Black Tommy Hilfiger wallet, $3. Phillips portable CD player, $4.67. Samurai sword, $45.99.
Bargain hunters bought these items that the Fort Wayne Police Department had seized during investigations and then auctioned over the Internet.
The department began using an online auction service, PropertyRoom.com, this year to auction off forfeited items kept in the evidence room. By going online, police are making more money with less fuss than using local auction houses to sell the items, officials said.
Confident with the venture, Fort Wayne police will ship another batch of forfeited items this month to be placed on the cyber auction block.
“We can save space, manpower, time,” Fort Wayne police Deputy Chief Karl Niblick said, “and we have a larger variety of audience with the online auction.”
Allen County used the same service last year to sell bicycles the sheriff’s department found. County officials, however, weren’t satisfied with the results and returned to local auctions.

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Posted: 10|10|05 at 9:02 am. Filed under: US News.