Ebay, Facebook Marketplace, and ThredUp are all places to find decent used goods. Even Amazon has a bulk liquidations shop where you can buy pallets of overstock or returned items. They’re probably some of the first places you would go, but there’s another site you might want to check out called GovDeals that hosts online auctions for various goods. Here’s the kicker. You can buy items that were confiscated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Yes, the same TSA that checks people’s bags at security checkpoints before they fly.
Now, technically, the TSA doesn’t confiscate anything, but it does end up with abandoned items that are not allowed through security. For example, there are quite a few electronics the TSA bans from carry-on bags and if you don’t have another place to pack them, they have to be surrendered. Not everything on GovDeals comes from the airport, however. The goods are sourced from several government entities, spanning everything from construction and agricultural equipment to confiscated gear and real estate. According to the site FAQs, the seller-buyer relationship is a lot like what you’d find on eBay, with GovDeals facilitating the transaction, while the seller sets the terms.
How to buy confiscated TSA goods
It is an important distinction to make that not everything sold on GovDeals is a confiscated item from the TSA or other agency. It’s really just an online auction site for a wide-range of goods. That said, when it comes to the TSA, you might find items that were surrendered or left behind by passengers. If you use the advanced search function, and filter sellers by “airport”, you can find items that potentially came from TSA screenings. Most are sold in bulk like a miscellaneous bundle of neck pillows, carry-on and satchel-type bags, power tools, Swiss Army Knives, hunting knives, and box cutters, as well as power banks.
To buy something, you must sign in and place bids, then coordinate with the seller to pay for anything you win. Each listing is different. Most allow you to pay using PayPal, like you would on retail sites. Don’t get your hopes up about finding expensive electronics, however, as the TSA does let you travel with a Flipper Zero, along with other items like Steam Decks, retro handhelds, and laptops. Heck, the TSA allows video game consoles in your carry-on. So, it’s unlikely you’ll find these types of high-end items on GovDeals, but never say never.
