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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2022
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. For the year ended September 30, 2022, these estimates required the Company to make assumptions about the extent and duration of continued restrictions on cross-border transactions and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other disruptions on macroeconomic conditions and, in turn, the Company's results of operations. As there remains uncertainty associated with the Pandemic, the Company will continue to update its assumptions as conditions change. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates.
Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation
The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP). In addition, in the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal, recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the periods presented have been included.
Business Combinations
The Company recognizes all of the assets acquired, liabilities assumed, contractual contingencies, and contingent consideration at their fair value on the acquisition date. Acquisition-related costs are recognized separately from the acquisition and expensed as incurred. Restructuring costs incurred in periods subsequent to the acquisition date are expensed when incurred. Subsequent changes to the purchase price (i.e., working capital adjustments) or other fair value adjustments determined during the measurement period are recorded as an adjustment to goodwill, with the exception of contingent consideration, which is recognized in the statement of operations in the period it is modified. All subsequent changes to a valuation allowance or uncertain tax position that relate to the acquired company and existed at the acquisition date that occur both within the measurement period and as a result of facts and circumstances that existed at the acquisition date are recognized as an adjustment to goodwill. All other changes in valuation allowances are recognized as a reduction or increase to income tax expense or as a direct adjustment to additional paid-in capital as required.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
The Company considers all highly liquid securities purchased with an initial maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Short-term Investments
The Company's short-term investments are designated as held-to-maturity investment securities, recorded at amortized cost, and are included as a current asset in the line-item Short-term investments within our Consolidated Balance Sheets as their maturity is less than one-year from the balance sheet date. Interest income earned through our short-term investments are recorded to Interest and other income, net within the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and are non-interest bearing. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts to reserve for potentially uncollectible receivables. Allowances are based on management’s judgment, which considers historical bad debt experience, a specific review of all significant outstanding invoices, and an assessment of general economic conditions.
Inventory
Inventory consists of property obtained for resale, generally through the online auction process, and is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is generally determined using the specific identification method. Costs associated with our warehouse operations are expensed as incurred and included within Technology and operations expenses in the Statements of Operations. Charges for unsellable inventory, as well as for inventory written down to net realizable value, are included in Cost of goods sold in the period in which they have been determined to occur.  Write-downs reflected in the inventory balances as of September 30, 2022, were immaterial. As of September 30, 2021, the Company's inventory reflects write-downs of $0.2 million.
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Prepaid expenses and other current assets include the short-term portion of contract assets (described in "Contract Assets and Liabilities"), capitalized sales commissions paid (described in "Contract Costs"), as well as other miscellaneous prepaid expenses.
Other Assets - Promissory Note
On September 30, 2015, the Company sold certain assets related to its Jacobs Trading business to Tanager Acquisitions, LLC (Tanager). In connection with the disposition, Tanager assumed certain liabilities related to the Jacobs Trading business. Tanager issued a $12.3 million five-year interest-bearing promissory note to the Company.

On October 10, 2019, the Company entered into a Forbearance Agreement and Amendment to Note, Security Agreement and Guaranty Agreement (the Forbearance Agreement) with Tanager (now known as Jacobs Trading, LLC) and certain of its affiliates (collectively, JTC). In exchange for additional collateral, security, and a higher interest rate, the Company granted JTC a new repayment schedule that requires quarterly payments to be made from August 2020 to August 2023. Upon execution of the Forbearance Agreement, JTC repaid $2.5 million in principal, plus $0.4 million of accrued interest. As of March 31, 2021, JTC had repaid $7.7 million of the $12.3 million owed to the Company and had an outstanding principal balance of $4.6 million.
On May 12, 2021, the Company entered into the First Amendment to the Forbearance Agreement with JTC, providing JTC with full satisfaction and discharge from its indebtedness upon receipt of a $3.5 million payment made on May 17, 2021. As a result, the Company recorded a $1.1 million loss as component of Other operating expenses in its Consolidated Statements of Operations during the year ended September 30, 2021, representing the difference between the $4.6 million outstanding balance of principal and accrued interest and the $3.5 million payment received. There was no impact on the consolidated financial statements from the Forebearance Agreement as of and during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022.

Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are recorded at cost, and depreciated or amortized on a straight-line basis over the following estimated useful lives:
Computers and purchased software 
One to five years
Office/operational equipment 
Two to five years
Furniture and fixtures 
Five to seven years
Internally developed software for internal-use
Two to five years
Leasehold improvements Shorter of lease term or useful life
Buildings 
Thirty-nine years
VehiclesFive years
Land Not depreciated
Leases
The Company determines if an arrangement is a lease upon inception. A contract is or contains a lease if the contract provides the right to control the use of an identified asset for a period of time.

Lease assets and liabilities are recognized at the lease commencement date at an amount equal to the present value of the lease payments to be made over the lease term. The lease payments represent the combination of lease and nonlease components. The discount rate used to determine the present value is the Company’s incremental borrowing rate for a duration that is consistent with the lease term, as the rates implicit in the Company’s leases are generally not determinable. The Company’s incremental borrowing rate is estimated using publicly available information for companies with comparable financial profiles, adjusted for the impact of collateralization. The lease term includes the impacts of options to extend or terminate the lease only if it is reasonably certain that the option will be exercised.

Lease expense related to operating lease assets and liabilities is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Lease expense related to finance lease assets is recognized on a straight-line basis over the shorter of the useful life of the asset or the lease term, while lease expense related to finance lease liabilities is recognized using the interest method. Lease-related payments not included in the determination of the lease assets and liabilities, such as variable lease payments, are expensed as incurred.

Lease assets and liabilities are not recognized when the lease term is 12 months or less, however, short-term lease expense is still recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Balances related to the Company's operating leases are included within Operating lease assets, Current portion of operating lease liabilities, and Operating lease liabilities (non-current portion of operating lease liabilities).

Balances related to the Company's finance leases are included within Other assets (finance lease assets), Accrued expenses and other current liabilities (current portion of finance lease liabilities), and Other long-term liabilities (non-current portion of finance lease liabilities).

Lease assets are assessed for impairment in accordance with the Company’s accounting policy for the impairment of long-lived assets.

Intangible Assets
Intangible assets consist of contract intangibles, brand and technology, and patent and trademarks. Intangible assets are amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets, including definite-lived intangible assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be fully recoverable. If an impairment indicator is present, the Company evaluates recoverability by comparing the carrying amount of the assets to future undiscounted net cash flows expected to be generated by the assets. If the assets are impaired, the impairment recognized is measured by the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets. The Company did not record impairment charges on material long-lived assets during the years ended September 30, 2022, 2021 and 2020.
Goodwill
Goodwill represents the costs in excess of the fair value of net assets acquired through acquisitions by the Company. The Company reviews goodwill for impairment annually on July 1, or more frequently if events or circumstances indicate impairment may exist. Examples of such events or circumstances could include a significant change in business climate or the loss of a significant contract.
In evaluating goodwill for impairment, the Company may first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If the Company concludes that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying value, no further testing of goodwill assigned to the reporting unit is required. If the Company concludes that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, the Company applies a fair value-based test.
In applying a fair value-based test, the Company determines the fair value of each of its reporting units and compares that amount to the carrying amount of the respective reporting units, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, no impairment loss is recognized. If, instead, the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized in the amount of the excess carrying value.
Deferred Revenue
Deferred revenue is primarily derived from Machinio Advertising and System subscriptions that range primarily from one to twenty-four months. Subscription fees are recognized ratably over the term of the agreements.
Revenue Recognition
In the Consolidated Statements of Operations, revenue from the resale of inventory that the Company purchases from sellers is recognized within Purchase revenues. Revenue from the sale of inventory that the Company sells on a consignment basis, and other non-consignment fee revenue, which includes Machinio's subscription services, is recognized within Consignment and other fee revenues.
The Company recognizes revenue when or as performance obligations are satisfied and control is transferred to the customer. Revenue is recognized in the amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled.
Revenue is also evaluated to determine whether the Company should report the gross proceeds as revenue, when the Company acts as the principal in the arrangement, or the Company should report its revenue on a net basis, when the Company acts as an agent. Specifically, when other parties are involved in providing goods or services to a customer, the Company must determine whether the nature of its promise is a performance obligation to provide the specified goods or services itself, or to arrange for another party to provide them. The Company evaluates the following factors to determine if it is acting as a principal: (1) whether the Company is primarily responsible for fulfilling the promise to provide the asset or assets; (2) whether the Company has inventory risk of the asset or assets before they are transferred to the buyer; and (3) whether the Company has discretion in establishing the price for the asset or assets.
The Company enters into contracts with buyers and sellers. The Company has master agreements with some sellers pertaining to the sale of a flow of surplus assets over the term of the master agreement; however, a revenue contract for accounting purposes exists when the Company agrees to sell a specific asset or assets. When acting as a principal (a “purchase” arrangement), the Company purchases an asset or assets from a seller and then the Company seeks to sell the asset or assets to a buyer. The Company recognizes as Purchase revenues the gross proceeds from the sale, including buyer's premiums. In purchase arrangements, the contract with the seller is not a revenue contract in the scope of the revenue recognition guidance; rather, it is a purchase of inventory.
When the Company is acting as an agent (a “consignment” arrangement), its performance obligation is to arrange for the seller to sell an asset or assets to the buyer directly. The Company recognizes Consignment revenues, which are composed of buyers premium’s and/or sales commissions, based on the amounts that are paid to the Company by the buyers and sellers for utilizing the Company's services, which represent a percentage of the gross transaction proceeds.
For the Company’s CAG segment, certain transactions may involve cooperation with third parties to satisfy the performance obligation of arranging for the sale of assets to a buyer, with proceeds shared among the parties. When the Company controls whether to use third parties to fulfill its performance obligation, it is considered the principal and revenue is recognized based on the gross purchase or consignment proceeds, with amounts due to third parties recognized as an expense. When the seller requests multiple parties to fulfill its performance obligation, the Company is considered the agent and revenue is recognized based on the net purchase or consignment proceeds to be retained by the Company.
In both purchase and consignment arrangements, the Company sometimes provides varying levels of services to the seller, such as returns management, refurbishment of assets, or valuation services. These services are considered integrated with the broader performance obligation to sell the seller’s assets to a buyer. Other services provided to sellers are not capable of being distinct, like providing access to the Company’s e-commerce marketplaces or promoting the asset or assets for sale, because they could not benefit the seller separately from the sale of their assets.
The consideration received from buyers and sellers includes (1) buyer’s premiums, (2) seller’s commissions, and (3) fees for services, including reimbursed expenses. Consideration is variable based on units, final auction prices, or other factors, until the buyer’s purchase of the asset or assets is complete, or the service has been provided. Recognition of variable consideration that is based on the results of auctions or purchases by buyers is constrained until those transactions have been finalized. The Company estimates and recognizes amounts related to sales returns, discounts or rebates promised to customers, and reimbursed expenses, however, those estimates are not significant relative to the Company's consolidated revenues. Revenue is recognized when or as the performance obligation is satisfied. Variable consideration is allocated to individual performance obligations when the variable consideration is related to satisfying that performance obligation. The Company's revenue is generally recorded subsequent to receipt of payment authorization, utilizing credit cards, wire transfers and other methods of payments. Goods are generally not shipped before payment is received. For certain transactions, payment is due upon invoice and the payment terms vary depending on the segments.
The Company collects and remits sales taxes on merchandise that it purchases and sells and has elected the practical expedient to exclude such sales tax amounts from the transaction price. The Company also provides shipping and handling services in some arrangements and has elected the practical expedient to treat those activities as a fulfillment costs and will recognize the costs of these services at the time revenue is recognized for the related assets sold. If the Company is acting as a principal for the combined obligation, amounts received from customers for shipping are recognized as Revenue, and amounts paid for shipping are recognized as Costs of goods sold. If the Company is acting as an agent for the combined obligation, shipping revenue and costs will be netted and recognized within Costs of goods sold.
The Company’s purchase and consignment performance obligations are satisfied at the point in time when control of the asset is transferred to the buyer or when the service is completed. The Company determines when control has transferred by evaluating the following five indicators: (1) whether the Company has a present right to payment for the asset or assets; (2) whether the buyer has legal title to the asset; (3) whether the buyer has physical possession of the asset or assets; (4) whether the buyer has the significant risks and rewards of ownership; and (5) whether the buyer has accepted the asset or assets.
For the Company's Machinio segment, the performance obligation has been identified as the stand ready obligation to provide access to the Machinio subscription services, which it satisfies over time and recognizes as other fee revenues. As of September 30, 2022, the Machinio segment had a remaining performance obligation of $4.4 million; the Company expects to recognize the substantial majority of that amount as Fee Revenue over the next 12 months.
Cost of Goods Sold
Cost of goods sold includes direct and incremental costs of purchasing inventory, transporting property for auction, shipping and handling costs, and credit card transaction fees. For transactions where the Company resells inventory that was purchased from sellers, the cost of goods sold includes the cost of that inventory, generally using specific identification. There are no inventory costs associated with consignment sales.
Contract Assets and Liabilities
Contract assets reflect an estimate of expenses that will be reimbursed upon settlement with a seller. The contract asset balance was $0.6 million as of September 30, 2021 and $0.9 million as of September 30, 2022 and is included in the line item Prepaid expenses and other current assets on the consolidated balance sheets.
Contract liabilities reflect obligations to provide services for which the Company has already received consideration, and generally arise from up-front payments received in connection with Machinio's subscription services. The contract liability balance was $4.6 million as of September 30, 2021, and $4.4 million as of September 30, 2022 and is included in the line item Deferred revenue on the consolidated balance sheets. Of the September 30, 2021 contract liability balance, $4.6 million was earned as Fee Revenue during the year ended September 30, 2022.
Contract Costs
Contract costs relate to sales commissions paid on subscription contracts that are capitalized within our Machinio segment. Contract costs are amortized over the expected life of the customer contract. The contract cost balance was $1.8 million as of September 30, 2022 and $1.6 million as of September 30, 2021 and is included in the line item Prepaid expenses and other current assets and Other assets on the consolidated balance sheet. Amortization expense was $1.1 million during the year ended September 30, 2022 and was $0.7 million during the year ended September 30, 2021.
Risk Associated with Certain Concentrations
For the majority of buyers that receive goods before payment to the Company is made, credit evaluations are performed. However, for the remaining buyers, goods are not shipped before payment is made, and as a result the Company is not subject to significant collection risk from those buyers.
For consignment sales transactions, funds are typically collected from buyers and are held by the Company on the sellers' behalf. The funds are included in Cash and cash equivalents on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company releases the funds to the seller, less the Company's commission and other fees due, through Accounts payable after the buyer has accepted the goods or within 30 days, depending on the state where the buyer and seller conduct business.
Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash in banks within interest bearing and earnings allowance checking accounts, as well as cash equivalent money market funds, all of which may at times exceed federally insured limits (FDIC and/or SIPC), and Accounts receivable. The Company deposits its cash in interest bearing checking accounts, or acquires cash equivalent money market funds, each with financial institutions that the Company considers to be of high credit quality.
Additionally, the Company has multiple vendor contracts with Amazon.com, Inc. under which it acquires and sells commercial merchandise. The property purchased under these contracts represented 55%, 61%, and 55% of cost of goods sold for the years ended September 30, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. This contract is included within the RSCG segment.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes using an asset and liability approach for measuring deferred taxes based on temporary differences between the financial statement and income tax bases of assets and liabilities existing at each balance sheet date using enacted tax rates for the years in which the taxes are expected to be paid or recovered. The Company recognizes deferred tax assets to the extent that it believes that these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such determination, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence to estimate whether future taxable income will be generated to permit use of the existing deferred tax asset. The resulting net tax asset reflects management's estimate of the amount that will be realized.

The Company applies the authoritative guidance related to uncertainty in income taxes. Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 740 states that a benefit from an uncertain tax position may be recognized when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation processes, on the basis of technical merits. The Company’s policy is to recognize interest and penalties in the period in which they occur in the income tax provision. The Company and its subsidiaries file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, various state and local jurisdictions and in foreign jurisdictions including, among others, Canada and the U.K.
Stock-Based Compensation
The Company has incentive plans under which stock options, restricted stock units, restricted stock awards, and stock appreciation rights are issued. The awards issued can contain service conditions, performance conditions based upon Company financial results, and/or market conditions based upon changes in the Company's stock price.
Service- and performance-based stock awards are measured at fair value on their grant date. Stock options and stock appreciation rights are measured at fair value using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. However, because the stock appreciation rights are cash settled, they are also measured at fair value in each reporting period. The Black-Scholes option-pricing model includes assumptions for the expected term, volatility, and dividend yield, each of which are determined in reference to the Company's historical results. Where applicable, the expected term assumption is derived separately for homogenous groups within overall award population. Restricted stock units and restricted stock awards are measured at fair value using the closing price of the Company's stock on the grant date. For service-based stock awards, the Company recognizes expense on a straight-line basis over the service period, which is generally a period one to four years. For performance-based stock awards, the Company recognizes expense on a straight-line basis over the derived service period expected to be required to achieve the performance condition. The Company records a cumulative adjustment to compensation expense for performance-based awards if there is a change in determination of whether it is probable that the performance condition will be achieved.
Market-based stock awards are measured at fair value on their grant date using a Monte Carlo simulation. The Monte Carlo simulation includes assumptions for the expected term, volatility, and dividend yield, each of which are determined in reference to the Company's historical results. For market-based stock option and restricted stock awards, the Company recognizes expense on a straight-line basis over the derived service period determined by the Monte Carlo simulation, for each stock price target within the award. The Company accelerates expense when a stock price target is achieved prior to the derived service period. The Company, however, does not reverse expense recognized if the stock price target(s) are not ultimately achieved, as required by equity accounting for market-based awards. For market-based stock appreciation rights, because they are cash settled, they are measured at fair value in each reporting period. The Company recognized expense on a straight-line basis over the derived service period determined by the Monte Carlo simulation in each reporting period, for each stock price target within the award. The Company accelerates expense when a stock price target is achieved prior to the derived service period, and reverses expense recognized if the stock price target(s) are not ultimately achieved, as required by liability accounting for market-based awards.
The Company recognizes the impact of forfeitures in the period they occur.
Compensation expense from the stock awards is included in the same lines on the consolidated statements of operations as the cash compensation to the employees receiving the stock awards.
Excess tax benefits realized from stock awards are reported as cash flows from operating activities on the consolidated statement of cash flows.
Advertising Costs
Advertising expenditures are expensed as incurred. Advertising costs charged to expense were $4.6 million, $3.2 million and $2.6 million for the years ended September 30, 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively.
Treasury Stock
Treasury stock is presented at cost, including any applicable commissions and fees, as a reduction of stockholders’ equity in the consolidated balance sheets and statements of equity. Treasury stock held by us may be retired or reissued in the future.
Foreign Currency Translation
The functional currency of the Company's foreign subsidiaries is primarily the local currency. The translation of the subsidiary's financial statements into U.S. dollars is performed for balance sheet accounts using exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date and for revenue and expense accounts using an average exchange rate during the period. The resulting translation adjustments are recognized in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, a separate component of stockholders' equity. Realized and unrealized foreign currency transaction gains and losses are included in Interest and other income, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
The following table shows the changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes (in thousands):
 Foreign Currency
Translation
Adjustments
Net Change Pension
and Other
Postretirement
Benefit Plans
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
Balance at September 30, 2019$(8,569)$596 $(7,973)
Current-period other comprehensive (loss) income484 (2,293)(1,809)
Balance at September 30, 2020(8,085)(1,697)(9,782)
Current-period other comprehensive (loss) income601 170 771 
Balance at September 30, 2021(7,484)(1,527)(9,011)
Current-period other comprehensive (loss) income(3,110)1,836 (1,274)
Balance at September 30, 2022$(10,594)$309 $(10,285)

Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Accounting Standards Adopted
In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The Company adopted the new standard on a prospective basis effective October 1, 2021. This accounting standard has not had a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (Topic 326), or ASC 326. ASC 326, including all amendments and related guidance, was designed to provide financial statement users with more useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit. ASC 326 will require estimation of expected credit losses using a methodology that takes into consideration a broad range of reasonable and supportable information. The guidance will be effective for the Company beginning on October 1, 2023, due to the fact that the Company was classified as a smaller reporting company defined by the SEC at the time the rule was effective for public business entities. The guidance will be applied on a modified-retrospective basis, with any cumulative-effect adjustment recorded to retained earnings on the adoption date. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact ASC 326 will have on its consolidated financial statements and expects to estimate credit losses on its financial assets such as its Accounts receivable and money market funds. While the Company has not experienced significant credit losses historically, the materiality of the impact of adoption will depend on events and conditions as of the date of adoption, which cannot be determined conclusively at this time.