OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ) – An auction site for surplus equipment from the City of Oshkosh is seeing improvements to make things easier for people who are looking to buy.
Osh-Buy is essentially a localized EBay for the city to offload surplus items to people who might need them. It’s been around since 2012, but Communications Coordinator Andy Radig says the site has been streamlined to make it more user-friendly.
“The website previously was maybe a little bit clunky for people to use, it wasn’t real streamlined,” Radig told WTAQ News. “When someone is out bid on an item, they will get a notification by email. That way, they’ll know right away that if they really want that item, they can submit another bid.”
Other new features include:
- Users may choose to be notified of new bid opportunities of items in any category
- Users will be emailed if they had the winning bid
- Once a user login is created, it may be used for future auctions. Once logged in, the user’s bidding process is more streamlined than before
Osh-Buy is currently accepting bids for things like security cameras, desktop computers, and other equipment. The inventory up for bid is also constantly changing.
“These are surplus items that come along randomly through the year from different city departments,” Radig said. “There are items from the museum, and even from the Oshkosh police department. Sometimes they have items that were confiscated or they got them somehow through their work, and that could include bikes, clothes, jewelry or electronics.”
The auction is open to anybody, not just Oshkosh residents. Bidders from anywhere can submit their offers.
“It’s a win-win situation. Not only does the city have a better way to basically get a bit of revenue, but it’s also a way for folks to pick up things at a low cost,” Radig said.
Items are posted for ten business days, and auctions always close at 8:00 p.m. on Sundays. Winning bidders can pay in-person at Oshkosh City Hall Purchasing Department, and pick up their items in the same building.
All items are sold in ‘As-Is’ condition. The bidding terms and pictures of current items can be found on the city’s website.
