June 27

Municibid Podcast Season 1 Finale with Greg Berry

For six months and 25 episodes, we’ve been exploring the fascinating world of government surplus auctions. We discussed some remarkable stories of innovation, community impact, and creative repurposing. Now at the finale of season one, let’s take a look back at some of these incredible highlights from our guests.

Classic Car Enthusiasm

Some of the most beloved government items are police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks. That includes vehicle models that are both new and old, including the classic kind. Tony Powell had great things to share about his classic 1996 brush truck. He won it on Municibid from the Burton Fire Department. After he saw a story about the local fire station selling off the fire truck, curiosity got the better of him. He’s not a volunteer or firefighter of any kind, so Tony used it instead for leisurely driving.

"You get going 55 miles an hour down the road, it's howling at you. It's loud cause it's over-revved. It's probably not meant to go 55, but yeah, it's hard to drive the stick. I mean drove it in the in town and stuff, and man, if you gotta hold your foot on the clutch, you're gonna get worn out. I know my wife never drove it. She probably couldn't push in the clutch. It was just a heavy duty vehicle. But everything ran really good. I think I had to put a new battery in it. A couple minor things just to touch up some stuff. Cleaned it up a little bit. But that's about it." - Tony Powell

Tony Powell and his 1969 Brush Truck.

Tony Powell and his 1969 Brush Truck.

From Fire Truck to Boat Towing Adventures

Another fire truck story was talked about in our most heartwarming episode of the season with Ken Johnson and his daughter Tatiana. The family bought a new boat, but had no way to tow it around. That led to some auctioning, which led the duo to fly out to Pennsylvania to pick it up and drive it all the way home to Texas. This memorable trip included taking a tour of the fire station before they left, which was Tatiana’s favorite part. Then came the father-daughter pair turning on the lights and sirens each time they crossed a state line.

Pictured above is the 2001 Chevy Silverado 3500 Ken won on auction.

Pictured above is the 2001 Chevy Silverado 3500 Ken won on auction.

“It was everything that I was looking for. It was crew cab, it was a diesel, it was super low miles. And it was through a fire department, which I kind of had a theory that a fire department would probably take a little bit better care of their vehicles compared to some other auctions. I kind of feel like firefighters have a little bit more pride in their equipment.” - Ken Johnson

“We met this really nice older guy there, and he said that he would show us a tour around. So we met a lot of the people, and that day they were having little kids go there to check out the place, so they had fun little things up. And we also got t-shirts, which we’re wearing. And they had a piece of the Twin Towers because a lot of fire people were there, and it was out in the front, and they had this one big stone brick of what was on it, like, pictures and stuff.”  - Tatiana Johnson

“Tati got to sit in every fire truck that was in there, which I was jealous about. So, yeah, it was really cool. That was, like, a super special. And probably the most memorable part of the entire trip was our tour around the firehouse.” - Ken Johnson

Tatiana got to sit in a 100 year old fire truck, unlike her dad.

Tatiana got to sit in a 100 year old fire truck, unlike her dad.

Eight Years of Government Surplus

Fire trucks are a popular surplus item, but they aren’t close to the wildest or funniest things sold on Municibid. Our Director of Customer Success, Jackie Blaskovich, has seen a lot over her eight years of working here. She talked about some memorable items she's seen come up for auction.

“I have seen some pretty interesting things. Two of the things that come to mind right off the bat, actually three. One of them is Santa's throne. I thought that one was pretty funny when it was listed. It's basically like when you go to see Santa at the mall or something for pictures. It was a big red throne for Santa Claus.”

“We also at one point had a child sized suit of armor, which I thought was really cool. That was years ago now, but it still sticks in my brain. And I think about four or five years ago, we had like a 1970-something Volkswagen Beetlebug police car.” - Jackie Blaskovich

Jackie at the Spring Thaw Open House in Canton, PA 2024.

Jackie at the Spring Thaw Open House in Canton, PA 2024.

Navigating Supply Chain Issues

We also heard from townships about how they were navigating supply chain issues, while still trying to keep community projects like road work going. Troy Bartron gave us a behind the scenes look at how his township, Upper Mount Bethel, came to order a 2025 Mack truck before selling it on Municibid.

“We do a lot of road work and our oldest trucks are 2007s, you know, with over 100,000 miles on them, costing us a lot of money to keep them together.”

“Well, since COVID, it's been so hard to get equipment, whether it be a truck or a loader, you know, cab and chassis.”

“And we also purchased other equipment that failed on us sooner than we thought. So with that being said, our only option was to sell one of the surplus trucks. So that way we would keep our equipment fund equal, you know, for the rainy day fund type thing.” - Troy Bartron

Troy Bartron and more of the Upper Mount Bethel Township crew.

Troy Bartron and more of the Upper Mount Bethel Township crew.

Repurposing Government Surplus

Townships aren't the only ones who have struggled with supply chain issues. Businesses have too. That’s why some are getting creative with repurposing government surplus items in order to meet their needs. Gavin Lingo explained how he grew his company to 50 people and why any landscaping could really use a fire truck.

“We've watered everything from sod to trees to shrubs. We use them for washing down facilities. We do some cleanup and maintenance on the other facilities when they ask us to come down and wash down an area.”

“We've done a bunch of birthday parties with them. And surprisingly, the three-year-old and five-year-olds love it. And so do their 40 and 50-year-old parents. They love it even more. It's really funny.” - Gavin Lingo

The Lingo Group in the community with a fire truck.

The Lingo Group in the community with a fire truck.

Gavin Lingo in the office.

The World of Military Surplus

In the military surplus world, Adam Hoke spoke about his thriving e-commerce business, Coleman's Military Surplus, and shared what’s been their number one best selling item.

“They still make a few, but the heyday ended in the early 90s. And I'm sure some folks listening will be familiar with the term Mickey Mouse boots. But basically, it's a vapor barrier boot.”

“It's a big rubber boot that has a super thick sole to it. And they're just the best cold weather boots you can buy, whether you're ice fishing in Minnesota, or you're working in a meat packing freezer all day, or you're directing traffic in Alaska, your feet stay warm. It's a truly remarkable product.”

“And we've shipped those boots to all 50 states, Canada included, and across the world, really.” - Adam Hoke

Adam Hoke with some of the Coleman's Military Surplus team.

Adam Hoke with some of the Coleman's Military Surplus team.

Conclusion

As we wrap up season one, it's clear that government surplus auctions play a vital role in communities across the country. These auctions provide a win-win situation for municipalities and their bidders. Government agencies can efficiently manage the resources while individuals and businesses gain access to unique and valuable items.

The stories we've heard demonstrate the far reaching impact of these auctions, from supporting small businesses and nonprofits to fostering innovation and sustainability. We here at Municibid want to express our deepest gratitude to all of our guests this season for sharing their unique experiences and insights. Your stories have illuminated the potential and impact of government surplus.

We're also incredibly grateful for each of our dedicated listeners, for joining us on this podcast journey. As we look forward to the next season, we're excited to uncover even more fascinating stories from the world of government auctions.

Now, whether you're a longtime Municibid user or just curious about the potential surplus items, we encourage you to take a look at our surplus items. What you can find and how you can use it can truly make for some remarkable stories.

See you in season two!

Last Updated on July 3, 2024


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