Lost your jewellery? It might be for sale at a police auction in Napier

Auction specialist Bob Foster with one of the powerful and sought-after police-held lots. Photo / Roger Moroney

The crew at Maidens & Foster Auctioneering in Napier are expecting a few less familiar faces at Wednesday's auction as it has a police component.

Among the 400 lots are about 100 lots being auctioned on behalf of the police — and the line-up of goods is diverse and in most lot cases eagerly sought.

"The police auction always draws a slightly different crowd," auction specialist Bevan Healey said, adding it was the fact that something special would often come up that drew people.

Many regular attendees would also call and ask when the next police auction was likely to be staged.

"They just want to be here."

While the company stages an auction weekly, every three or four months or so they are called to take aboard the police "collection".

"It varies when we have them," Healey said.

"When they have a lot of stuff they ring us."

And the "stuff" in this Wednesday's auction will add some colour.

Among the line-up is jewellery, including greenstone and pendants, a large number of power tools and chainsaws, fishing gear and bicycles.

As has become a tradition, the power tools will be quickly swept up, Healey said.

The lots are comprised of unclaimed lost property handed in or recovered items from searches in the wake of burglaries.

A police spokesperson said the items were held for a period of time for people to claim, which was put in place on a case-by-case basis.

"Depending on the significance and value of the item."

Every "few months" the collection of goods was put up for auction, and police were strict in ensuring that no items put up contained any personal or sensitive information.

Bob Foster said the auctions also sometimes had a seasonal touch.

At the start of the summer bicycles were hugely popular but eased off into the cooler months.

But power tools and chainsaws were a continual attraction.

"Top stuff," Foster said.

The auction house, which started up in 1996, is one of only a small number left in the main centres.

The internet had picked up a lot of the second-hand selling trade but the Napier auction house had thrived on a traditional and friendly touch with customers and clients.

"There used to be three auction houses in Tauranga but they've gone now," Healey said.

And Palmerston North is also now without an auction house — which explains why there are always a few now-familiar faces from those parts at the Napier auctions.

"We also get people from Wairoa coming through for the auctions."