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Shoppers Buying Groceries At Auction
March 25, 2009Buyers Bid On Out-Of-Date, Damaged Goods
DALLAS, Pa. -- As consumers seek relief from the recession and spiraling food prices, bidding on goods at grocery auctions is gaining in popularity as an easy way to cut costs.
The sales operate like regular auctions, but with bidders vying for dry goods and frozen foods instead of antiques and collectibles. Some auctioneers even accept food stamps.
When Kirk Williams held his first grocery auction in rural Pennsylvania last month, nearly 300 people showed up. Astonished by the turnout, he's scheduling auctions at locations throughout northeastern Pennsylvania.
The auctions sell leftover or damaged goods from supermarkets, distribution centers and restaurant suppliers. Some of the goodies are out-of-date. But the auctioneers stress that they're still OK to eat. The FDA does not generally prohibit the sale of food past its sell-by or use-by date.
Grocery auctions can be found in at least nine states from Oklahoma to New York.
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