Bibb School District planning surplus auction

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Bibb County’s school district is raising money from items the district has in surplus in an auction.

In a place where the school district’s trash then becomes its treasure, Mike Fordham knows how to make that new found “gold” shine.

“You’ve got to start them somewhere. I start them at $100. By the time it’s over with, they’ll probably be, you know, in to the thousands,” Fordham said.

He looks over every extra light, chair, and even sewing machine that makes way to the district’s warehouses.

After counting how much of what is where, then it’s time to sell.

“It gives our community a chance to be able to tap into some of the surplus that we have here at the district and the funding that we accumulate from the surplus auction goes back into the general fund,” Elaine Wilson, Bibb Schools’ Procurement Director, said.

The school district auctions off the items online to the highest bidder. The proceeds go well into the thousands.

“It might just be furniture that we’ve had that we’re no longer using that’s obsolete,” Wilson said.

People buy the extra supplies from around the world from local community centers and farmers looking for a great deal, to schools in different countries needing a bus to drop off students.

“It is on a smaller scale, but we’re hoping that we’re able to do it every three to six months,” Wilson said.

A chance to make a profit for the district.

“You just have to see what the market will bare,” Fordham said.

The next auction is on February 1st. If you’re interested in bidding on some of the items being sold, head to govdeals.com to look up prices.