One county’s trash can be anyone’s treasure.

At the Forsyth County surplus auction Saturday, hundreds of no-longer-needed items will be up for live bids, beginning at 10 a.m.

Vehicles and heavy equipment draw in "a good crowd," said Avery Gravitt, county fleet services director.

Other items available include office furniture, public safety and gym equipment, appliances and scrap metal.

Anything obsolete, too expensive to repair or with some wear and tear may be declared ready for auction by the county, Gravitt said.

As examples, he cited vehicles ranging from the 1970s to 2007.

"You get to a point where it’s not worth it — from a safety standpoint or an economic standpoint — to keep these vehicles on the road," he said.

The live auction typically happens every other year, but the county skipped 2010 so more vehicles would be ready for bid, he said.

"We get our money’s worth," Gravitt said. "The county is trying to keep our equipment a little bit longer and running it as safely and economically as we can."

The auction is open to the public, but often draws in other local governments looking for deals, he said.

Wayne Evans Auction Company has been hired to run the auction. In return, it will receive a percentage of the sales.

In past years, Gravitt said the gross sales typically ranged between $200,000 and $250,000.

The money goes into the county’s general and/or fire funds.

The county also puts items out in online auctions, but the occasional live auction helps get rid of a lot of inventory at once, he said.

The item list for Saturday’s auction can be found on the Web sites for both the county and company.

The public can also browse the inventory during a preview from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday before the auction.