State Surplus Auction Gives Sacramento Residents An Outlet For Holiday Shopping

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Forget holiday shopping at malls, the state of California says you can find anything and everything at a state surplus auction.

The auctions happen every few months with the biggest of the year happening this weekend.

If you're in the market for a spotting scope, a new set of weights to get an early start on a New Year's resolution or even adult diapers, this is the place to go.

Jacqueline Tualla Cummings from the state's department of general services says this is all stuff different state agencies no longer need.

"Instead of just throwing these items out, so that they have no use, we are recycling them. So really it's a win-win for everybody," he said. "It could be one of the state agencies, who for some reason, had to relocate. Maybe they're downsizing; maybe their programs no longer exist."

Some things comes from law enforcement, like the California Highway Patrol, including lost or stolen property that never made its way back to the owners.

A good deal of it also comes from the Transportation Security Administration, including belts, jewelry and neck pillows people in a hurry at the airport leave behind.

"For whatever reason they forget their jewelry, they forget some of their items, they even forget their luggage," she said.

Some of it is also confiscated, including big snow globes because of their liquid.

"There's bats and believe it or not, there are toy guns that people thought that they could bring on the plane and they found out that they couldn't," she said.

It all ends up at the Surplus Warehouse at 1700 National Dr. in Sacramento. Auction preview day is Friday from 8 am. to 3 p.m. while the auction day itself starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday.