PART 5: BUYING PROPERTY FROM THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

 

The Federal Government sells large quantities of many kinds of real and personal property including critical and strategic materials which become surplus to its needs.

Surplus personal property normally is sold on a competitive bid basis to the highest acceptable bidder. Most sales are made by sealed bids solicited by the selling office. Some sales are effected by auction or by spot bid sales. Military surplus personal property is marketed by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service. Civilian surplus personal property is sold by GSA personal property sales offices, each of which maintain its own bidders lists.

Surplus real property generally is advertised for sale by GSA on a competitive bid basis. Land and improvements held by the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, and Interior that have a value of less than $1,000 are offered for sale by these Departments. Otherwise the sales are made through the GSA Real Property Sales Offices which widely publicizes scheduled sales.

DEFENSE REUTILIZATION AND MARKETING SERVICE

The Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) of the Defense Logistics Agency is responsible for managing the Department of Defense (DoD) Government Sales Program. Excess personal property from U.S. military units is turned over to more that 190 Defense Reutilization and Marketing Offices (DRMOs) located on major military installations around the world. The property is first looked at for reutilization or reuse within DoD. When property cannot be reused, it is offered for transfer or donation to other Federal agencies and qualified state and local agencies. The remaining property is declared surplus and offered for sale to the public.

Property varies in type and value and includes tents, typewriters, computers, vehicles, aircraft components and accessories, engine accessories, office furniture and equipment, clothing, household paints and thinners, recyclable materials such as iron, aluminum, copper, paper, and much more. DRMS does not sell real estate.

DoD Government Surplus Sales are held at DRMOs which are designed similar to a local retail store where property is offered at a fixed price. All property is sold "As Is, Where Is." The method of payment is "cash and carry." The buyers pay for merchandise and remove the property at the time of sale.

National International Sales are conducted by the DRMS International Sales Office in Memphis, TN, and includes: international auctions; sealed bids, which allow bidders to enter their written bids during a specified time; and negotiated sales in certain circumstances. International sales include such items as aircraft, ships, hazardous property having wide commercial applications.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

To request the free booklet "How to Buy Surplus Personal Property from DoD", which lists the DRMS regional offices worldwide and includes almost 20 categories of goods, call 1(888)352-9333, or see the DRMS Home Page, at http://www.drms.dla.mil .

If you are interested in local sales, call 1(800)-GOVT BUY to obtain the phone number of your nearest DRMO.

If you are interested in National/international sales, call 1(888)352-9333 or write the International Sales Office, 2163 Airways Blvd., Memphis, TN 38114-5211.

GSA REGIONAL PERSONAL PROPERTY SALES OFFICES ( More information can be obtained through the World Wide Web on http://www.gsa.gov:80/regions.htm .

WASHINGTON, DC, METROPOLITAN AREA
Chief, Personal Property Program
470 L' Enfant Plaza, Suite 8214
Washington, DC 20407
(703) 557-7796

 

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, and Nevada
Property Management Branch
450 Golden Gate Ave., West Side
P.O. Box 36018
San Francisco, CA 94102-3400
(415) 522-2891 or 1(800) 676-7253

 

DENVER, COLORADO
Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
Property Management Branch
Denver Federal Center, Bldg. 41
P.O. Box 25506
Denver, CO 80225-0506
(202)236-7705

 

ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee,
Property Management Branch
401 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30365-2550
(404) 331-5177, ext. 100

 

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
Property Management Branch
230 South Dearborn Street
Chicago, IL 60604
(312)353-0246

 

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Property Management Branch
10 Causeway Street
3rd Floor, Room 347
Boston, MA 0222-1076
(617)565-7326

 

KANSAS, CITY, MISSOURI
Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
Property Management Branch
1500 East Bannister Road
Room 1102
Kansas City, MO 64131

 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK
New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Property Management Branch
Room 20-112, Box 10
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
(212)264-4823 or 1(800) 488-7253

 

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, Pennsylvania, West Virginia
Property Management Branch
Wanamaker Building
100 Penn Square East
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3396

 

FORT WORTH, TEXAS
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas
Property Management Branch
819 Taylor Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102-6105
(817) 978-2352 or 1(800) 495-1276

 

DEFENSE NATIONAL STOCKPILE CENTER

The Defense National Stockpile Center (DNSC) of the Defense Logistics Agency is responsible for managing the nation's reserves of strategic and critical materials for times of national emergency. Procures and sells aluminum, beryllium, cobalt, germanium, lead, manganese, mercury, mica, and rubber. To obtain further information on doing business with the Defense National Stockpile Center, call (703) 767-6500 or visit the DNSC Home Page at http://www.dnsc.dla.mil