If you鈥檙e in the market for a game warden鈥檚 old ATV, or a big orange plow truck, there鈥檚 one place to go: the state surplus auction.
Once a year, Vermont raises hundreds of thousands of dollars selling off heavy equipment and vehicles that have aged out of the fleet, been damaged or otherwise aren't worth keeping around.
People travel from all over Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, even Canada. And they all stand in a parking lot next to a state garage in Berlin for the live auction.
The event is a community tradition, and a chance to socialize, as well as a way to find a deal.
This year's auction state park leaf blowers and boats, miscellaneous tools, Fish and Wildlife Department snow machines, and a lineup of trucks of all sizes.
"The DMV cruisers have always been excellent trucks 鈥� I've had three of those in the past. And I've also had AOT trucks, which have been great trucks," said Tom Doane, of South Burlington. "If people are paying attention to really what the value of this stuff is, and they don't drive the prices out of sight, it's a pretty good bargain."
Auctioneer RJ Klisiewicz had been resting his voice in anticipation of the event. In the age of online auctions, this gathering is something of a rarity.
"Nowadays we don't do many live auctions, so I don't necessarily get to do the talking fast aspect any more," Klisiewicz said, sitting inside a truck where he would run the auction, rolling slowly around the parking lot with the crowd. "So I personally enjoy coming up here once a year and getting to have a little fun."
By mid-afternoon, everything had been auctioned off 鈥� except one truck hood that no one wanted.
"The rain held out. Everyone seems happy," Klisiewicz said, "and as long as everyone pays, we're good to go."
This audio story was produced by Peter Engisch.
