Most US state governments are tasked with the sale of unclaimed or surplus property – items like unneeded furniture or the contents of an abandoned safe deposit box.   For years state governments have struggled with a mandate to make the sale of these items as open to the public as possible, as well as sell these items for current market value.  They might put items on display in a state office and advertise an upcoming live auction, but too often those events resulted in a non-competitive bidding environment where the majority of the goods went to a small number of people at a very low price.

Enter eBay!  eBay Inc.’s Government Relations Team partners with these government agencies to help them solve the many challenges of presenting a wide range of goods for sale to a large audience and achieving the best possible price. By leveraging the eBay platform, governments can reach a global audience while using the perfect outlet for collectible items like baseball cards and vintage coins.  The eBay Inc. Government Relations Team helps these government agencies through the eBay onboarding process, answers questions, shares best practices from other jurisdictions, and even provides a bit of customer support.

Helping governments become eBay Inc. customers is just one more way eBay Inc. Government Relations builds relationships with policy makers and regulators.  When governments use our products and become familiar with the eBay Inc. family of companies it can lead to more thoughtful policymaking, which in turn helps all of our customers. 

eBay Stories recently highlighted the Arkansas State Auditor Office’s use of the eBay platform to successfully sell vintage railroad currency.

If you work for a government agency responsible for liquidating this sort of property and would like more information, please contact Michelle Peacock, Executive Director of Public Sector Business Development at mpeacock@ebay.com.