As the title says, just wondering if anyone picks up reloading supplies at auctions or even garage sales. Two weeks ago, I won a local online auction bid for some .338 cal bullets. When I went to pickup my winning bid, they also handed me about 1300 Winchester large rifle primers. For $20 I’d say I did alright. Since then, I’ve been watching the auctions and have seen lots of new and once fired brass, different caliber bullets, primers, and even powder. I have not bid on the powder or brass, it I have every thing else. Since I won my auction, the new bids are way up in price. Just wondering if anyone else has bought supplies this way.

Yes. In the "BC" days, before covid, we had 2-4 local gun auctions a year. I bought a few supplies at them.

Here’s my thoughts.

Anything factory sealed and properly labeled - yes, except powder and primers should be in a 21st century container
Open powder - never
Fired brass - depends - there’s a lot of once fired out there and fairly easy to detect if it’s ever been trimmed
Bullets - yes, but I measure and weigh every one if the box is open
Primers - nope. These are just too cheap new ($0.03 each) to take a chance (I mostly hunt, so failure to fire is not an option).

all the time

Ii bought some fired brass once- big mistake! Apparently it was fired with hot loads. Flattened primers n expanded case heads. Never again! Mel

Thanks for the replies. I put in a few more bids for some unopened boxes do bullets. They have a big lot of powder in the latest auction, but I think I’ll stick with buying new at the LGS for that and primers. I never intentionally bid on the primers I got, as they were not listed as part of the auction. I will keep looking for some items I may need and put a bid in here and there.

I bought a lot of my reloading equipment at a garage sale. Wife and a friend made garage sales on Sat. mornings. Called me at work and said this fellow had some reloading equipment. I talked to the fellow and bought just about all the equipment he had, for $75 dollars. Press and it was mounted on a bench, scales, several sets of dies, powder thrower, several shell holders for the press, case trimmer with a few pilots, and I'm sure I've forgotten some.

I buy bullets and brass only if it appears once fired, never powder or primers.

Sure,

But I evaluate each item on a case by case basis.

The exception is reloads. I don't buy other peoples reloads.

Nope.

I understand that, I'm not going to buy other's reloads either.