Source Confirmed
Seller-listed inventory
- Dell PowerVault ML6000, PowerEdge 2950, PowerEdge R720, and hard drives removed.
- $105 observed bid, two bidders, pickup/removal responsibility, and date/location.
Analysis snapshotSnapshot decision:REVIEW
Mixed Dell/HP Data-Center Equipment — Auction Analysis
A $105 bid is not enough to justify buying from a front photo: tape-drive configuration, R720 hardware, and whether the unlisted HP library is included dominate the economics.
Analysis snapshot · Historical — observed August 24, 2026. The scheduled close date of August 26, 2026 has passed. The price, evidence, economics, and recommendation remain exactly as recorded and are not current.
Decision at a glance
RecommendationREVIEW
- Maximum hammer bid
- $0
The auction bid ceiling supported by this analysis, if one is defensible; see costs below for buyer-premium treatment.
Why this decision
Seller-confirmed assets support only about $475 blind gross resale and a $0 ceiling. At the observed $105 bid, inspection must support roughly $1,300 conservative aggregate resale before the lot becomes attractive.
What to verify before bidding
- Installed tape-drive count, generation, and interface dominate value.
- The photo-visible HP library is not seller-confirmed inventory.
See costs and maximum bid for the displayed assumptions and buyer-premium treatment.
- Snapshot observed bid
- $105
- Bidders
- 2
- Blind-model resale
- $475
Snapshot provenance and timing · observed August 24, 2026 · scheduled close August 26, 2026
GSA Auctions sale 4-1-QSC-I-26-450, lot 007 · San Francisco, California
Snapshot observed August 24, 2026
Scheduled close August 26, 2026
Analysis prepared August 24, 2026
Published August 24, 2026 · page updated August 25, 2026
Prepared and published by Oleksii Udod for LotCaliper.
Continue after this auction
This auction snapshot is historical. Continue with related research, or review a relevant published analysis whose recorded scheduled close has not passed.
No related published analysis currently has a future scheduled close.
Auction snapshot
This GSA Auctions lot contains a Dell PowerVault ML6000, a Dell PowerEdge 2950, and a Dell PowerEdge R720. On August 24, 2026, the high bid was $105 with two bidders. The equipment is used, hard drives were removed, and the buyer handles pickup and removal.
Seller text and auction photos can conflict, and hidden configuration can dominate the economics.
Review and correction history
Independent review not recorded for this legacy analysis. No corrections recorded.
View review and correction details
Independent review not recorded
Published before the current independent-review gate; no completed independent review is recorded.
How independent review worksHow evidence is classified
Seller facts, photo-derived observations, manufacturer context, unknowns, and LotCaliper assumptions remain explicitly separated.
Photo Derived
Photo-derived inventory
- An additional HP StorageWorks MSL4048-family library appears visible but is not textually listed, so inclusion is unconfirmed.
- The Dell library appears consistent with the ML6000 family; exact installed drives require rear inspection.
Not Established
Not established
- Tape-drive count, generation, and interface in either library; R720 CPU/RAM/RAID/NIC/PSU configuration; HP library inclusion.
Lotcaliper Assumption
LotCaliper assumptions
- $475 blind gross resale, $0 blind ceiling, and ~$1,300 decision threshold at the observed bid.
- The unconfirmed HP library and removed hard drives contribute $0 in the blind model.
Equipment identity
Data Center · quantity 1
Dell PowerVault ML6000
Identity confidence: High
Identity evidence
The seller lists one Dell PowerVault ML6000.
GSA Auctions · Source Field · observed August 24, 2026
Official ML6000 documentation supports configuration and installed-drive inspection context.
Dell · Text · observed August 24, 2026
View official reference
Data Center · quantity 1
Dell PowerEdge R720
Identity confidence: High
Identity evidence
The seller lists one Dell PowerEdge R720 and states that hard drives were removed.
GSA Auctions · Source Field · observed August 24, 2026
Official R720 Manuals & Documents landing page supports configuration-inspection context.
Dell · Text · observed August 24, 2026
View official reference
Data Center · quantity 1
Dell PowerEdge 2950
Identity confidence: High
Identity evidence
The seller lists one Dell PowerEdge 2950 and states that hard drives were removed.
GSA Auctions · Source Field · observed August 24, 2026
Data Center · quantity 1
HP/HPE StorageWorks MSL4048-family tape library (inclusion unconfirmed)
Identity confidence: Medium High
Identity evidence
An additional library is strongly consistent with the MSL4048 family, but it is not in the seller-written inventory.
GSA Auctions · Image · observed August 24, 2026
Configuration
Tape-drive count, generation, and SAS/Fibre Channel interface
Possible · Low confidence
Configuration evidence
Front-photo evidence cannot establish installed rear drive modules.
GSA Auctions · Image · observed August 24, 2026
R720 CPU, RAM, RAID, NIC, PSU, and iDRAC configuration
Possible · Low confidence
Configuration evidence
The R720 is visible but its internal/BIOS configuration is not established.
GSA Auctions · Image · observed August 24, 2026
HP MSL4048-family library inclusion
Possible · Medium confidence
Configuration evidence
Photo-derived asset conflicts with the written lot inventory.
GSA Auctions · Image · observed August 24, 2026
Condition
Storage Media Removed
Used equipment with hard drives removed; installed tape drives and server configuration remain unknown.
Evidence confidence: High
Condition evidence
GSA inventory and removal terms, paraphrased.
GSA Auctions · Source Field · observed August 24, 2026
Market evidence
Market evidence strength
Medium High
Public auditability
Limited Legacy
Evidence recency
Not Recorded
No structured comparable-evidence metadata was preserved for this dated snapshot. Public auditability is limited; the numeric resale snapshot cannot be independently audited from comparable records on this page.
Legacy evidence counts were not preserved. Unknown is not reported as zero.
Sensitivity and robustness
Requires Verification
The scenarios show potentially workable economics, but the stated verification gate must be resolved before bidding responsibly.
Seller-confirmed blind configuration
- Max hammer
- $0
- Gross resale model
- $475
The photo-only HP library contributes $0; modeled result at $105 is roughly a $300 loss.
Inspection threshold at the observed $105 bid
- Required gross resale
- ~$1,300
Inspection should support ~$1,300 conservative aggregate gross resale before the lot becomes attractive.
Costs and maximum bid
| Transaction / operating cost | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Selling Fees | $71.25 | LotCaliper assumption: 15% of modeled conservative resale proceeds. |
| Shipping | $300 | LotCaliper pickup, packing, and inbound-logistics reserve; not a GSA or carrier quote. |
| Testing Repair Reserve | $150 | LotCaliper cleaning, diagnostics, and functional-verification reserve. |
| Risk Buffer | $150 | LotCaliper reserve for unknown configuration, functional failures, handling, and disposal. |
- Buyer premium
- Not modeled
- Return requirements
- $500 minimum profit · 30% minimum ROI
- Computed bid constraints
Profit floor: $0
ROI floor: $0
Binding: Profit and ROI floors
- Snapshot blind/as-is max hammer
- $0
- Modeled result at recorded bid
- -$301.25 profit · -42.73% modeled ROI
This is a reseller ceiling, not a prediction of the auction's closing price. Any buyer premium or other unquoted acquisition charge must be deducted before bidding.
Why hidden configuration dominates value
Tape-library chassis are not the main value driver. Installed tape-drive count, LTO generation, SAS versus Fibre Channel, controller state, power supplies, robotics, magazines, and drive detection can move resale by hundreds of dollars.
The R720 is the meaningful server, but CPU count/model, RAM, RAID, NICs, power supplies, iDRAC, and successful POST remain unknown. Removed drives receive no resale value.
Blind economics and decision threshold
The blind model assigns $150 to the R720, $75 to the 2950, $250 to the Dell library, and $0 to the photo-only HP library: $475 gross resale. At $105, the modeled result is roughly a $300 loss after selling, logistics, testing, and risk costs.
Even confirming the HP chassis with an unknown drive configuration only raises modeled resale to about $725. At the observed bid, inspection must support roughly $1,300 conservative gross resale before the standard profit threshold is met.
| Configuration scenario | Modeled gross resale | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Weak: both libraries without meaningful drives | ~$725 | SKIP |
| Better: HP with a useful tested drive; modest servers | ~$1,175 | Still below threshold |
| Strong: higher-value working drives + strong R720 | >$1,300 | Potential BUY at $105 |
Inspection priorities
- Confirm the HP MSL4048-family library is actually included in Lot 007.
- Record each library's exact model, drive count/models, LTO generation, SAS/FC, PSUs, controller, robotics, magazine, and drive detection; keep serials internal.
- Record R720 CPU count/model, RAM, RAID, NICs, PSU count, iDRAC, and POST/BIOS state.
- Spend only basic power-on/configuration time on the low-value PowerEdge 2950.
Recommendation and rationale
Snapshot decision
REVIEWSeller-confirmed assets support only about $475 blind gross resale and a $0 ceiling. At the observed $105 bid, inspection must support roughly $1,300 conservative aggregate resale before the lot becomes attractive.
Confidence
- Identity
- Medium High
- Configuration
- Medium
- Condition
- Low Medium
- Market Support
- Medium High
- Costs
- Medium
Market support assesses how well the available evidence supports the resale assumption. Exact third-party marketplace records may be omitted when source-use rights are unclear. Each dimension uses the published methodology rubric; a confidence label measures the strength and boundedness of its evidence, not the likelihood of a profitable outcome.
Risks and unknowns
High · Tape Drives Unknown
Installed tape-drive count, generation, and interface dominate value.
Library chassis without useful drives are economically different from working LTO5/LTO6-class configurations.
High · Photo Inventory Conflict
The photo-visible HP library is not seller-confirmed inventory.
It contributes $0 in the blind model until inclusion is confirmed.
Sources
View cited public sources
- GSA Auctions API / Data.gov
Official provenance for the auction facts. The supplied research record did not contain a verified direct item URL, so none is invented here.
- Dell PowerVault ML6000 documentation
Official configuration reference; linked and paraphrased.
- Dell PowerEdge R720 Manuals & Documents
Stable official server documentation landing page; linked and paraphrased.
- HPE MSL4048 documentation
Official identification/configuration reference for the photo-derived, inclusion-unconfirmed library.