PEABODY — Ever picture yourself behind the wheel of fire truck, a big yellow school bus, or an ambulance?
Here’s your chance to own one. The city of Peabody is hoping to raise money by auctioning off 35 “retired” items including a fire pumper, school buses, trucks, passenger vehicles, vans previously used to carry seniors, and highway equipment.
“Everyone loves to shop,” said Daniel Doucette, the city’s purchasing agent. “We have tried practically every way of disposing of vehicles in the time that I’ve been here. I’ve done hammer auctions myself, sealed bid auctions, and we had a real auctioneer.”
The last time the city had an auction five years ago, they sold two dozen vehicles from $200 to $10,000 and raised nearly $28,000, he said.
This time, the city has hired Auctions International, a New York-based company that specializes in assisting municipalities sell outdated vehicles. The online auction began on Monday and will continue through Thursday, Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m.
At press time, they have bids totaling more than $20,000 with eight days left to go.
But what can someone do with a fire truck?
“I was in Nashville two weeks ago where I saw where someone had turned a fire truck into a party truck,” Doucette said. “The hose bed at the rear of the truck was replaced with bench seats and they were taking people around to local establishments.”
An ambulance, he said, can be used as a work truck.
“When you think of it, an ambulance is really a heavy-duty van,” he said. “The one we are selling was given to the Peabody Fire Department by Atlantic Ambulance and repurposed as a supply truck at fires.”
To get a close up look at their vehicles, go to the former Public Works facility at the rear of Berry Street, off Warren Street, on Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. The other site is at the Department of Public Works property at 50 Farm Ave. from 10 a.m. to noon.
To view the auction, go to www.auctionsinternational.com and put Peabody’s zip code, 01960 or 01961, in the search for items.
