If you want a real “steal” on just about anything and want it for a “deal” have I got the place for you. Just log on to www.propertyroom.com and you will find “Hot merchandise.” Literally “hot” as in previously stolen goods. I am not joking. This is a site that collects stolen goods that have been confiscated by police departments all over the country. If the rightful owners cannot be found, the merchandise is in the hands of the cops. A smart former police detective decided to make a business out of all these “lost” goods. He has agreements with police departments where they give him the goods; he sells them on his site, and then gives the municipalities a percentage of the profits. Everyone wins. The towns use it for the common good, the site makes money and the buyer gets a deal.
All you have to do is peruse the site and bid on what you want. There is no minimum bid so if you are the only one bidding you can make out like a bandit. We had some fun on the Today Show and spent a few bucks in one hour to see what we could buy. We got two dresses at a buck each, a man’s wool sweater for $11 that retails for $300 and various jewelry for a few dollars.
I wore one of the dresses on the show today and I admit it wasn’t my usual “look.” And boy did I hear about it! Meredith Viera said it was “ugly” but Natalie Morales caught me in the hall and said it was “great!” My mom called and thought it was an expensive outfit my friend Shane Markus had picked for me. Hey you never know!
My husband just tried logging onto www.propertyroom.com and the site is jammed!
Oh and if you find and item of yours that was stolen…you can get it back. The site has a policy called ‘Steal it back” the rightful owner will get the goods back at no charge!
You can watch my entire segment on www.msnbc.com
Happy Shopping!