PEORIA, AZ — If you’re looking for ways to save after all that holiday spending, consider following the thousands of Valley residents who are turning to online auctions.
“There’s no way, especially on one income, we could afford to have all the things we have put in our home," said Sallie Netz, a frequent bidder on Local Auctions in Arizona.
Some of the items Netz wins are for herself, but she says she also resells a lot of the items on Facebook to other people looking for a good deal.
“I’m making as much on this, almost as much, as I did teaching," she said.
Netz goes to FARA Liquidation about twice a week to pick up the items she wins.
"We have seen a steady increase in volume," said Eli Faustinos, who owns the warehouse.
He says, on a day when bidding is low, you could save up to 50% on retail items. The items are from big box stores and end up on the auction site for a variety of reasons.
“Returns at the store, shelf items, overstock items," he said.
The site says they sell 5,000 to 10,000 items on any given day. But it's not just household items, it's also cars.
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William Russell, owner of the Auction Yard in Peoria, says all cars on the lot start at $99 but they can lower the price if no one is interested.
He says they do an inspection before selling, so you get a report in hand letting you know if anything could be wrong with it. They also allow you to test drive the car before bidding. However, he warns there is risk involved.
"The saying is not all cars at the auction are bad, but all bad cars go to the auction," Russell said.
He says it's not like Amazon because there is a no-return policy. He also encourages all drivers to do their homework before bidding.
"We want them to be well informed," he said.