The Daily Campus

Issue date: 10/12/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Nick Hart Patrons peruse merchandise outside the UConn Public Surplus Store at Depot Campus on Saturday. The store hosted its annual Auto Auction that day, selling 52 vehicles in two hours. Besides the Auto Auction, the store offered an assortment of items, from silverware to a pool table, that were donated to the store by various departments at UConn. [Click to enlarge]

Saturday morning was cloudy with a slight breeze - fine weather for October in New England. Although the chance of rain might not have mattered to the bulk of the student body, it was a cause for concern over at Depot Campus where the UConn Public Surplus Store was hosting its Auto Auction.

Local residents, UConn staff and even a few UConn students showed up looking to purchase a new vehicle. According to Robert Glass, an auctioneer contracted by the university who also runs his own business, the bidding started at 10 a.m. and lasted for two hours.

Glass announced prices via bullhorn for everything from standard four-door cars to dump trucks.

"We sold all 52 vehicles," said Glass.

Ibibia Altraide, a UConn student, made several purchases, one of which was a bus. Altraide, who is originally from Nigeria, said he plans to ship the bus back home, along with at least two of the vans he also bought.

According to Altraide, there is a huge need for transportation in Nigeria and people have trouble traveling from one town to another. Altraide, who has been thinking about starting a company in Nigeria for a while, plans to provide interstate transportation with the vehicles he purchased.

"This one hurt though," Altraide said, pointing at one of his new vans. "I got that one for $1,000 but then they sold that bigger one for $700 right after."

Continued...

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