Raleigh & NC state government auctions surplus items. Here’s how to get deals
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Local governments sell surplus items on GovDeals, from tools to vehicles.
- Raleigh will auction a Pullen Park locomotive; prices can reach $200K.
- State auctions unclaimed property; check unclaimed.nccash.gov to search.
Coins and jewelry. A Pullen Park locomotive train. A pallet of speaker system equipment.
How do local governments get rid of property it no longer needs? State law allows cities and counties to sell surplus property, including on auction websites, according to a University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill School of Government blog post.
Numerous local governments use GovDeals.com to auction off their surplus property, which can include vehicles, office supplies, maintenance tools and small electronics.
One big item the city of Raleigh intends to auction off is one of the locomotive trains from Pullen Park, which just reopened after several weeks of construction.
Bid on Pullen Park train
Raleigh is also auctioning off its 2015 silver CP Huntington Propane locomotive train, replacing the front of the Pullen Park train with a new black electric locomotive. The red trappings on the wheels, cowcatcher and stack will still appear on the new locomotive, according to photos provided by the city.
“It’s really the same, old, classic Huntington look but with a great paint job. It looks fantastic,” said Adam Forman, assistant director for the city’s parks department, adding the “train obsessives” on staff are happy with the aesthetics and technology of the new locomotive.
The online auction begins at 8 a.m. Monday, April 6, and ends at 7 p.m. Monday, April 27, on govdeals.com.
The same model train engine, but built in 2000, sold for $18,200 by the Birmingham Zoo on GovDeals in 2024. The prices, Forman said, can range from a few thousand dollars to $200,000.
NC auction for unclaimed property
The state is holding an auction for unclaimed property, which the usually consists of bank accounts, wages, insurance policy proceeds and contents of safe deposit boxes that have been abandoned for one to five years, according to the North Carolina Department State Treasury Department.
The auction ends at 3 p.m. Friday, April 3, and can be found at govdeals.com/nccash.
North Carolina has $1.7 billion in unclaimed property, and implemented its NC Cash program to help owners reunited with money or property that has not been claimed. You can check for unclaimed property by going to unclaimed.nccash.gov.
The state also has surplus property retail store in Raleigh and at locations across North Carolina universities including at NC State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Bring cash, and there are no refunds, exchanges or returns.
The state surplus retail store, located at 6501 Chapel Hill Road, Raleigh, is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Can you save money on government surplus websites?
The Penny Hoarder, a personal finance news site, states customers can find savings on the government surplus websites like govdeals.com, if they know where to look The best categories to save money on GovDeals, according to The Penny Hoarder, are:
- vehicles and transportation equipment,
- heavy equipment and industrial tools,
- office furniture and fixtures,
- electronics and IT equipment
- maintenance, safety and utility supplies
In a blog post, GovDeals.com recommends people read the item descriptions carefully to learn about its condition and functionality, know the true value of items by comparing it to other second-hand selling websites and be aware that some items, including large items, may not ship.
Portions of this story were previously published in The News & Observer.
This story was originally published April 1, 2026 at 12:09 PM.
