Does all this news about the global Ebola pandemic or the pending threat of Islamic State jihadis attacking the homeland have you worried about your safety?
The folks at Liquidity Services Inc. might have just what you are looking for.
The Washington D.C. -based government surplus liquidator is auctioning off two 296-square-foot steel shelters, once used by the military for secure storage.
The shelters, each weighing 2,400 pounds, can be used above ground, or buried – for those who are looking for a little more security.
All the equipment has been removed from the rectangular shelters, and there is limited information available about their original use, says Liquidity Services spokeswoman Melissa Gieringer.
“The shelters are missing their data plates so we don’t have much background information on them other than that they were used to securely store test and electrical equipment (most likely at a military installation in Florida),” Gieringer said in an email. “I think it’s safe to say that they are impenetrable.”
The company is the exclusive sales channel for Defense Department scrap and surplus assets, says Gieringer.
“We hold two contracts with the Department of Defense, one for scrap and one for surplus. We receive 5,000 to 10,000 surplus items per week and 20 to 30 million pounds of scrap materials per month.”
The company buys surplus items for a percentage of the original price and keeps the profit, says Gieringer. The scrap contract calls for the company to split the proceeds, with the government getting 75 percent of the sales price.
So far, the company’s scrap and surplus sales have generated $700 million back to the U.S. Treasury, Gieringer says.
Liquidity Services sells more than just shelters.
The list of surplus and scrap items includes the USS Long Beach – the first guided nuclear missile cruiser; railway tanker cars; 1.4 million pounds of compost; 47.6 million pounds of recycled asphalt; a 747 jumbo jet; 30,000 pounds of cooking grease; aircraft fuel tankers; landing craft, an Army tugboat and locomotives.
The opening bid for the shelters is $25. Online bidding starts Weds. at 12 a.m. and closes Friday at 5 p.m..
For more information including bidding information, preview and photos, go to http://www.govliquidation.com/auction/view?auctionId=8421347&convertTo=USD.