Knives from government auction?

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Mobster1983

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Anyone ever purchase bulk knives from a government auction. My area auctions off lots of things confiscated at the airport. Was very surprised this week to see a set of SAKs (49 total, 20 large and 39 keychain-sized) and Leatherman multitools (10 total including a MUT and Wave). (I just discovered this but it looks common)


The SAKs went for $145 and the Leathermans for $190. Both seem like a steal (I priced the LMs at about $400 new). I didn't win either auction :-( but another set of LM is up this week. They only show one top-down picture of the closed knives/multi-tools. Will try my luck again.


Want to hear experiences of great deals at auctions and how they turned out. :)
 
Don't have an airport big enough to have an auction, but if you ever do win one and come across a SAK with the name "Pookie" on it, send me a PM.
Post a pic of your spoils if you do score one.:) Good luck !!!!!!
 
The sellers bought them at an auction, and are reselling them at another auction. My brother was once in the right place to buy a grab bag of confiscated knives directly from the airport, but I don’t know how it is done these days. I assumed that some TSA employees got most of the good stuff in most airports these days, but that’s just a hunch, not a solid clue.
 
Yonose said:
The sellers bought them at an auction, and are reselling them at another auction. My brother was once in the right place to buy a grab bag of confiscated knives directly from the airport, but I don’t know how it is done these days. I assumed that some TSA employees got most of the good stuff in most airports these days, but that’s just a hunch, not a solid clue.
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I'd say that is a very reasonable assumption. lol
 
I’d bet my last dollar that TSA management or supervisors somehow magically ends up in personal possession of most valuable things that TSA confiscates.
 
Yonose said:
The sellers bought them at an auction, and are reselling them at another auction.
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That is not the case if it is say the city, county, state, or feds auctioning off the items. I don't think what you mention is what the op is talking about.

However, I do know what you are saying. Folks buy these bulk gov confiscated lots and will sell them as smaller lots or individual items on the bay. I've gotten more than a few SAKs at extremely good prices that way.

I wouldn't want to take the risk on buying a big lot of unseen items only to end up with a bunch of stuff you need to nickle and dime to get rid of. Then again, I'm not in the knife buying and selling game to make money. I don't mind benefiting from other people taking that risk though.

OP, if you do buy one of these lots, come back and let us know how it goes.
 
Yonose said:
The sellers bought them at an auction, and are reselling them at another auction. My brother was once in the right place to buy a grab bag of confiscated knives directly from the airport, but I don’t know how it is done these days. I assumed that some TSA employees got most of the good stuff in most airports these days, but that’s just a hunch, not a solid clue.
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I very seriously doubt that TSA employees are allowed to keep anything that is confiscated. That seems like the sort of thing that would get you fired very quickly. They will have procedures they have to follow and standards of conduct they have to meet. I think it is safe to assume there are occasional abuses, but there is no way that would be considered normal or acceptable conduct.
 
popedandy said:
I very seriously doubt that TSA employees are allowed to keep anything that is confiscated. That seems like the sort of thing that would get you fired very quickly. They will have procedures they have to follow and standards of conduct they have to meet. I think it is safe to assume there are occasional abuses, but there is no way that would be considered normal or acceptable conduct.
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Agreed. Absolutely not on the books. It would amount to theft from your employer given that they make pure profit from selling these things. That said, I think there is plenty of off the books pocketing of items by TSA employees.
 
For those who think of TSA employees as people who are likely to keep stuff they confiscate, here are some things to consider:

First, what you are allowed/not allowed to take on a plane is posted on the TSA website. If someone gets an item confiscated, it is because they either didn't take the time to check the list or they just forgot to leave something behind. TSA isn't a bunch of thugs who took over the airports and are doing whatever they please. It was created at the direction of Congress and operates in accordance with Congressionally-approved guidelines.

Second, TSA is probably required to dispose of the items they confiscate. Congress will have set the parameters for how they are allowed to do that.

Third, unless I missed something, having a criminal record or criminal tendencies is probably not one of their hiring criteria. They hire normal men and women just like us. Therefore, I think it is safe to assume they are no more or less likely to steal on the job than any of the rest of us are. If you are stealing from your employer, that is your problem, but it doesn't mean you are right to assume that just because you do it, everyone else does it too.

Finally, it wouldn't hurt to ask yourself how you would like to be in a position like theirs where you are just trying to do a decent job and all you hear is complaints and people accusing you of taking their stuff so they can keep it for themselves.

I don't like dealing with TSA, but they are trying to do a good job despite having to put up with a ton of crap from the rest of us.
 
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popedandy said:
First, what you are allowed/not allowed to take on a plane is posted on the TSA website. If someone gets an item confiscated, it is because they either didn't take the time to check the list or they just forgot to leave something behind. TSA isn't a bunch of thugs who took over the airports and are doing whatever they please. It was created at the direction of Congress and operates in accordance with Congressionally-approved guidelines.

Second, TSA is probably required to dispose of the items they confiscate. Congress will have set the parameters for how they are allowed to do that.

Third, unless I missed something, having a criminal record or criminal tendencies is probably not one of their hiring criteria. They hire normal men and women just like us. Therefore, I think it is safe to assume they are no more or less likely to steal on the job than any of the rest of us are. If you are stealing from your employer, that is your problem, but it doesn't mean you are right to assume that just because you do it, everyone else does it too.

Finally, it wouldn't hurt to ask yourself how you would like to be in a position like theirs where you are just trying to do a decent job and all you hear is complaints and people accusing you of taking their stuff so they can keep it for themselves.

I don't like dealing with TSA, but they are trying to do a good job despite having to put up with a ton of crap from the rest of us.
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Okay then.

You can find lots of TSA confiscated knives so in at least those instances what is confiscated is not destroyed and is sold for pure profit. Taking items your company intends to sell is theft.

Not sure why you are hell bent on defending the TSA so badly. Let's face it, our best and brightest aren't TSA agents. I've seen plenty of very very bad ones that should not be trusted with airplane screening security. Google around and read the horror stories.
 
Thousands Standing Around have a job to do - an unpopular one but a necessary one we are told.

Back on topic. There are sellers here that always seem to have SAKs and other common pocket knives that may come from the very bundles about which the OP posted.
 
Interesting turn of convocation here. The sale I discovered is run by the state procurement officer, so no reseller. Seems to be much better prices here. I am in the market for a new multitool, which is how I came across these auctions.

My thread wasn't meant as a review. I was actually curious to hear about awesome deals people got. Looking at that federal site there are some pretty sweet lots, but prices are a bit high. I'm going to keep trying my luck. Think I know the secret now so we will see what happens this week.
 
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