Five bucks for an office desk? Nassau County holds online auction

Are you in the market for a really good deal on a computer cart, a wooden office desk, or a living room couch? How about a 30-foot patrol boat, or your very own weather station? Nassau County, New York may have a deal for you.

Even if you're on a very low budget, you might find something to your liking in an online auction now being held by New York State's Nassau County. As of Friday afternoon, $1,700 was the top bid for a patrol boat once used by police officers to chase criminals in the waterways in and around Nassau County's Long Island turf.

But the 16- by 7.5- by 6-foot standalone weather station -- made by Wells Fargo -- was still going for a mere $5.00, with the next bid pegged at $6.00.

A computer/printer stand still awaited a starting bid of $5.00, and so did a floor lamp, four steel/formica desks, and a combo "A/V cabinet, TV & VCR." For $6.00 or more, you could get into the bidding action on 16 assorted file cabinets, five wooden conference tables, or a wooden podium. And couches -- "in various styles, in good condition" -- were going for a mere $27.00.

The bidding on all of these government surplus items doesn't close until June 11, though, so prices could still shoot up a lot.

There are a couple of hitches to keep in mind, though. First, winning buyers are responsible for picking up and carting away their government surplus loot. So depending on where you're located -- and what you're buying -- transport costs might turn out to be prohibitive for you.

Second, if you just so happen to be an employee of Nassau County -- or if you have a family member who works for the county -- you're precluded from bidding in this online auction at all.