Some people will and do pay way too much for things at auctions, you need to do some homework beforehand and know what things are worth then set a limit on what you are willing to pay for it.
You will find rubbish at auctions but good stuff can also be found and also for cheap prices sometimes.
Possible, but the 'original' owners of these 'unclaimed items' mightn't know about the auction, might have replaced their 'lost' item through insurance or their own pocket, may have just given up looking for it and trying to get it back or they might live a long way away or have moved. Some of the stuff at this auction may have collected by the Police 6 months ago. Most of the stuff at this auction is probably stolen goods that has been seized, but some of it may have been bought new by a criminal and seized as it is seen to have been bought through the proceeds of crime.
Most stuff would probably sell for more than what a pawn shop would be willing to buy it for let alone adding a profit that you would want to make. From what I understand of pawn shops, they are a good place for quick small amounts of cash, but not a good place to get a decent price. If you bought something to later resell for a profit, ebay, the trading post or classifieds would be probably be the better options.
