News Release Ohio Department of Administrative Services Bob Taft, Governor  C. Scott Johnson, Director FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, November 08, 2001 State of Ohio to auction surplus property on eBay (Columbus)-- What do vintage baseball cards, gas masks from the Israeli Army, diet plans from Hollywood stars and surplus items from the State of Ohio’s inventory have in common? The answer is that they’re all available on eBay. The Ohio Department of Administrative Services is planning a small scale test, posting a few copiers and printers on a worldwide online auction site, to determine if Internet shoppers will bid on everyday items from state warehouses just as they buy other products on a web site renowned for exotic offerings. Ohio’s Surplus Administrator, John Thornton says, “we’re just in the early stages,” when it comes to selling property online, but he adds that a number of other states are turning to eBay to move items normally sold at standard auctions. “We know other people are doing it, so it’s an avenue we decided to pursue. We want to put items on eBay that could benefit from national exposure, big expensive machines, or other things that aren’t commonplace,” Thornton said. State of Ohio auctions typically offer everything from used cars to office equipment the state no longer needs. They generated more than $2.7 million in sales during the past fiscal year. Officials hope to reach a much wider audience through eBay, but are quick to point out online auctions won’t replace the face to face transactions of typical state auctions. Launched in 1995, eBay bills itself as the most popular shopping site on the Internet with nearly 30 million registered users. The company posted some $5 billion in sales last year. State of Ohio auction items can be found there at www.ebay.com. Notices of upcoming state auctions are also available on the state’s web site at www.ohio.gov. -30- For further information, contact Ben Piscitelli or Gretchen Hull at 614-752-9521. [ Administrative Support | Communications | Employee Services ] [ Finance | Legal Counsel | Legislative Affairs | MIS ] Site Map | Search | DAS Home Page | State Home Page | Contact DAS