A Little Humor Goes a Long Way in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. - Jan. 11, 2017 - PRLog -- A few years ago, the Port of Portland decided to make a change to the way they sell surplus by selling all non-vehicular surplus items exclusively on GovDeals.com, and has seen much success in the past 8 years. Previous to this decision, items had been sold on GovDeals.com, as well as other various online auction sites. The decision to use GovDeals exclusively has proved to be a successful one for the Port of Portland. With total sales of surplus assets reaching over $560,000 since early 2009, the Port of Portland seems to have found a winning recipe for conducting a successful online auction.

When the port first began posting assets online, all auctions were constructed business-as-usual. Item titles were an exact description of the asset. Titles like "24 Passenger Bus" or "Tennis gold bracelet" were used. The detailed descriptions included only what the item was, along with any other confirmed information they had on the asset. While all the information a bidder could need was provided, there was not a whole lot of excitement or laughter elicited from the auction page.

Then, in 2013, things began to change. The group responsible for posting auctions for the port got together and began listing items with an injection of humor and fun into the titles and details of the auction. Now titles like "The 'Silver Lining' Lot" for a lot of silver jewelry, "A Bit of a Fit" for a lot of 26 Fitbits, or "It's 73 in the Shade Today!" for a lot of sunglasses are making people stop and take notice. Several bidders are even commenting on the auctions. In the "ask a question" section of each auction page one bidder wrote, "Not a question, just a comment. Your description is one of the best! I laughed more than normal reviewing an online auction."

"We're very happy with the feedback that we get from GovDeals.com customers about our postings! It's always great to hear that someone laughed at our description or thought that we were creative in the way we put a lot together", comments Distribution Services department team member, Brent Burke.

When asked how they come up with their humorous titles and descriptions Brent Burke advised that each member of their team has developed an affinity for a certain niche, and offers new and fun ways to promote certain items. The team often bounces ideas off each other to determine the best way to advertise and item.

You can certainly see the positive results from this new method of listing assets, evidenced by their increase in sales. From January 2009 to June 2013, right around the time the auction descriptions began to change, the port was averaging sales of $3,855 per month. From July 2013 to present day, the Port of Portland's sales have increased to an average of $7,863 a month. That is a 103% increase in average monthly sales since the start of the fun new auction descriptions.

Items sold on the auction website are mostly unclaimed items from the PDX Lost & Found. After attempts to find the owner of the assets are unsuccessful, and a 90 day hold period is over, the lost items are then turned over to the port's distribution services group for sale or disposal. This is the group in charge of listing the assets. They also handle the sale of retired assets from the Port's other operations: communications equipment, vehicles, heavy equipment, and other materials.

Proceeds from the sales on GovDeals.com are credited back to the division of the Port's corporate structure wherein the goods originated.

Now, by way of laughter, catchy titles, and amusing content, the Port of Portland is growing their base of loyal bidders who often come just to see what the employees of the port will come up with next!

If you'd like to check out these funny and clever auctions for yourself go to https://www.govdeals.com/portofportland.

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About GovDeals and Liquidity Services, Inc.

GovDeals, Inc. is a subsidiary of Liquidity Services. Liquidity Services is a global solution provider in the reverse supply chain with the world's largest marketplace for business surplus. We partner with global Fortune 1000 corporations, middle market companies, and government agencies to intelligently transform surplus assets and inventory from a burden into a liquid opportunity that fuels the achievement of strategic goals. Our superior service, unmatched scale, and ability to deliver results enable us to forge trusted, long-term relationships with over 7,000 clients worldwide. With nearly $6 billion in completed transactions, and approximately 3 million buyers in almost 200 countries and territories, we are the proven leader in delivering smart surplus solutions. Let us build a better future for your surplus. Visit us at LiquidityServices.com.

GovDeals Media Contact:

Molly Nations | 334-312-3861 | mnations@govdeals.com