Looking for a bike? Try the Poliisi

In my search for a cheap and good bike I have been looking at different options. They have been from random people with fliers in the student buildings, to Huuto (the Finnish version of Ebay), to others like the repaired bikes at Aurinkotehdas. I have even considered buying from Amazon.co.uk, where I actually asked the Finnish customs officials at Tulli if I would have to pay additional import taxes (the answer to that was no).

However, later I found out that the Police Stations all over Finland organize auctions (huutokauppa) in order to get rid of different items that are either confiscated or lost and never reclaimed. The biggest of those auctions is the bike sales.

In Finland many people insure their bikes and when they get stolen or lost they do not bother to go and claim them, they prefer to go to the insurance company and get another one with that money. So in theory there are a lot of good bikes. Of course there are also those bikes that are forgotten outside under the snow or fished from the river.

I have uploaded a short clip of one bike's bidding process, as you can see they go quite quickly. I am the one that is offering 30€ (kolme kymmentä) but was not willing to go higher for this one.

With help I transcribed the Finnish text (that you can see in the clip) using the original spoken version. I also placed here the translation in English so you can get the idea.

Finnish (spoken jargon)

English translation

muuten siistikuntoinen tommonen [pyörä] Tunturi runko ja... huutoja - Viis euro - Viisi euroo, ensimmäinen, toinen - kymppi! - Kymmenen monelta Kaks kymmentä, kakskyt euroo tuolla - Kaks viis - Kaks viis monelta - kolme kymmentä! - kolkyt euroo, kolkyt euroo kolkytviis euroo, kolkytviis euroo - ensimmäinen, toinen - nelkyt! -nelkyt.. viiskyt - viiskyt on enempi, joo viiskyt euroo täällä Hienoa! viiskyt euroo Viiskyt euroo, ensimmäinen, toinen Ja viiskytviis, joku sano viisikytviis euroo, ensimmäinen, toinen ja.. kuuskyt euroo kuuskyt euroo, ensimmäinen, toinen ja kuusikymmenta euroo. kolmas kerta. hieno..

otherwise in good shape [bike] Tunturi frame and ... Let's bid - Ten from many [bidders] Twenty, twenty euros there - Twenty five - Twenty five from many [bidders] - Thirty! - Thirty euros, Thirty euros Thirty five euros, Thirty five euros - First, second - Forty! - Forty!.. Fifty! - Fifty is a higher, yes fifty Euros here Great! fifty euros Fifty euros, the first, second And fifty five, someone said fifty five euros, the first, second and .. sixty euros sixty euros, the first, second and sixty euros. the third time. great... - Five euros! - Five euros, first [call], second [call] - Ten!

Overall it was a fun experience to see.

Tips to get a good bike at the Huutokauppa:

1. See the bikes before hand, it is better to learn when they are for show (pyörien näyttö) so that you may visit the police station, evaluate what bikes are good for you and decide what you are willing to bid.

2. Practice your Finnish numbers, that is all you will need of Finnish skills. Be alert and speak up if you see a bike you want.

3. Do not let emotions get in the way, many people get carried away and end up paying a lot for something for a bad bike.

4. If your Finnish is really bad as mine, try to get a Finnish friend to come along.