Annual Auction Moves City Goods on a Fast Track

Cab company manager Ben Hardin came knowing exactly what he wanted. In less than three minutes, he had snapped up a 3-year-old police car and a once-white Dodge, both of which he plans to convert into cabs.

The bill: $2,075. Not bad, considering that Hardin had been willing to fork over $3,200.

Other sales were just as brisk Saturday at Port Hueneme’s annual auction. In one hour and 10 minutes, the city sold about 100 surplus items, such as the police car Hardin bought, as well as property confiscated from convicted criminals.

“Maybe they think having stolen property is kind of neat,” auctioneer Shirley Needles said.

The city has been holding the auction for more than 15 years and usually nets about $4,000 to $5,000 for the city’s general fund, said Jim Hanks, Port Hueneme’s finance director. These are the proceeds after the auctioneer is paid a fee of 10% to 35% of gross sales.

The auction is the smallest in Ventura County, Needles said.

Standing in the middle of the city maintenance yard and talking rapidly into a microphone, Needles sold most items in less than 30 seconds.

“Talk to me, talk to me,” she urged buyers, waving one of her arms at the crowd.

In response, 94 bidders armed with white cards stared at her, laconically waving the cards when items of interest were displayed.

There was even a tanning bed, which sold for $800, far less than the $4,000 retail price.

“Everybody likes the idea of getting something for nothing. Here you have a better chance of doing that,” said Stan Perkacin, 58, of Ventura, who described himself as an “auction junkie.”

But, sometimes, “you get caught up in the bidding,” Perkacin said. “Someone will come in and bid on the same thing, and then you figure they know something you don’t. . . . If you set a price and you go above it, you get in trouble.”

Millie Nernes, 68, of Oxnard said she and her husband have been attending auctions for more than 10 years and “never have any intention of buying things, but we always go home with things.”

Tim Tilsner, 24, of Oxnard was determined not to get caught up in the competitive atmosphere. When a big-screen television set came up for auction, Tilsner warned a friend: “Don’t scratch your nose or anything,” she said as the price rose higher and higher.