Source Confirmed
Seller-confirmed
- So-Low U85-18 identity, -40°C to -85°C plate range, 115 V configuration, cabinet, five inner doors, shelves, and high-stage R404A are photo-confirmed.
Analysis snapshotSnapshot decision:REVIEW
So-Low U85-18 Ultra-Low Freezer — Auction Analysis
A photo-confirmed So-Low U85-18 is a current ultra-low freezer, but no cold-performance or alarm evidence, no visible storage racks, and heavy upright-freight and cascade-refrigeration risk support only a ~$900 blind ceiling.
Analysis snapshot · Historical — observed September 2, 2026. The scheduled close date of September 8, 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
- $900
The auction bid ceiling supported by this analysis, if one is defensible; see costs below for buyer-premium treatment.
Why this decision
REVIEW: the ~$900 blind ceiling is based on a $4,000 post-verification resale model; no observed bid or cold-performance evidence supports a stronger decision.
What to verify before bidding
- No pull-down or stable -80°C/-85°C evidence is available.
- The 725 lb-class freezer has upright-transport constraints.
See costs and maximum bid for the displayed assumptions and buyer-premium treatment.
- Snapshot auction result
- Not captured
- Bidders
- Not captured
- Blind-model resale
- $4,000
Snapshot provenance and timing · observed September 2, 2026 · scheduled close September 8, 2026
GSA Auctions sale 1-1-QSC-I-26-310, lot 040 · Marion, Indiana
Snapshot observed September 2, 2026
Scheduled close September 8, 2026
Analysis prepared September 2, 2026
Published September 2, 2026 · page updated September 2, 2026
Prepared and published by Oleksii Udod for LotCaliper.
View official GSA lotContinue 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.
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These are individually prepared, time-stamped analyses with recorded scheduled closes. Verify the official auction before acting.
Auction snapshot
This is the September 2, 2026 GSA preview observation for sale 1-1-QSC-I-26-310, lot 040. No high bid was displayed in the preserved snapshot.
An ultra-low freezer is valued from documented cold performance and controlled upright logistics, not exterior completeness.
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
- The controller is dark; no inventory racks are visible, and a neighboring freezer is excluded.
Not Established
Not established
- Pull-down, stable hold, both refrigeration stages, alarms, seals, service history, loading, and freight.
Manufacturer Context
Independent context
- So-Low lists the U85-18 as a current cascade-refrigeration model; manufacturer logistics context gives a 725 lb unit weight and roughly 900 lb shipping weight.
Lotcaliper Assumption
LotCaliper assumptions
- $4,000 conservative resale only after credible ultra-low verification.
- ~$900 blind maximum hammer after freight, testing, missing-rack, selling, profit, and uncertainty reserves.
Equipment identity
Laboratory · quantity 1
So-Low Environmental Equipment U85-18 ultra-low-temperature freezer
Identity confidence: High
Identity evidence
Supplied photographs show the U85-18 model plate, -40°C to -85°C range, and 115 V electrical configuration.
GSA Auctions · Image · observed September 2, 2026
Configuration
Inventory/drawer racks and storage accessories
Not established · no source evidence establishes presence or absence
Configuration evidence
No inventory or drawer racks are visible in the supplied photographs.
GSA Auctions · Image · observed September 2, 2026
Condition
Untested
No power-on, pull-down, stable ultra-low hold, alarm, seal, or cascade-refrigeration performance is evidenced.
Evidence confidence: High
Condition evidence
The controller is dark in the supplied photographs; physical completeness is not cold-performance evidence.
GSA Auctions · Image · observed September 2, 2026
Market evidence
Market evidence strength
Medium
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.
Verified-working resale model
- Max hammer
- $900
- Gross resale model
- $3,500–$4,500
The $900 ceiling reserves for freight, cold-performance verification, missing racks, selling friction, and cascade-refrigeration uncertainty.
Costs and maximum bid
| Transaction / operating cost | Amount | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Selling Fees | $600 | LotCaliper assumption: 15% of modeled gross resale. |
| Shipping | $900 | LotCaliper pickup, packing, rigging, and inbound-logistics reserve; not a carrier or GSA quote. |
| Testing Repair Reserve | $300 | LotCaliper functional-test and diagnostic reserve. |
| Risk Buffer | $400 | Cascade refrigeration, seal/alarm, upright transport, and undisclosed-condition risk reserve. |
| Other | $100 | LotCaliper missing-component, configuration, or recovery reserve; not a seller or service quote. |
- Buyer premium
- Not modeled
- Return requirements
- $500 minimum profit · 30% minimum ROI
- Computed bid constraints
Profit floor: $1,200
ROI floor: $915
Binding: ROI floor
- Snapshot blind/as-is max hammer
- $900
- Modeled result at recorded bid
- No bid recorded
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.
Cold performance and upright-freight economics
A tested-working exact U85-18 realized $3,999 in July 2026, but the auction unit has no cold-performance proof. A controller display or compressor noise alone would not establish a healthy two-stage system.
The model requires a documented pull-down and stable hold near -80°C, alarm checks, seal inspection, and an upright freight plan before applying stronger market context.
- Log pull-down and stable hold rather than relying on a single controller photograph.
- Confirm loading, palletization, route, carrier, and upright handling before exceeding the blind ceiling.
Recommendation and rationale
Snapshot decision
REVIEWREVIEW: the ~$900 blind ceiling is based on a $4,000 post-verification resale model; no observed bid or cold-performance evidence supports a stronger decision.
Confidence
- Identity
- High
- Configuration
- Medium High
- Condition
- Low
- Market Support
- Medium
- Costs
- Medium High
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 · Cold Performance Unverified
No pull-down or stable -80°C/-85°C evidence is available.
Power-on would not establish healthy cascade refrigeration.
High · Upright Freight Required
The 725 lb-class freezer has upright-transport constraints.
Manufacturer logistics context and no confirmed pickup plan.
Sources
View cited public sources
- GSA Auctions item 375827
Official auction provenance for the immutable preview observation.
- So-Low U85-18
Official current product, configuration, and logistics context; linked and paraphrased.