The U.S. Custom Service has many of the more frequent sales. They
can number as high as 250 a month. Many of these sales are combined items
from several police agencies like the DEA, Immigration Service and FBI. The
amount of merchandise for auction can can be so large that it may take two
days to liquidate the items during one sale. The items are acquired by these
agencies from several forms of the U.S. seizure laws.
        These seizures occur when properties are confiscated during 'drug'
raids and merchandise suppliers that attempt to bring products into the
United States for resale, without paying the Custom duty fee the U.S.
Government has imposed on their merchandise. The Customs Service then seizes
these items. When their warehouses become full (quite often I assure you) ,
these items are then offered for public sale via auctions. Because of all
the merchandise confiscated all around the U.S. borders, The government
contracts several private companies to help liquidate this stockpile of
merchandise. One of the largest nationwide companies is E.G. & G.
Dynatrend. Here is their contact information:

                 E.G. & G. Dynatrend                         E.G. & G. Dynatrend
                   U.S. Customs Support Division      U.S. Customs Service Support Division
                   3702 Pender Drive                                  2300 Clarendon Blvd.
                   Suite 400                                                    Suite 705
                   Fairfax, VA   22030-6066                    Arlington, VA 22201
                  (FAX) 703-934-4099                        (703) 351-7887
 
 

        You may also call (PAL) the Public Auction Hotline of E.G.& G. Dynatrend
at (703) 273-7373, for more information about upcoming U.S. Customs Auctions.

        You may ask for the booklet "public auctions"...fill out the
application in the book and return it. Subscriptions are offered for one
year...for a fee.
These are the three options you may choose regarding your subscription.
They are:
 

                2.) Eastern Region: This covers all sales East of The
                    Mississippi River and Puerto Rico. The cost is $25 a year.

                3.) Western Region: This covers all sales West of The
                    Mississippi River and Alaska. The cost is $25 a year.
 

For  subscription information  you can click here.
 

        In all cases involving Customs Auctions, the form of payment is a Money
Order, Cashiers Check or Cash. In some cases, both Visa and Master Card may
be accepted. If credit cards are accepted, it will be mentioned in the
'mailing list' or agency auction posting. In some cases financing is even
offered with Real Estate. Please check for these before the 'day of sale'.

 U.S. Customs  information from the U.S. Treasury Home Page.

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