Penny-farthing bike, other unique finds up for grabs at VPD auction

This Vancouver Police Department's annual Recovered Goods Auction features almost 800 items this year, including a penny-farthing bicycle. March 9, 2016. (CTV)

The Vancouver Police Department’s annual Recovered Goods Auction features almost 800 items this year, including some unusual ones.

“This is a pretty unique item,” said Rob Kavanagh of Able Auctions as he pointed to a wooden stringed instrument with ornate carved decorations.

The auction also features a Breitling watch that appraisers value at more than $12,000, a pedi-cab for budding entrepreneurs and an old-fashioned penny-farthing bicycle.

"This is the first time we've ever auctioned off a bike like this,” said Kavanagh.

Each of the items in the auction was originally stolen, and then recovered by the VPD who prefer reuniting stolen goods with their owners to auctioning them off.

"The ultimate goal for the Vancouver Police Department and for the property office is not to have a sale,” said Ian Whightman, manager of the VPD’s Forensic Property Storage. “We want to get everything back but unfortunately that's not the nature of the beast."

In addition to the more unique items, Saturday’s auction includes 350 bikes and lots of tools, sporting goods and jewelry.

"We have the regular things that people steal,” said Kavanagh. “Every year we get the same kind of assortment and a lot of good, quality merchandise."

Auction staff say some of the high-end bikes will sell for just 20 to 30 per cent of their retail value, meaning $3,000 full-suspension mountain bikes could be had for as little as $500 each.

The city expects to rake in about $200,000 from the auction but not all of the 800 items will make it to the bidding stage on Saturday morning.

The public can view the merchandise on Thursday and Friday at Able Auctions in East Vancouver and anyone able to prove an item rightfully belongs to them can reclaim it.