are there for a groom to be who wants to show the love he feels for the woman of his dreams? Well, he could forgo an engagement ring entirely. But many men are too scared that they would be viewed as cheap or uncaring. Then there is the story of a friend of a friend who broke up with her long-term boyfriend because the rock he gave her when he proposed wasn’t big enough. No man wants that to happen. Another alternative is to forego the expensive jewellery store in search of better value options online. Jewellery stores have a huge mark-up on the product. It is not their fault: they need to pay for rent (often in shopping centres or prestigious suburbs), hire staff, install expensive display cases and downlighting that helps diamonds sparkle. Further, they need to stand by and wait as people try on rings, and try on more rings, and try to decide if the ring would be the perfect fit. Or not. I walked into a jewellery store recently and I had three people waiting on me – oh the pressure! I almost bought something just to keep them happy.I was first made aware of why the best bargains are not in jewellery store by chatting with a taxi driver. I love chatting with taxi drivers – they are always so full of stories. This one admitted he used to be a jeweler. He described the industry as criminal; jewelers like himself struggled to find a creative outlet as most product was imported in bulk and sold at a high margin. Yep, most jewellery in stores in Australia are expensive relative to what you can get elsewhere. A more cost-effective way to purchase is to buy online. You can save up to 80% on costs this way (and yes, I have been browsing – as I said, I may be frugal but I LOVE a bit of bling). The advantage of shopping online is that it foregoes the middleman, so you are dealing directly with the shop – and in often cases with the designer him/herself. You would be surprised how few physical jewellery stores have a designer in the shop these days. Most jewellery is purchased from overseas, and very little is custom made. But isn’t it dangerous, you might ask? Not if you use a shop that has trusted reviews, on a platform you trust such as Ebay or Etsy. Using a credit card or Paypal also gives you added consumer protections. These provide you with more than if, say, go into a jewellery store and pay with cash. You should also insist on documentation that shows the providence of whatever you purchase. If purchasing a diamond, or other precious or semi-precious stones, make sure they have been ethically sourced. Why taint your love by buying a blood conflict diamond? Buying a diamond with Kimberly process accreditation is important and brings you peace of mind. One often overlooked source of quality and affordable jewellery is online auctions such as Allbids. Allbids has a range of premium, antique and vintage jewellery. If you are savvy shopper, you can pick up some real bargains. Apart from the significant cost saving, an advantage is that you can find pieces that are unique and that will really stand out. The craftmanship that goes into some vintage pieces is amazing – they don’t make jewellery like they used to. And yes, the vintage look is coming back, what’s old is new again, with rose gold pieces leading the way. It goes also with the whole Boho bride look that is very popular at the moment. Last time I looked (okay, I admit it, I look at online jewellery more than I should) there was an old-fashioned gold shield pendant necklace, Mikimoto pearl earrings, several solitaire diamond rings and sapphire jewellery for auction at tempting bargain prices. Did I mention that I like bling?  A further advantage of buying from Allbids at auction is that you know what you are getting. Allbids has a professional valuer on staff, who examines pieces and determine their true worth before they are placed online. Allbids also offers a free appraisal service for people who are thinking of selling pieces. Which is handy for people like me who have jewellery from earlier relationships, or who have inherited pieces that don’t really suit (or fit). I have been stalking Allbids’ online jewellery selection for a while now, and I must say that I like what I see. I also like how easy it is to register to bid online, and the thrill of seeing if I have been successful or not. This is definitely an option for someone who is looking for an affordable alternative to the traditional.This is a sponsored blog post. All views are Ms Frugal Ears own. And yes, I really do like bling, I like many of the pieces I have seen on Allbids, and I really do like getting a bargain by buying at auction.

When you’re spring cleaning your cupboards and garage this year, please don’t go throwing things out! Your unwanted items are more valuable than you could imagine.Today, Hands Across Canberra is launching Canberra’s Biggest Garage Sale, an initiative designed to help Canberrans give a little differently to the less fortunate this spring.All Canberrans are encouraged to donate pre-loved items by uploading them to ALLBIDS, Canberra’s leading online auction and disposal service, who will then auction them off on behalf of Hands Across Canberra. Proceeds go directly to the most vulnerable people in our community.Rob Evans, CEO of ALLBIDS, says “Sometimes it’s difficult for people to donate cash. This way, anyone who has something they could sell can donate it instead. Simply take a picture of your item, upload it to our site and write your description (or use the microphone feature to talk it in).“We’ll list the item(s) so people can bid, with money going directly to Hands Across Canberra. We put the winning bidder in touch with the seller to arrange pick up, and everyone can feel proud knowing that they’ve done something to really help someone in need.”Hands Across Canberra is a foundation that helps Canberrans donate funds to charities that make a significant positive impact in the Canberra community. Some of the 150 associated charities include Canberra City Care, C3CARES, Karinya House, Beryl Women Inc., Safe Shelter, and Menslink.“When you upload your item(s), you can select the charity you want to support, or you can simply choose Hands Across Canberra and be confident they know which charity needs it most right now,” says Rob.“And it’s not just limited to individuals. Any organisation can find unwanted assets and donate them too. Make room in the warehouse, move stock, and make a difference in someone’s life. We can accept anything from cars to computers and everything in between, so what you choose to donate is really only limited by your imagination.”Hands Across Canberra CEO, Peter Gordon, said they are delighted to launch the initiative; “Canberra’s Biggest Garage Sale is an easy, fun and practical way to give locally. It allows people to help their community directly whilst de-cluttering their home – it a big win-win for everyone. Proceeds from Canberra’s Biggest Garage Sale auction will directly support our local charities and their programs.“Donated items can be big or small ranging from cars, antiques, household appliances, tools, clothes, books, boats and everything in between.“It’s so easy, simply visit www.giving.handsacrosscanberra.org.au to donate today.” Mr Gordon explained.Canberra’s Biggest Garage Sale launches today, October 10, on ALLBIDS. You can start uploading items now by following the process on Hands Across Canberra or Allbids’ websites, or by calling 6239 2262 for more information.This is a sponsored article, though all opinions are the author’s own. For more information on paid content, see our sponsored content policy.This article was first published by The Riot ACT Website by Rachel Ziv https://the-riotact.com/canberras-biggest-garage-sale/218954

Collectors of three-digit Canberra number plates are in luck, with recent auctions fetching up to $20,000 per plate.No longer available from the Road Transport Authority (RTA), one to three digit plates have become incredibly sought after. According to Access Canberra’s “Check Registration” portal, every conceivable variation of single, double and triple digit Canberra number plates do exist, and are privately owned.The ACT registered plate for a single “1” is currently owned by a private vehicle, and was reportedly purchased many years ago for over $65,000.Four digit plates, while still available for purchase from the RTA for just over $1,880, are also in demand – especially in patterns with one or two numbers (i.e.: 0000, 2244, 7777, etc).Allbids, who currently have a number of three and four digit plates for auction, have seen an increase in buyers and sellers for unique plates over the last few months.“The lower the numerical number of the plate, the older in circulation it is, and the more valuable it is,” says Rob Evans, CEO of Allbids. “People are not really sure what their number plates are worth, so instead of guessing a price and selling it through Allclassifieds, they’re opting to sell via auction on Allbids.“The number plates that we have now are from a number of collectors and a deceased estate. Some have been on cars, others in storage. We’re giving bidders plenty of time (two weeks) to determine the best price, and every one of them is attracting significant interest.”Rob says that once the plate is sold, the buyer pays a small transfer fee to put it in their name, and then can keep the plate forever either as a collector’s item or as the official registration plate for their car.“We have a real community of car lovers here in Canberra, and extraordinary cars demand extra-ordinary number plates.“We’ve been contacted about selling many more number plates, which will go up in the coming weeks. Even quirky name plates and original-numbered raider plates can fetch a good price.”To check out the 3-digit and 4-digit number plates for auction on Allbids, visit Allbids.com.au.This article was first published by The Riot ACT Website by Rachel Ziv https://the-riotact.com/original-3-digit-canberra-number-plates-fetching-a-fair-price/216791

The definition of a man cave is a place of privacy for a man, including his decorations and the things needed for his hobbies and interests. A Man Cave might be the garage, a spare room, a media room or a purpose-built space within the home.In the 70’s a ‘Man Cave’ was cracking a beer out of an esky down the back in your shed with a mate or two. There was, and still is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but have a look around, man caves have come a very long way.Today we have access to the internet and with it a plethora of inspiration. We thought we would draw attention to the idea of creating the perfect man cave, whilst utilising items that are recycled, re purposed and reused, ALLBIDS primary focus. We have visited Pinterest, You Tube and read numerous Top 20 tips. There is no right or wrong but there are a few things you should consider when planning your space.

• A big screen TV, we all want the biggest screen possible, but remember to keep it in proportion to the space you have.
• A comfy lounge, again keep it in proportion to the space you are in. If you will comfortably fit a two seater, don’t try to squeeze in a large modular. A lounge doesn’t have to be a big-ticket item. We regularly have lounges come in, both new and used. You could pick one up for as little as $40.
• What kind of a man cave doesn’t have a bar? It isn’t necessary to have one in order to feel awesome in your man cave but it is a great feature. It doesn’t have to be big, it just has to be there. If you are handy, make your own with pallets. There are great pallet furniture ideas here
• We always have a range of sporting memorabilia online, most of which is auctioned for community and charity groups. Spoil yourself, grab a piece for your man cave and feel great about it by supporting others.
• Art doesn’t have to come in a frame. Dust your caps of and hang them on the wall.

According to a study by Roy Morgan, Australians spent $41.3 billion on online shopping last year. 4 people out of 10 buy products from ecommerce stores at least once a month. Currently, there are about 19.4 million mobile phone users in Australia, which accounts for a large proportion of the total population. In 2015, about 35% of ecommerce transactions were made on smartphones and 27% consumers buy products from mobile devices on a weekly basis.ALLBIDS had a record month in August 2017. Over the past 15 years as an onlineauction house we have certainly experienced growth and now have well over 100,000 verified users nationally. What we really find interesting is monitoring the change in device preference when it comes to online shopping, what people are really interested in and pinpointing traffic increases to our website. As an online business, it is not an analysis we undertake quarterly or monthly, it is key information that we review daily.In August, there was a strong increase in general traffic to our website. In part, this is due to the public supporting many charity and community events and fundraisers, where ALLBIDS was the primary fundraising platform. Some new registrations, viewed the charity auction, placed their bid and became aware during their of what a dynamic marketplace the ALLBIDS website is and the variety of items that are on offer. Sales on their account verify this is the case.Buyers and sellers who visit the ALLBIDS website see what a great place it is to not only pick up a bargain but also sell any unwanted and surplus assets. Our arts antiques and collectibles section is receiving unprecedented interest from all over the eastern States of Australia and we put this down to the unique offering that ALLBIDS website has and the expertise that we have in house with our antiques and collectibles valuer and curators.We are constantly developing and using new website technology to test the user experience of visitors to our website. It has been interesting to heat map our site and try to keep up with what the visitors to our website are looking for.It’s certainly a fun business to be part of as we never know what will come in the door next. Our ALLBIDS car auctions section continues to be a strong performer for us and we consistently sell about 100 cars every month for our vendors. Anyone looking for a first car or a second car for the family, vehicles at ALLBIDS generally sell under the $10,000 mark. This is our niche in the car auction market.In 2017 we have sold over 32,500 lots for our vendors. Each month we average 51,000 visits to our site where people spend an average of 6 minutes viewing, well above the industry average. We are proud to give back, this year alone our platform has helped Charity and Community groups raise more than $300,000. So, if you are in the mood to shop or you have items you want to part with, keep ALLBIDS.com.au front of mind.

Club Lime Kaleen is closing down, and they have enlisted the team at allbids.com.au to auction off their gym equipment. There is no reserve. Everything starts at $1.Up for grabs are treadmills, rowing machines, free weights, cross trainers and more. It’s an opportunity to grab commercial fitness equipment at ridiculous prices, and coming from a well respected gym you can be confident that it’s been well-maintained and meticulously cleaned.

The auction began yesterday, and the hammer goes down 7pm next Wednesday.Canberra’s leading online auction site allbids.com.au, who have over 95,000 registered Canberra bidders, are handling the entire process. So if you’re keen to start bidding, you can do it without even leaving the house.To bid, simply:

Essentially a big business in its own right, the Federal Government acquires thousands of assets every year to support the operations of its various departments. From office furniture and IT equipment to forklifts and cars; there’s a constant stream of moving parts required to enable the APS to do their work.But where do all these assets go when they’re not needed, or ready to be replaced?Government surplus auctions facilitated by third party providers have grown increasingly popular over the past decade, driven by the government’s own need to ensure complete transparency and equal opportunity for buyers to purchase. With most items in great working condition, and some with a little sentimental value for those who have worked in the department, online auctioning creates a fair and private process for those wanting to buy.Local auction website Allbids has been running government surplus auctions for over 15 years, selling everything from high court chairs to general office furniture, laptops, tablets, and more.“We’re very proud to be a Canberra business who has worked with every Federal Government department to help them sell unwanted assets,” says Rob Evans, CEO of Allbids. “From Prime Minister and Cabinet to the National Museum, War Memorial, High Court of Australia – because we’re on the ground here they appreciate being able to use a local digital platform.”Rob says that Canberrans are truly lucky to be so close to the action when it comes to buying surplus assets from government departments.“It’s a great opportunity to find quality items with minimal wear and tear. Some also have sentimental value, such as the high court leather chairs which sold for between $200 and $600 each.”Of choosing online auctioning as a platform, Rob says that it allows the government to check off their three key requirements: inexpensive, efficient and transparent.“Government departments need to work efficiently in removing unwanted assets and replacing them with minimal disruption to staff. They can’t sell the assets themselves as it’s not very transparent and they don’t have the platform to reach buyers. So that’s what we bring to the table. We’re essentially a one-stop-shop: we collect the goods, upload and market them to our database of 150,000 bidders, and give everyone equal opportunity to acquire them. Every department is different, so we tailor the service and reporting to suit their needs, but the outcome is the same.”In his address to the APS last year, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull noted that the way forward for departments was with key focus on using technology as a platform to work more efficiently.In a direct quote from his speech, Mr Turnbull said, “Of course, innovation and technology go hand-in-hand. An unwillingness to embrace technology is, to put it bluntly, simply not acceptable.“We are already of course seeing instances of government transforming the way we do business. It’s a ‘learn fast, keep moving’ approach, modelled on good private sector practice.”Having won an innovation excellence award as an ACT Smart Business, Rob says Allbids is looking to streamline government surplus auctions by listing goods immediately after they’ve been tagged as surplus, and encouraging pickup directly from the government department to save time and money on logistics.“At the end of the day, it’s about getting more money into the public coffers, so they can recoup costs and use the money to benefit the public. And given the care in which the APS treat the assets, it’s a great opportunity for Canberrans to get a bargain.”To check out Allbids’ latest government assets up, visit Allbids.com.au. They currently have a wide range of Computers and IT and Office and Business equipment up for auction.This article was first published on The Riot ACT Website by Rachel Ziv https://the-riotact.com/federal-government-surplus-assets-where-do-they-all-go/213336

A pair of old Chinese wooden carved chairs. That was pretty much the last remnant of joint furniture purchased with my ex-husband during our marriage that I didn’t want. “You sell it,” he said when I offered him the chairs that he had once lovingly selected. Fine. But how on earth was I going to do this?The chairs were good quality, attractive and made with good craftsmanship. Many years ago they stood by the front door to our home, one of the first things guests saw when we welcomed them into our home. When we returned from posting to Taiwan, I didn’t know what to do with them. I no longer wanted them there because, being old, they were a bit rickety and unsafe for children to sit on (or climb on). For a while I hid then in corners and there they got covered with kid’s toys and clutter.When I moved into my new apartment in January the chairs then sat untidily in my spare parking space, making it look like I was decamping to the basement.I thought of selling on gumtree or Ebay – but I had no idea how much they were worth, or even what they were or how to describe them. Were they truly antique? Or a knock-off? I could recognise they were Chinese, but from what province and what style? And would people even want to buy them? What if they were made by a really famous carver, or they had come from the Forbidden City and I sold up my kids inheritance for a pittance?In the end I decided to sell at auction with Allbids, Canberra’s top auction site.I had planned to blog at length about the steps in this process, about following the items online on a daily process, but all I can say is that it was so quick and incredibly easy.So easy. I wish I had known about this service earlier because I would have sold more junk (aka treasures) this way, especially when I was selling the house and moving.All I did was make a short drive to Fyshwick to drop off my chairs at the Allbids warehouse in Fyshwick. (They can also collect, which is useful if you have a whole home full of stuff.) Andrew Whitehead, a Certified Fine Art and Antiques Valuer and one of the foremost experts in valuing Asian art in Australia, looked at the chairs and assessed they were nice provincial pieces worth between $100 to $200 each. It turned out that Allbids had another pair of a similar design in their warehouse already, so knew what the chairs were truly worth. Perhaps I was indeed hoping they were worth a fortune, but it was a huge relief to have a definitive answer about what range I should look at.Allbids took professional photos, which it put on their website. I didn’t have to do anything – I didn’t have to write an advertisement, take photos, answer inquiries from people about what the chairs actually were (which I couldn’t answer because I didn’t know), or guess a price. All I had to was wait.The starting bid on the first day was $20. $20! “Don’t worry,” said Rod Evans, Allbids owner. “This is normal. There is always a low starting bid but it will trend upwards right at the end.”$70. Then a bit more. Finally the pair sold for $231 to one of Allbids regular clients. The commission cost $42.74. Allbids handled delivery to the new purchasers, paperwork and communication. All I had to do was to wait for the money to come into my bank account, which happened quickly and easily. Before I knew it I had $172.99 in my account, which I could use to pay off my mortgage (or to go skiing again). That was $172.99 more than I had had when these lovely chairs were just clutter in my life.This whole experience has opened up my eyes to more possibilities at home. What other things do I have at home that I like, but don’t need? What else could become a treasure for someone else, and help increase the gold in my bank account?This is a sponsored post, written after I approached Allbids because I really wanted to sell my chairs, then realised I liked their business and wanted to work with them. I believe selling stuff you don’t need in your life at auction a great way for frugaleers to declutter and reach their financial goals. Stay tuned for more posts about Allbids.Have you sold on gumtree? Or Ebay? Or auction? What was the experience like?This article was first published on msfrugalears.com Website byMs Frugal Ears https://www.msfrugalears.com/2017/08/18/decluttering-and-profiting-selling-at-auction/

 Canberrans love a good garage sale, and every weekend our back streets are adorned with signs directing us to go this way or that in the hope of snagging a great bargain, or finding something we know has been seriously undervalued.But from the owner’s point of view, is all the trouble really worth it? Getting everything together, setting it all up in the early hours of the morning, pricing, manning the stands all day, haggling with bargain hunters…and all the while wondering if you’ve accidentally missed something that’s surprisingly worth a fortune.DIY second-hand selling has become very popular, facilitated by online marketplaces that have made it easier than ever to advertise. But Rob Evans, CEO of Allbids, says that recent sales on the site suggest people are keen to explore “Garage Sales 2.0” where technology is leveraged to conduct the garage sale via an online auction, omitting the need for haggling and allowing the goods to be sold anytime.“It’s become very popular,” says Rob. “Because we not only get the 100 or so bargain hunters who follow the Canberra garage sale trail every week, but the prices are driven up by our 150,000 general registered bidders from Allbids and Allclassifieds, some of whom are interstate and happy to travel if they find something they like.”Rob says that the main attraction though is getting a prior appraisal so people understand what their items are really worth. He recounts a recent experience where a client was about to have a garage sale, but decided to get an appraisal first.“The valuer went out to see them, to give a rough idea of what everything was worth. The owners were reasonably accurate with most things, until he got to a big mahogany chest. The chest itself was only worth a few hundred dollars, but inside he found a little antique. The owners were going to throw it out or give it away for free, but it was actually worth over $2,500!“At a traditional garage sale, anyone who knew that would never tell you. And if you price it at what it’s worth, you’ll often find that no one wants to buy it. It takes a collection of buyers, who all understand the worth, bidding against each other to net you the best profit. And you never really know what you’ve got until you get a professional to look at it for you.”Allbids also recently had a client from Florey drop in a few cardboard boxes, packed with old knick knacks from around his house. He thought it was all junk and was about to throw it out, but wanted a professional to take a look.“It was all pretty rudimentary,” says Rob. “Until we got to an old Omega Seamaster watch. It wasn’t in great condition, but still fetched $1,500 at auction.”For more information about conducting your garage sale via online auction, or getting a free in-home appraisal on your second-hand goods, visit Allbids or call 6239 2262.What’s your experience with garage sales? Have they been painful or profitable?This article was first published on The Riot ACT Website by Rachel Ziv https://the-riotact.com/garage-sales-in-canberra-pain-or-profit/210011