          
          
          
                            Information, Please
          
               Information on these sales is available through a
          subscription service.  Flyers are mailed about three
          weeks prior to a sale.  Each flyer lists the following:
               * Sale location and date
               * Viewing, inspection, and registration times
               * General description of the merchandise
               * Terms of sale
               For larger sales, abbreviated catalogs are mailed.
               How do you subscribe to this service?  Write EG&G
          Dynatrend, U.S. Customs Service Support Division, 2300
          Clarendon Blvd., Suite 705, Arlington VA 22201 and ask
          for a descriptive booklet titled Public Auctions. 
          Complete the application in this booklet and return it to
          EG&G Dynatrend, along with a check or money order.  After
          six to eight weeks, your subscription flyers will begin
          arriving.
               Subscriptions are yearlong and payment is
          nonrefundable.  You have three options when you
          subscribe:
               1) Nationwide, covering all sales in the continental
          United States, Alaska, and Puerto Rico.  Cost: $50.
               2) Eastern Region, covering all sales east of the
          Mississippi River, including Puerto Rico.  Cost: $25.
               3) Western Region, covering all sales west of the
          Mississippi River, including Alaska.  Cost: $25.
               Add $10 to each option for foreign delivery.
          
          
                           Dial "A" for Auction
          
               Another way to find out about U.S. Customs Service
          auctions is to dial the 24-hour Public Auction Line
          (PAL), which provides a recorded telephone message
          explaining upcoming sales.  When you call, you'll get
          information about sale dates, locations, viewing times,
          and descriptions of some of the items for sale.
               To reach PAL, dial (703)351-7887.  If you have a
          touch-tone phone, you can make the following selections
          by pressing:
               1 to subscribe to a flyer service
               2 for general information
               3 for specific listings: Eastern region
               4 for specific listings: Central region
               5 for specific listings: Western region
               6 for real estate sales
               7 to leave a message
               In addition to the subscription service and the PAL,
          you can find out about customs auctions by looking for
          ads in local newspapers and industry magazines.  Up-
          coming sales are usually advertised for three consecutive
          weeks prior to the sale date.  In addition, notices of
          upcoming sales are posted in the Customs Service office
          nearest the sale location.
          
          
          
                                Signing Up
          
               If you want to participate in a Customs auction, you
          must register at the sale site.  A bidder-registration
          form, located at each sale registration area, must be
          filled out and submitted to obtain a bidder number and
          sales catalog.  Once you have a bidder number, you're
          authorized to bid on any item up for sale.  You are
          responsible for any bids you make.
               Once you have a sales catalog, be sure to read the
          terms of sale.  They provide specific information about
          acceptable payment methods, removal dates, inspections,
          and so on.
          
          
                           Look Before You Leap
          
               Each Customs Service auction's viewing time is
          listed on the flyers, on the PAL, and in ads.  At these
          viewings you can inspect the merchandise or
          representative sample.
               Naturally, you shouldn't bid unless you have
          inspected the merchandise first.  Even if a flyer or
          catalog describes the items, all weights, measurements,
          and other attributes are only approximations.  You have
          to see for yourself.  Items for sale range from "new" to
          "salvage," and no merchandise is covered by warranties or
          guarantees.  All items are sold "as is."
               Viewing times may not be on the day of the sale. 
          You may have to make another trip beforehand to inspect
          merchandise.
               You should verify that the description of an item
          matches the actual merchandise.  If there is any
          confusion about lot numbers, check with sales-center
          personnel prior to the start of the sale.  The Customs
          Service reserves the right to pull any merchandise at any
          time prior to the sale.
               Some merchandise will be identified as "export
          only."  Such items can't be registered, used, or sold in
          the United States.  You should bid on such merchandise
          only if you intend to resell it in foreign markets.  EG&G
          Dynatrend, however, does not provide a list of licensing
          and federal permit requirements for export merchandise. 
          All countries have their own regulations, so they may not
          allow these goods for entry.  You should hire a customs
          broker or bonded carrier before bidding on "export only"
          merchandise.
          
                              Bidding Basics
          
               In a typical Customs Service auction, bids are open
          and prices are called out by the auctioneer.  They're
          "progressive," meaning that each bid must top the
          previous one.  Merchandise is identified and sold by lot
          number; if you bid, you bid on the entire lot.  Usually,
          the lots are sold in the same sequence listed in the
          sales catalog.
               When the auction starts, bidding begins immediately. 
          The auctioneer will announce each lot as it comes up for
          sale.  "Errata" sheets indicating any changes will have
          been inserted in the sales catalog.  Announcements may be
          made to clarify export status, catalog description, or
          other information about a lot.  These announcements don't
          alter the basic terms of sale.
               To bid, you raise your bidder number.  Pay close
          attention to what's going on because the auction process
          moves very quickly.  After making a successful bid,
          you're obligated to purchase that particular lot.  After
          the bidding is over, proceed to the cashier, where you
          can pay and receive a "notice of award," a receipt that
          is needed to pick up your merchandise.
          
          
                               Money Matters
          
               At Customs Service auctions, you can pay for
          merchandise in U.S. funds with cash or cashier's checks. 
          In some cases, Visa and MasterCard are accepted; check
          the terms of sale in the flyer or the catalog.
               Cashier's checks should be made payable to U.S.
          Customs Service/EG&G Dynatrend.  Alternatively, you can
          make the cashier's check payable to yourself.  If your
          bid wins, you can sign the check over to EG&G Dynatrend. 
          Caution: At Customs Service auctions, personal checks,
          business checks, or bank letters of credit are not
          accepted.
               What if you cashier's check is not made out for the
          exact amount of your purchase?  Normally, it's not
          possible to get change for more than 10% of a cashier's
          check, so you should probably bring several small
          cashier's checks rather than one large check.
               Unless you have a tax-exempt or resale number,
          you're responsible for paying any applicable state sales
          taxes on top of your winning bid.  You may be required to
          pay these taxes to the cashier at the time of sale or to
          tax officials after the purchase is made.  If sales taxes
          are required, you'll have to present proof of tax payment
          before the merchandise can be released.
          
          
                         You Can Take It With You
               After you've paid for your merchandise, EG&G
          Dynatrend will provide you with a "notice of award" form,
          which you can present to the storage vendor and take
          possession of what you've bought.  Removal of merchandise
          stored with commercial vendors is by appointment,and must
          be complete by the dates specified in the terms of sale. 
          If not, you may be able to make arrangements to continue
          storage, at your expense.
               When you take your merchandise, you and the vendor
          must sign the property release on the notice of award and
          submit it to EG&G Dynatrend as proof of delivery or a
          storage arrangement.  In all cases, merchandise must be
          paid for in full before removal.  In most cases, title
          documents for vehicles, vessels, or aircraft will be
          provided immediately after payment.
               What if you buy export-only property?  It usually
          needs to be removed from the U.S. within 30 days after
          the sale, although for some merchandise you will be
          allowed 60 days.  Check the terms of sale for specific
          dates.
               If you don't make the required payment, or if you
          don't remove merchandise in the amount of time specified,
          you'll lose all rights to the items you've bought.  The
          federal government will repossess the merchandise, and
          any money you have paid will be forfeited.
          
          
