This week on Municibid Live, Greg Berry, Jameel Farruk, Jackie Blaskovich, and Sophie Eden discussed one of the most best surplus finds to hit the marketplace: two Rolex Datejust watches, complete with original box, papers, and warranty cards, being sold by the West Milford Township Police Department in New Jersey.
That led to a deep dive into Rolex history, automatic watch movements, James Bond, and a price prediction that may or may not age well. More on that below.
The team also previewed active auctions ranging from a hot pink ATV to a heavy rescue fire engine, recapped some strong sale prices from the previous week, and teased a major announcement coming on July 6th.
New Government Sellers Joining Municibid
Municibid welcomed a new wave of government sellers this week, spanning Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Texas, Maryland, and Maine. The range of organizations joining is a good reminder of just how broad the Municibid seller community is.
Welcome to our new sellers!
Fredericksburg Sewer and Water Authority, Pennsylvania
Bedford Free Public Library, Massachusetts
Town of North Providence, Rhode Island
Town of Wellfleet, Massachusetts
Butler County Conservation District, Pennsylvania
Town of Freiburg, Maine
Bradford Area School District, Pennsylvania
Brady Township, Pennsylvania
Washington County Engineer and Highway Department, Ohio
New Castle Independent School District, Texas
Accident Volunteer Fire Department, Maryland
Last week the team was at the Ocean State Public Works Show in Rhode Island. Coming up: the Connecticut Municipal Conference, the NIGP Conference in Ohio, and the PSATS Public Works Conference in Pennsylvania.
Active Auctions Worth Watching
2016 Polaris Outlaw 110 ATV — West Milford Township Police Department, New Jersey
Hot pink and white that Jameel compared to the Power Rangers. This ATV has been in storage for about a year, runs but needs a jump pack to start, and requires a new battery. Minor scratches on the gas tank sticker. Otherwise in good shape, with 13 bids and no reserve. The winning bidder receives a notarized bill of sale at pickup.
2007 KME Predator Heavy Rescue Fire Engine — West Manchester Township Fire Department, Pennsylvania
Currently sitting at $77,000 with the reserve not yet met. Packed with equipment storage and detailed condition information in the listing. Ends Thursday, June 25th at noon. If you're a construction company looking for a water delivery solution, this fire truck could be a good option. Buyers find creative uses for fire trucks well beyond firefighting.
2001 John Deere 6410 with Alamo Boom Mower — Marion Township, Pennsylvania
Twenty-six bids, reserve met, and only about 21 hours left at the time of the episode. Comes with a boom mower and rotary head, with plenty of photos from multiple angles. No questions asked yet, so inspection details are available through the contact listed on the listing page.
2004 Case MXC100 Roadside Mower — Town of Hanover, New Hampshire
Twenty-nine bids, no reserve, ending Friday at 2:30 p.m. Fair condition with typical wear for the age: faded paint, minor surface rust, cosmetic imperfections. Fully functional when taken out of service in September 2025, and it comes with replacement blades. The seller has been responsive to questions in the Q&A section.
Jameel's Pick of the Week: Two Rolex Datejust Watches
Two Rolex Datejust watches are currently live on Municibid, both being sold by the West Milford Township Police Department in New Jersey. One features a chocolate brown dial. The other is the Wimbledon version with a slate gray dial. Both are fully mechanical automatic watches with perpetual rotors that means they wind themselves through the movement of your wrist, no battery required. And both come with their original box, warranty card, and papers.
That last part matters a lot in the Rolex world.
"A lot of times what people have done over the years is purchase these Rolexes, they lose the box, they lose the warranty card and papers. But if you have the complete set, it's like the holy grail." — Jameel Farruk
Jameel also came prepared with some history. The most valuable Rolex ever sold at auction for $17 million was a Daytona that belonged to Paul Newman. The original James Bond watch, worn by Sean Connery, was a Rolex Explorer. Rolex also operates its own steel foundry and its own gold foundry, giving the company a high level of control over material quality.
These two watches have been certified as authentic, inspected, and verified as the real deal. According to Jameel, they're some of the most pristine condition Rolexes he's seen on Municibid.
Price Prediction: The Rolexes
Last week Jameel predicted the sousaphone lot from Governor Mifflin School District in Pennsylvania would close at $750. With two weeks still left on the auction, it is already sitting at $1,150.
This week, Jameel turned the tables and asked Greg to predict the final sale price on the two Rolex Datejusts.
Greg's predictions: $26,000 for the chocolate dial. $21,000 for the Wimbledon version.
Greg, who describes himself as decidedly not a watch guy and uses his Apple Watch mainly to tell time and track workouts, was skeptical. We'll check back on July 6th.
What Sold Last Week
Sophie walked through a handful of items that closed since the previous episode.
Fire hoses — $775. Several thousand feet of hose in multiple sizes. A few weeks back the team had floated ideas for what a buyer could do with that much material: dog toys, wallets, purses, resellable goods. The winning bidder got an enormous amount of raw material for under $800.
2009 Harley Davidson police motorcycle — $4,200. From the City of Worcester, Massachusetts. Police edition Harleys are consistently popular on the platform, and this one was in great condition.
2018 Kawasaki Tyrex UTV — $7,900. A four-seat UTV out of Shamokin, Pennsylvania — which, as it turns out, is where Greg's mom's family is originally from. The coal region of Pennsylvania, complete with abandoned mines you can still tour today.
2022 International plow truck — $50,000. From Sanford, Maine. Came with both a front plow and a wing plow, which is less common than you might think. A very complete package for whoever won it.
Jackie's Tip of the Week: Inspect Before You Bid
Jackie closed out the episode with a reminder that applies especially to big-ticket items: whenever possible, inspect before you place a bid.
Photos and listing descriptions are genuinely helpful, but they can't always tell the whole story. Most sellers on Municibid will arrange in-person inspections. The seller’s contact information is in the additional information section of each listing. If you can't make it in person, use the Q&A section on the listing page to ask specific questions before bidding. Sellers are notified of unanswered questions and encouraged to respond.
All bids on Municibid are final, so doing your homework ahead of time helps you bid with confidence and avoids surprises at pickup.
See You on July 6
The Municibid 20th Anniversary Picnic is this Saturday. It's sold out, but for those who are attending: expect live music, local food vendors, lawn games, and a few surprises the team isn't giving away just yet.
There will be no live stream next week. The team is taking a break after the picnic and heading into the Fourth of July holiday.
The next Municibid Mondays Live is July 6th at noon Eastern. There's a major announcement planned for that episode. You'll want to tune in!
Explore current government surplus auctions at municibid.com.
