PropertyRoom vs GovDeals (2026): Where Police Seized Property Actually Sells

If you're hunting "police auctions," you'll end up on one of these two platforms — but they handle very different slices of law-enforcement surplus. PropertyRoom is where the contents of the evidence locker go; GovDeals is where the department's old cruisers and trucks go.

TL;DR

PropertyRoom (propertyroom.com) = seized, forfeited, and unclaimed personal property from police departments and sheriff's offices. Jewelry, watches, phones, laptops, bikes, tools, the occasional firearm. Most items ship to you. ~16.5% buyer's premium.

GovDeals (govdeals.com) = general state and local government surplus, including seized vehicles. Police cars, public-works trucks, equipment, and confiscated cars. Almost everything is local pickup. 7.5–12.5% premium.

Want a seized Rolex shipped to your door? PropertyRoom. Want a retired police Charger you'll drive home? GovDeals.

Quick decision

• Jewelry, electronics, bikes, or small seized goods
• Items shipped to you (no travel)
• The classic "police auction" personal-property experience

• Seized or surplus vehicles
• Larger equipment and municipal assets
• Lower buyer's premium and you can pick up locally

Side by side

Where each actually wins

Shipping vs. pickup This is the deciding factor for most buyers. PropertyRoom ships the overwhelming majority of its catalog from regional warehouses, so you can buy from anywhere in the country. GovDeals is built around local pickup — great for vehicles and bulky equipment, useless if there's nothing listed near you.

The premium gap PropertyRoom's ~16.5% premium is steep, and on small items it meaningfully changes the math (a $100 win costs ~$116.50 plus shipping). GovDeals' tiered premium is lower and shrinks on bigger-ticket lots. For a $10,000 vehicle, GovDeals' effective rate is far gentler than PropertyRoom's flat rate would be.

Inventory overlap is small The two genuinely compete only on seized vehicles, and even there they rarely list the same units — a department typically routes personal property to PropertyRoom and rolling stock to GovDeals. For everything else, they're not substitutes.

Authenticity and condition PropertyRoom photographs and describes items but sells as-is; on jewelry and electronics, do your own authentication math into your max bid. GovDeals vehicles come with whatever documentation the selling agency provides — read the listing for title status and known issues.

Should you use both?

For resellers, yes. PropertyRoom is a sourcing channel for flippable small goods (watches, electronics, bikes) that ship; GovDeals is your channel for vehicles and equipment you can collect and resell locally. Different inventory, different logistics, different margins.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are both legit police auction sites? Yes. Both are established platforms that government agencies use to dispose of property through a documented public process. Avoid third-party "police auction access" sites that charge membership fees — these two are free to browse.

Why is PropertyRoom's premium so high? PropertyRoom handles storage, photography, authentication, and shipping for huge volumes of small items, and the ~16.5% premium funds that operation. It's the trade-off for getting seized goods shipped to your door.

Where do seized cars actually sell? Usually GovDeals (for state and local agencies) or GSA Auctions (for federal seizures). PropertyRoom lists the occasional vehicle but specializes in personal property.

Can I pick up a PropertyRoom item to skip shipping? Some warehouses allow local pickup, but the platform is built around shipping. GovDeals is the better choice if you specifically want a pickup-based transaction.