Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 04, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017
Document and Entity Information
Entity Registrant Name	LIQUIDITY SERVICES INC
Entity Central Index Key	0001235468
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2017
Amendment Flag	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--09-30
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Public Float			$ 202,237,496
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		31,889,679
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2016
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 94,348	$ 134,513
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $668 and $718 in 2017 and 2016, respectively	11,598	10,355
Inventory	20,736	27,610
Tax refund receivable	357	1,205
Prepaid taxes	2,109	2,166
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	9,774	9,063
Total current assets	138,922	184,912
Property and equipment, net	16,793	14,376
Intangible assets, net	427	2,650
Goodwill	45,388	45,134
Net deferred long-term tax assets	962	1,021
Other assets	12,737	12,016
Total assets	215,229	260,109
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	13,099	9,732
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	30,193	45,133
Distributions payable	3,081	1,722
Payables to sellers	24,383	28,901
Total current liabilities	70,756	85,488
Deferred taxes and other long-term liabilities	11,837	12,010
Total liabilities	82,593	97,498
Commitments and contingencies (Notes 7 and 15)	0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $0.001 par value; 120,000,000 shares authorized; 31,503,349 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017; 30,742,662 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2016	29	29
Additional paid-in capital	227,264	220,192
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(6,431)	(8,571)
Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)	(88,226)	(49,039)
Total stockholders' equity	132,636	162,611
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 215,229	$ 260,109

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, allowance for doubtful accounts (in dollars)	$ 668	$ 718
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Common stock, shares authorized	120,000,000	120,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	31,503,349	30,742,662
Common stock, shares outstanding	31,503,349	30,742,662

Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 188,570	$ 233,828	$ 315,668
Fee revenue	81,445	82,626	81,457
Total revenue from operations	270,015	316,454	397,125
Costs and expenses from operations:
Cost of goods sold	126,227	143,127	166,009
Seller distributions	19,298	11,214	28,093
Technology and operations	82,988	93,405	99,550
Sales and marketing	35,211	37,570	41,465
General and administrative	35,835	39,717	41,338
Depreciation and amortization	5,796	6,502	9,235
Acquisition costs and related fair value adjustments and impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets	1,009	19,037	147,414
Business disposition loss	0	0	7,963
Other operating expenses	3,651	0	273
Total costs and expenses	310,015	350,572	541,340
Loss from operations	(40,000)	(34,118)	(144,215)
Interest (income) expense and other expense, net	(362)	(1,217)	171
Loss before provision for income taxes	(39,638)	(32,901)	(144,386)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(451)	27,025	(39,571)
Net loss	$ (39,187)	$ (59,926)	$ (104,815)
Basic and diluted loss per common share (USD per share)	$ (1.25)	$ (1.96)	$ (3.50)

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive (Loss) Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net loss	$ (39,187)	$ (59,926)	$ (104,815)
Other comprehensive (loss) income:
Defined benefit pension plan—unrecognized amounts, net of taxes	1,589	(2,547)	1,101
Foreign currency translation	551	(398)	(3,276)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes	2,140	(2,945)	(2,175)
Comprehensive loss	$ (37,047)	$ (62,871)	$ (106,990)

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Treasury Stock	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Loss)
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2014			29,668,150
Balance at Sep. 30, 2014	$ 316,983		$ 28	$ 204,704	$ (3,451)	$ 115,702
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Common stock repurchase (in shares)	0	0
Common stock repurchase	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Common stock retired (in shares)		0	0
Common stock retired		$ 0		0		0
Exercise of common stock options and restricted stock (in shares)			358,073
Exercise of common stock options and restricted stock	106		$ 1	105
Compensation expense and incremental tax benefit from grant of common stock options and issuance of restricted stock	5,903			5,903
Net (loss) income	(104,815)
Defined benefit pension plan- unrecognized amounts, net of taxes	1,101				1,101
Foreign currency translation	(3,276)				(3,276)
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2015			30,026,223
Balance at Sep. 30, 2015	$ 216,002		$ 29	210,712	(5,626)	10,887
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Common stock repurchase (in shares)	0
Common stock repurchase	$ 0
Exercise of common stock options and restricted stock (in shares)			716,439
Exercise of common stock options and restricted stock	9		$ 0	9
Compensation expense and incremental tax benefit from grant of common stock options and issuance of restricted stock	9,471			9,471
Net (loss) income	(59,926)
Defined benefit pension plan- unrecognized amounts, net of taxes	(2,547)				(2,547)
Foreign currency translation	(398)				(398)
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2016			30,742,662
Balance at Sep. 30, 2016	$ 162,611		$ 29	220,192	(8,571)	(49,039)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity
Common stock repurchase (in shares)	0
Common stock repurchase	$ 0
Exercise of common stock options and restricted stock (in shares)			760,687
Exercise of common stock options and restricted stock	93			93
Compensation expense and incremental tax benefit from grant of common stock options and issuance of restricted stock	6,979			6,979
Net (loss) income	(39,187)
Defined benefit pension plan- unrecognized amounts, net of taxes	1,589
Foreign currency translation	551
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2017			31,503,349
Balance at Sep. 30, 2017	$ 132,636		$ 29	$ 227,264	$ (6,431)	$ (88,226)

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Operating activities
Net loss	$ (39,187)	$ (59,926)	$ (104,815)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	5,796	6,502	9,235
Business disposition loss	0	0	7,963
Gain on reversal of earnout liability	(954)	0	0
Stock compensation expense	7,377	12,247	12,405
Provision (benefit) for inventory allowance	10,381	2,676	(575)
Provision for doubtful accounts	357	247	1,109
Deferred tax (benefit) expense	(620)	26,177	(6,282)
Impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets	1,963	18,998	147,414
Change in fair value of financial instruments	(573)	0	0
Incremental tax loss from exercise of common stock options and restricted stock	1,198	229	38
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(1,611)	(4,408)	12,651
Inventory	(3,507)	(4,776)	43,101
Prepaid and deferred taxes	730	27,057	(38,545)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(1,024)	(160)	(1,499)
Accounts payable	3,192	232	(4,534)
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	(14,882)	17,151	(18,895)
Distributions payable	1,359	(790)	(2,228)
Payables to sellers	(4,519)	(901)	(11,742)
Other liabilities	2,871	5,283	(1,310)
Net cash (used) provided by operating activities	(31,653)	45,838	43,491
Investing activities
Cash paid in divestiture	0	0	(2,372)
Increase in intangibles	(119)	(62)	(137)
Purchases of property and equipment, including capitalized software	(7,805)	(6,090)	(7,312)
Net cash used in investing activities	(7,924)	(6,152)	(9,821)
Financing activities
Proceeds from exercise of common stock options (net of tax)	92	9	106
Incremental tax loss from exercise of common stock options and restricted stock	(1,198)	(229)	(38)
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(1,106)	(220)	68
Effect of exchange rate differences on cash and cash equivalents	518	(418)	(871)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(40,165)	39,048	32,867
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	134,513	95,465	62,598
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	94,348	134,513	95,465
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
Cash received (paid) for income taxes	$ 793	$ 33,966	$ (5,678)

Organization	12 Months Ended
Organization	Sep. 30, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization	Organization Liquidity Services (the “Company”) operates a network of leading ecommerce marketplaces that enable buyers and sellers to transact in an efficient, automated environment offering over 500 product categories. The Company’s marketplaces provide professional buyers access to a global, organized supply of new, surplus, and scrap assets presented with digital images and other relevant product information. Additionally, the Company enables its corporate and government sellers to enhance their financial return on offered assets by providing a liquid marketplace and value-added services that encompass the consultative management, valuation, and sale of surplus assets. The Company's broad range of services include program management, valuation, asset management, reconciliation, Return to Vendor ("RTV") and Returns Management Authorization ("RMA"), refurbishment and recycling, fulfillment, marketing and sales, warehousing and transportation, buyer support, and compliance and risk mitigation. The Company organizes the products on its marketplaces into categories across major industry verticals such as consumer electronics, general merchandise, apparel, scientific equipment, aerospace parts and equipment, technology hardware, energy equipment, industrial capital assets, fleet and transportation equipment and specialty equipment. The Company’s marketplaces are www.liquidation.com, www.govliquidation.com, www.govdeals.com, www.networkintl.com, www.secondipity.com, www.go-dove.com, www.unclesamsretailoutlet.com, www.irondirect.com, and www.auctiondeals.com. The Company has over 10,000 sellers, including Fortune 1000 and Global 500 organizations as well as federal, state, and local government agencies. As of September 30, 2017, the Company has three reportable segments, Retail Supply Chain Group (RSCG), Capital Assets Group (CAG), and GovDeals. See Note 16 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for Segment Information. The Company's operations are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, many of which are associated with technology-oriented companies, including, but not limited to, the Company's dependence on use of the Internet, the effect of general business and economic trends, the Company's susceptibility to rapid technological change, actual and potential competition by entities with greater financial and other resources, and the potential for the U.S. Government agencies, or the commercial sellers from which the Company derives a significant portion of its inventory to change the way they conduct their disposition of surplus assets or to otherwise not renew their contracts with the Company. The Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date that these financial statements were issued and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. See Note 18 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the Subsequent Event disclosure.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

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. Actual results could differ 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. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year's presentation. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. 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.

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 experience and specific knowledge of accounts where collectability may not be probable. The Company makes provisions based on 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 market. Cost is generally determined using the specific identification method. Charges for unsellable inventory, as well as for inventory written down to expected market price, are included in Cost of goods sold in the period in which they have been determined to occur. During fiscal 2017, the Company recorded a $3.1 million inventory reserve within its IronDirect operating segment, as the carrying value of this inventory was written down to its expected market value. As of September 30, 2017, and 2016, the Company's inventory reserve was approximately $4.6 million and $3.4 million, respectively.

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

Prepaid expenses and other current assets includes prepaid income tax, financial assets, the short-term portion of a promissory note, as well as other miscellaneous prepaid expenses. Financial assets are related to participation agreements for principal transactions in the Company's commercial business. Changes in the fair value of the Company's financial assets are recorded in Other operating expense. See Note 11 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for further information.

Other Assets

On September 30, 2015, the Company sold certain assets related to its Jacobs Trading business to Tanager Acquisitions, LLC (the ‘‘Buyer’’). In connection with the disposition, the Buyer assumed certain liabilities related to the Jacobs Trading business. The Buyer issued a $12.3 million 5-year interest bearing promissory note to the Company. Of the $12.3 million, $1.0 million has been repaid as of September 30, 2017, and another $1.5 million was repaid in October 2017. Of the $11.3 million outstanding at September 30, 2017, $8.3 million was recorded in Other assets, and $3.0 million in Prepaid expenses and other current assets as of September 30, 2017.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is 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 equipment		Three to five years
Furniture and fixtures		Five to seven years
Internally developed software for internal-use		Five years
Leasehold improvements		Shorter of lease term or useful life
Buildings		Thirty-nine years
Land		Not depreciated

Intangible Assets

Intangible assets primarily consist of contract acquisition costs, covenants not to compete, customer relationships and other intangible assets associated with acquisitions. Intangible assets are amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives, ranging from three to ten years.

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. During the year ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded a $1.2 million impairment of a contract intangible associated with its IronDirect business, and a $0.6 million impairment to leasehold improvements, also within its IronDirect business. No impairment was recorded during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016.

Goodwill

Goodwill is reviewed for impairment annually 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 buyer. In evaluating goodwill for impairment, the Company first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more than 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. However, 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 two-step fair value-based test to assess goodwill for impairment. The first step compares the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step is then performed. The second step compares the carrying amount of the reporting unit's goodwill to the implied fair value of the goodwill. If the implied fair value of the goodwill is less than the carrying amount, an impairment loss would be recorded in the statement of operations.

The annual goodwill impairment assessment was performed as of July 1, 2017, for fiscal year 2017.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when all of the following criteria are met:


•	a buyer submits the winning bid in an auction and, as a result, evidence of an arrangement exists, and the sale price has been determined;


•	the buyer has assumed the risks and rewards of ownership; and


•	collection is reasonably assured.

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 net commissions and related fees as revenue (when the Company acts as an agent). In arrangements in which the Company is deemed to be the primary obligor, bears physical and general inventory risk, and credit risk, the Company recognizes as revenue the gross proceeds from the sale, including buyer's premiums. The Company has evaluated its revenue recognition policy related to sales under its purchase transaction model and determined it is appropriate to account for these sales on a gross basis. In the Company's evaluation, the Company relied most heavily upon its status as primary obligor in the sales relationship and the fact that the Company has general inventory risk.

In arrangements in which the Company acts as an agent or broker on a consignment basis, without taking physical or general inventory risk, revenue is recognized based on the sales commissions that are paid to the Company by the sellers for utilizing the Company's services; in this situation, sales commissions represent a percentage of the gross proceeds from the sale that the seller pays to the Company upon completion of the transaction. Such revenue as well as other fee revenue is presented as Fee Revenue in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The Company collects and remits sales taxes on merchandise that it purchases and sells, and reports such amounts under the net method in its Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Cost of Goods Sold

Cost of goods sold includes the costs of purchasing and transporting property for auction as well as credit card transaction fees. The Company purchases the majority of its inventory at a percentage of the vendor's original acquisition cost under the Surplus Contract and certain commercial contracts, at a percentage of the vendor's last retail price under certain commercial contracts, and at a fixed price per pound that varies depending on the type of the inventory purchased under the Scrap Contract. Title for the inventory passes to the Company at the time of purchase and the Company bears the risks and rewards of ownership. The Company does not have title to assets sold on behalf of its commercial or government sellers when it receives only sales commission revenue and, as such, recognizes no inventory and related cost of goods sold associated with those sales. Cost of goods sold also includes shipping and handling costs.

Risk Associated with Certain Concentrations

The Company does not perform credit evaluations for the majority of its buyers. However, substantially all sales are recorded subsequent to payment authorization being received. As a result, the Company is not subject to significant collection risk, as most goods are not shipped before payment is received.

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 in the consolidated financial statements. The Company releases the funds to the seller, less the Company's commission and other fees due, after the buyer has accepted the goods or within 30 days, depending on the state where the buyer and seller conduct business. The amount of cash held on behalf of the sellers is recorded as Payables to sellers in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents in banks over FDIC limits, and accounts receivable. The Company deposits its cash with financial institutions that the Company considers to be of high credit quality.

The Company has two material vendor contracts with the Department of Defense (DoD) under which it acquires, manages and sells government property. Revenue from the sale of property acquired, as well as provision of services, under the current Surplus Contract accounted for 27.6%, 31.0%, and 24.7%, of the Company's consolidated revenue for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. Revenue from the sale of property acquired under the Scrap contract accounted for approximately 11.1%, 10.2% and 15.3% of the Company's total revenue for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Additionally, we have a vendor contract with Amazon.com, Inc. under which we acquire and sell commercial merchandise. The property we purchased under this contract represented approximately 21.8%, 12.1%, and 6.9% of cost of goods sold for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. This contract is included within our 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. We recognize deferred tax assets to the extent that we believe that these assets are more likely than not to be realized. In making such determination, we consider 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 records unrecognized tax benefits as a reduction to its deferred tax asset for its net operating loss carryforward. During fiscal year 2016, the Company reduced its net operating loss carryforward by $0.7 million for unrecognized tax benefits related to federal and state tax exposures. During fiscal year 2017, the Company reduced its net operating loss carryforward by $3.0 million for unrecognized tax benefits related to federal and state tax exposures. 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 estimates the fair value of share-based awards on the date of grant. The fair value of stock options and stock appreciation rights is determined using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. The fair value of restricted stock units is based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the date of grant. The determination of the fair value of the Company’s stock options and stock appreciation rights is based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the Company’s common stock price, expected stock price volatility over the expected life of units, and actual and projected exercise behavior. Additionally, the Company has estimated forfeitures for share-based awards at the dates of grant based on historical experience, adjusted for future expectation. The forfeiture estimate is revised as necessary if actual forfeitures differ from these estimates.

The Company issues restricted stock units where restrictions lapse upon either the passage of time (service vesting conditions), achievement of performance targets (performance vesting conditions), or some combination thereof. For those restricted stock units with only service vesting conditions, the Company recognizes compensation cost on a straight-line basis over the explicit service period. For restricted stock units with both performance and service vesting conditions, the Company starts recognizing compensation cost over the remaining service period, when it is probable the performance condition will be met.

The Company excludes stock options and restricted stock units that contain performance vesting conditions from diluted earnings per share computations until the contingency is met as of the end of that reporting period.

The Company presents the cash flows from the tax benefits resulting from tax deductions in excess of the compensation cost recognized for those options (excess tax benefits) as a financing activity with a corresponding operating cash outflow in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows when it is considered probable that those tax benefits will be realized.

Advertising Costs

Advertising expenditures are expensed as incurred. Advertising costs charged to expense were $5.2 million, $6.0 million and $5.3 million for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable, profit-sharing distributions payable, and payables to sellers reported in the Consolidated Balance Sheets approximate their fair values. The Company holds financial assets that are related to participation agreements for principal transactions in the Company's commercial business. Changes in the fair value of the Company's financial assets are recorded in Other operating expense.

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) income, a separate component of stockholders' equity. Realized foreign currency transaction gains and losses for 2017, 2016 and 2015 are included in interest and other income (expense), net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (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 Income (Loss)
Balance at September 30, 2014	(3,671	)	220		(3,451	)
Current-period other comprehensive (loss) income	(3,276	)	1,101		(2,175	)
Balance at September 30, 2015	(6,947	)	1,321		(5,626	)
Current-period other comprehensive loss	(398	)	(2,547	)	(2,945	)
Balance at September 30, 2016	(7,345	)	(1,226	)	(8,571	)
Current-period other comprehensive income	551		1,589		2,140
Balance at September 30, 2017	(6,794	)	363		(6,431	)

Earnings per Share

The Company calculates net income (loss) per share in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Topic 260 Earnings Per Share (“ASC 260”). Under ASC 260, basic net income (loss) per common share is calculated by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the reporting period. The weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding includes vested restricted stock units. Diluted net income (loss) per share (“EPS”) reflects the potential dilution that could occur assuming conversion or exercise of all dilutive unexercised stock options and unvested restricted stock units. The dilutive effect of unexercised stock options and unvested restricted stock units was determined using the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, the proceeds received from the exercise of stock options, the amount of compensation cost for future service not yet recognized by the Company and the amount of tax benefits that would be recorded in additional paid-in capital when stock options become deductible for income tax purposes are all assumed to be used to repurchase shares of the Company’s common stock. Stock options and restricted stock units are not included in the computation of diluted net income (loss) per share when they are antidilutive.

The Company has not included the following stock options in the calculation of diluted income per share because the option exercise prices were greater than the average market prices for the applicable periods:

(a) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017 1,023,072 options;

(b) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016 1,284,689 options; and

For the fiscal years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the basic and diluted weighted average common shares were the same because the inclusion of dilutive securities would have been anti-dilutive. Diluted net income attributable to common stockholders per share includes the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock. See Note 10 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for outstanding stock options and unvested restricted stock, all of which are anti-dilutive as of September 30, 2017.

The following summarizes the potential outstanding common stock of the Company as of the dates set forth below:



	September 30,
	2017			2016			2015
	(amounts in thousands except per share and share data)
Weighted average shares calculation:
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	31,402,921			30,638,163			29,987,985
Treasury stock effect of options and restricted stock	—			—			—
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	31,402,921			30,638,163			29,987,985
Net loss	$	(39,187	)	$	(59,926	)	$	(104,815	)
Basic and diluted loss per common share	$	(1.25	)	$	(1.96	)	$	(3.50	)

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements—Going Concern, which requires management to evaluate whether there are conditions and events that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern and to provide disclosures in certain circumstances. The new guidance was issued to reduce diversity in the timing and content of footnote disclosures. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim reporting periods ending after December 15, 2016. The Company's adoption of this new standard for the year ended September 30, 2017, had no impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718). The new standard will change certain aspects of accounting for share-based payments to employees. Under the new standard, the Company will no longer record excess tax benefits and certain tax deficiencies in additional paid-in capital (“APIC”). Instead, the Company will record all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. The APIC pools will be eliminated. For interim reporting purposes, the Company will account for excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as discrete items in the period in which they occur. The new standard will also allow the Company to repurchase more of an employee’s shares than it can today for income tax withholding purposes without triggering liability accounting and to make a policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur. The new guidance will require the Company to present excess tax benefits as an operating activity on the statement of cash flows rather than as a financing activity. This guidance will become effective for the Company beginning on October 1, 2017. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material effect upon its consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805). ASU 2017-01 clarifies the definition of a business to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or business. The definition of a business affects many areas of accounting including acquisitions, disposals, goodwill, and consolidation. This guidance will become effective for the Company beginning on October 1, 2018. The amendments in this update should be applied prospectively on or after the effective date. No disclosures are required at transition. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material effect upon its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which supersedes most existing revenue recognition guidance under GAAP. The new standard will change the way the Company recognizes revenue and significantly expand the disclosure requirements for revenue arrangements. The guidance may be adopted either retrospectively or on a modified retrospective basis whereby the new standard would be applied to new and existing arrangements with remaining performance obligations as of the effective date, with a cumulative catch-up adjustment recorded to retained earnings at the effective date for existing arrangements with remaining performance obligations. During fiscal year ended September 30, 2017, the Company initiated a formal project to assess the new standard, which is being completed in phases: the assessment phase followed by the implementation phase. The Company has substantially completed the assessment phase of its project. The assessment phase consisted of reviewing a representative sample of contracts, discussions with key stakeholders, and cataloging potential impacts on the Company’s accounting policies, financial statements, and systems and processes. The implementation team has apprised both management and the audit committee of project status on a recurring basis. The Company is continuing to evaluate the accounting impacts, and have identified some areas of the accounting guidance which will require more detailed analysis, including the principal-agent guidance, the transfer of control guidance, and the guidance on when certain services that we provide would be considered separate performance obligations. Because this assessment is preliminary and the accounting for revenue recognition is subject to significant judgment, this could change as the Company finalizes the implementation of the new standard. The Company does not yet know and cannot reasonably estimate the quantitative impact on the consolidated financial statements. This guidance will become effective for the Company beginning October 1, 2018, which is when the Company intends to adopt. The Company intends to adopt the new standard on a modified retrospective basis. This determination is subject to change based on finalization of our implementation work.

In April 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2015-5, "Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement. ASU 2015-5 provides guidance regarding whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, the software license element of the arrangement must be accounted for in a manner consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, the arrangement must be accounted for as a service contract. ASU 2015-5 does not change the accounting for service contracts. ASU 2015-5 is effective for fiscal years, including interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company adopted this standard beginning in fiscal year 2017, and it had no impact on the financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-2, Leases. ASU 2016-2 will change the way the Company recognizes its leased assets. ASU 2016-2 will require organizations that lease assets—referred to as "lessees"—to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities representing the rights and obligations created by those leases. ASU 2016-2 will also require disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users better understand the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The standard will be effective for the Company beginning on October 1, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the methods of adoption allowed by the new standard and the effect that adoption of the standard is expected to have on the Company's consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350). Under ASU 2017-04 the entity should perform its annual or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit's fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. Additionally, an entity should consider income tax effects from any tax-deductible goodwill on the carrying amount of the reporting unit when measuring the goodwill impairment loss, if applicable. This guidance will become effective for the Company beginning on October 1, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the methods of adoption allowed by the new standard and the effect that adoption of the standard is expected to have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. ASU 2017-07 changes how employers that sponsor defined benefit pension and/or other postretirement benefit plans present the cost of the benefits in the income statement. Under this standard, employers will present the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost in the same income statement line item(s) as other employee compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period. Employers will present the other components of the net periodic benefit cost separately from the line item(s) that includes the service cost and outside of any subtotal of operating income, if one is presented. This guidance will become effective for the Company beginning on October 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the methods of adoption allowed by the new standard and the effect that adoption of the standard is expected to have on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.

Significant Contracts	12 Months Ended
Significant Contracts	Sep. 30, 2017
Contractors [Abstract]
Significant Contracts	Significant Contracts DLA Disposition Services The Company has two material vendor contracts with the DoD, the Surplus Contract and the Scrap Contract. Under the Surplus Contract the Company is the remarketer of all DoD non-rolling stock surplus turned into the DLA available for sale within the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The Surplus Contract requires the Company to purchase all usable surplus property offered to the Company by the DoD at a fixed percentage of the DoD's OAV. This fixed percentage is 4.35%; prior to the date the current Surplus Contract became effective, this fixed percentage was 1.8%. The Company retains 100% of the profits from the resale of the property and bears all of the costs for the merchandising and sale of the property. Included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheet is a liability to the DoD for the inventory that has not been paid for in the amount of $6.2 million and $16.1 million as of September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The Surplus Contract permits either party to terminate the contract for convenience. The initial two-year base period ended in December 2016. On December 6, 2016, the DLA notified the Company that it was exercising the first 1-year extension option. The Surplus contract now extends through December 14, 2017. There are three remaining one-year options to extend the Surplus contract, exercisable by the DLA. See note 18 (Subsequent Event) in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for information about the bidding on the DLA’s Request for Technical Proposal, which was issued subsequent to September 30, 2017. The Company currently earns fees for services provided under the Surplus contract. Service fees may vary month-to-month based on services rendered, agreed pricing and volume of goods. Pricing declines negatively affected revenue under the Surplus contract beginning in the quarter ended June 30, 2017, and the Company anticipates service fee revenue will continue to decline over several quarters due to anticipated additional pricing declines. Revenue under the Surplus contract was negatively affected for the twelve months ended September 30, 2017, as a result of an approximate $2.0 million decrease in service revenue due to lower pricing compared to the pricing in effect through the quarter ended March 31, 2017. Revenue from the current Surplus Contract accounted for 27.6%, 31.0% and 24.7% of the Company's consolidated revenue for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. This contract is included within the CAG segment. Under the Scrap Contract, the Company is the remarketer of all DoD non-electronic scrap turned into the DLA available for sale within the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The Scrap contract was awarded to the Company in April 2016. The Scrap contract has a 36-month base term, and commenced in the first quarter of fiscal year 2017, with two 12-month extension options exercisable by the DLA. The base period of the Scrap Contract will expire on September 30, 2019. The Company pays a revenue-sharing payment to the DLA under this contract equal to 64.5% of the gross resale proceeds of the scrap property, and the Company bears all of the costs for the sorting, merchandising and sale of the property. The contract contains a provision permitting the DLA to terminate the contract for convenience upon written notice to the Company. The original Scrap contract was structured as a profit-sharing arrangement, whereby the profit sharing percentage to the DLA was 65.0%. As a result of moving from a profit-sharing arrangement to a revenue-sharing arrangement, the Company re-named the balance sheet line item from Profit-sharing distributions payable to Distributions payable during the first quarter of fiscal year 2017. Revenue from the Scrap contract accounted for approximately 11.1%, 10.2% and 15.3% of the Company's consolidated revenue for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. This contract is included within the CAG segment.

Property and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment, including equipment under capital lease obligations, consists of the following:



	September 30,
	2017			2016
	(in thousands)
Computers and purchased software	$	23,724		$	24,584
Internally developed software for internal-use	7,100			—
Office/Operational equipment	6,845			6,700
Leasehold improvements	4,167			5,139
Building	2,558			2,257
Furniture and fixtures	1,247			1,356
Vehicles	1,048			981
Land	754			754
Construction in progress	944			3,926
Total property and equipment	48,387			45,697
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(31,594		)	(31,321		)
Total property and equipment, net	$	16,793		$	14,376

Depreciation and amortization expense related to property and equipment for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, was $4.8 million, $5.1 million and $6.1 million, respectively. During the year ended September 30, 2017, the Company transferred $3.9 million from Construction in progress to internally developed software for internal-use, and capitalized an additional $3.2 million in cost associated with internally developed software for internal-use. Amortization of internally developed software for internal-use was $0.4 million for the year ended September 30, 2017.

During the year ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded $0.6 million in fixed asset impairment charges associated with leasehold improvements in its IronDirect business. The Company did not record fixed asset impairment charges in fiscal 2016. These impairment charges are recorded in the Acquisition costs and related fair value adjustments and impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets line item in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and reported under the Corporate & other segment.

Goodwill

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Goodwill

The annual goodwill impairment assessment was performed as of July 1, 2017, for fiscal year 2017.

The goodwill of acquired companies is primarily related to the acquisition of an experienced and knowledgeable workforce.

A reporting unit represents a component of an operating segment that (a) constitutes a business, (b) has discrete financial information, and (c) its performance is reviewed by management. At fiscal year-end 2015, the Company had two reporting units—LSI-Retail Supply Chain Group (RSCG) and LSI-Capital Assets Group (CAG). During fiscal year 2016, in light of new business ventures and management restructuring, the Company concluded that it had five reporting units—RSCG, CAG, GovDeals, Truckcenter, and IronDirect. During fiscal year 2017, the Company decided to exit certain Truckcenter operations in order to focus its time and resources on its ecommerce marketplace strategy. As a result, as of September 30, 2017, the Company had four reporting units-RSCG, CAG, GovDeals and IronDirect.

As of December 31, 2014, the Company identified indicators of impairment and as a result performed an impairment test and concluded as part of the step one test that the carrying values of both of the Company’s two reporting units exceeded their estimated fair values. The Company performed the step one test using the discounted cash flow method. As a result of the step two test, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $85.1 million during the first quarter of fiscal year 2015. As of September 30, 2015, as part of the Company’s annual impairment test, the Company identified indicators of impairment and as a result performed an impairment test and concluded as part of the step one test that the carrying values of both of the Company’s two reporting units exceeded their estimated fair values. As a result of the step two test, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $51.2 million during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2015. Goodwill impairment losses for fiscal 2015 totaled $136.2 million and were the result of the termination of the Wal-Mart Agreement, cessation of operations of NESA, and decline in market capitalization.

As part of the Company's fiscal year 2016 annual impairment assessment, the Company identified indicators of impairment and as a result performed step one of the goodwill impairment test. The Company performed the step one test using a discounted cash flow method. The Company concluded that the carrying value exceeded fair value for one of the Company's reporting units that had goodwill. Accordingly, the Company performed the step two test to derive the fair value of the goodwill, and as a result the Company recorded a $19.0 million impairment charge to its RSCG reporting unit during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2016. The goodwill impairment was due to updated assumptions used in the fair value calculation.

As part of the Company's fiscal year 2017 annual impairment assessment, the Company believed that certain events triggered moving to a step one evaluation of goodwill to identify potential impairment. After performing the step one test, the Company concluded the remaining reporting units with goodwill had fair values as of July 1, 2017, that substantially exceeded their respective book values.

The following summarizes the goodwill activity for the Company's reportable segments that have goodwill during the periods indicated:



Goodwill (in thousands)	RSCG			CAG			GovDeals		Total
Balance at September 30, 2014	$	78,458		$	131,198		$	—	$	209,656
Impairment charge	(52,716		)	(83,532		)	—		(136,248		)
Business disposition	(6,733		)	—					(6,733		)
Translation adjustments	(405		)	(2,197		)	—		(2,602		)
Balance at September 30, 2015	$	18,604		$	45,469		$	—	$	64,073
Reallocation of goodwill	—			(23,731		)	23,731		—
Impairment charge	(18,998		)	—			—		(18,998		)
Translation adjustments	394			(335		)	—		59
Balance at September 30, 2016	—			21,403			23,731		45,134
Impairment charge	—			—			—		—
Translation adjustments	—			254			—		254
Balance at September 30, 2017	$	—		$	21,657		$	23,731	$	45,388

Accumulated goodwill impairment losses as of September 30, 2014 were $13.4 million.

Intangible Assets

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net [Abstract]

Intangible Assets



		Balance as of September 30, 2017							Balance as of September 30, 2016
	Useful Life (in years)	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount
Contract intangibles	10	$	—	$	—		$	—	$	1,500	$	(150	)	$	1,350
Brand and technology	3 - 5	—		—			—		5,749		(5,018		)	731
Covenants not to compete	3 - 5	—		—			—		700		(533		)	167
Patent and trademarks	3 - 10	943		(516		)	427		820		(418		)	402
Total intangible assets, net		$	943	$	(516	)	$	427	$	8,769	$	(6,119	)	$	2,650

Future expected amortization of intangible assets at September 30, 2017, is as follows:



Year Ending September 30,	Amortization
	(in thousands)
2018	$	76
2019	69
2020	70
2021	58
2022 and after	154
Total	$	427

Amortization expense related to intangible assets for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015 was $1.0 million, $1.4 million, and $3.1 million, respectively.

During fiscal year 2017, the Company recorded a $1.2 million impairment of a contract intangible associated with customer relationships in its IronDirect business, and reduced the remaining unamortized value of this intangible asset to zero during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017. The Company also concluded that the covenant not to compete intangible asset received in connection with the acquisition of the TruckCenter business, was impaired due to the exit of the TruckCenter land-based, live auction and retail business. The Company recorded a $0.1 million charge, and reduced the remaining unamortized value of this intangible asset to zero during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017. These impairment charges are recorded in the Acquisition costs and related fair value adjustments and impairment of goodwill and long-lived assets line item in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and reported under the Corporate & other segment.

Commitments

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Leases, Operating [Abstract]

Commitments

Leases

The Company leases certain office space and equipment under non-cancelable operating lease agreements, which expire at various dates through 2022. Certain of the leases contain escalation clauses and provide for the pass-through of increases in operating expenses and real estate taxes. Rent related to leases that have escalation clauses is recognized on a straight-line basis. Resulting deferred rent charges are included in other long-term liabilities and were $0.6 million and $1.0 million, at September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Future minimum payments under the leases as of September 30, 2017, are as follows:



Year Ending September 30,	Operating Lease Payments
	(in thousands)
2018	$	9,432
2019	8,696
2020	4,903
2021	2,806
2022	1,001
2023	305
Total future minimum lease payments	$	27,143

On June 16, 2017 the Company entered into a sub-lease agreement for 18,412 square feet of office space at 6931 Arlington Road, Bethesda, Maryland. The sub-lease commenced September 29, 2017, and will expire April 30, 2023. On the sub-lease commencement date, the Company relocated its headquarters previously located at 1920 L Street NW, Washington DC, to the new Bethesda location. The Company ceased using the L Street location as of September 30, 2017, and recognized a $2.0 million cease-use charge in its consolidated statements of operations at September 30, 2017, within the Other operating expenses line item.

Rent expense for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, was $10.8 million, $11.5 million, and $12.5 million, respectively. The fiscal 2017 rent expense amount does not include the $2.0 million cease-use charge pertaining to the L Street location.

Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

The components of the provision for income taxes of continuing operations are as follows:



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017			2016			2015
Current tax provision (benefit):
U.S. Federal	$	(234	)	$	—		$	(32,116	)
State	613			672			(1,375		)
Foreign	(210		)	176			203
	169			848			(33,288		)
Deferred tax (benefit) expense:
U.S. Federal	(592		)	25,338			326
State	(86		)	3,890			(4,422		)
Foreign	58			(3,051		)	(2,187		)
	(620		)	26,177			(6,283		)
Total (benefit) provision	$	(451	)	$	27,025		$	(39,571	)

Deferred taxes reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:



	September 30,
	2017			2016
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating losses—Foreign	$	9,171		$	8,964
Net operating losses—U.S.	31,133			17,086
Accrued vacation and bonus	859			1,305
Inventory capitalization	1,315			1,906
Inventory reserves	1,903			1,311
Allowance for doubtful accounts	98			120
Stock compensation expense	6,689			8,105
Amortization of intangibles	2,753			2,286
Amortization of goodwill	—			1,021
Pension liability	—			133
Restructuring costs	913			—
Other	3,134			3,699
Total deferred tax assets before valuation allowance	57,968			45,936
Less: valuation allowance	(54,379		)	(44,257		)
Net deferred tax assets	3,589			1,679
Deferred tax liabilities:
Amortization of goodwill	9,000			9,444
Depreciation	185			658
Capitalized costs	3,032			—
Pension liability	372			—
Total deferred tax liabilities	$	12,589		$	10,102
Net deferred taxes	$	(9,000	)	$	(8,423	)

The reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to the effective rate for continuing operations is as follows:



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017		2016		2015
U.S. statutory rate	35.0	%	35.0	%	35.0	%
Permanent items	(0.9	)%	(4.2	)%	(6.3	)%
State taxes	1.2	%	1.9	%	2.6	%
Net foreign rate differential	(2.8	)%	(3.8	)%	(3.0	)%
Unrecognized tax benefits	3.5	%	(2.2	)%	—	%
Change in valuation allowance	(34.8	)%	(108.8	)%	(0.9	)%
Other	(0.06	)%	—	%	—	%
Provision for income taxes	1.1	%	(82.1	)%	27.4	%

At September 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company had federal and state deferred tax assets of $45.4 million and $35.8 million, respectively, related to available federal and state net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards and other U.S. deductible temporary differences. The NOL carryforwards expire beginning in 2035 through 2037. At September 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company had deferred tax assets related to available foreign NOL carryforwards of approximately $9.2 million and $9.0 million respectively. All but approximately $0.5 million of our foreign NOLs maintain an indefinite carry forward life. The NOLs with limited carryforward periods will expire beginning in 2018 through 2037.

The Company assesses available positive and negative evidence to estimate whether sufficient future taxable income will be generated to permit use of the existing deferred tax assets. A significant piece of objective negative evidence evaluated was the cumulative loss incurred over the three-year period ended September 30, 2017. Such objective evidence limits the ability to consider other evidence such as our projections for future growth. On the basis of this evaluation, the Company recorded a valuation change of $10.1 million to bring the total valuation allowance to $54.4 million at September 30, 2017.

The Company has not recorded a provision for deferred U.S. tax expense on the undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries since the Company intends to indefinitely reinvest the earnings of these foreign subsidiaries outside the U.S. The amount of such undistributed foreign earnings was approximately $8.0 million as of September 30, 2017. As of September 30, 2017, and 2016, approximately $14.9 million and $21.5 million, respectively, of cash and cash equivalents was held overseas and not available to fund domestic operations without incurring taxes upon repatriation.

The following is a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits:



	Year Ended September 30, (In thousands)
	2017			2016	2015
Beginning balance at October 1	$	725		—	—
Additions based on positions related to the current year	—			—	—
Additions for tax positions of prior years	1,426			725	—
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(229		)	—	—
Settlements	(1,922		)	—	—
Balance at September 30	$	—		725	—

The Company applies the authoritative guidance related to uncertainty in income taxes. 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 the technical merits. During fiscal year 2017, we reduced our deferred tax asset and valuation allowance for our net operating loss carryforward by $1.2 million for unrecognized tax benefits related to federal and state exposures. We recorded a net tax benefit of $1.4 million comprised of a $1.2 million recovery of tax deductions related to equity compensation previously recorded to equity and a $0.2 million recovery of prior year taxes. The Company has agreed to settle all previously unrecognized tax benefits with the IRS and anticipates no additional adjustments for fiscal years 2013 through 2015.

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, primarily Canada and the U.K. Currently, the Company is subject to income tax examinations for fiscal years 2012 through 2015. The Company anticipates no material tax liability to arise from these examinations. The statute of limitations for years prior to fiscal year 2013 is now closed. However, certain tax attribute carryforwards that were generated prior to fiscal year 2013 may be adjusted upon examination by tax authorities if they are utilized.

Equity Transactions

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Equity Transactions

2006 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan

In conjunction with the Company's initial public offering, the board of directors and the Company's stockholders approved the 2006 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan, or the 2006 Plan, on December 2, 2005. The 2005 Stock Option and Incentive Plan was terminated when the 2006 Plan became effective, immediately after the closing of the initial public offering.

A portion of the options and restricted shares granted to employees vest based on certain performance conditions being satisfied by the Company. Performance-based stock options are tied to the Company's annual performance against pre-established internal targets and the actual payout under these awards may vary from zero to 100% of an employee's target payout, based upon the Company's actual performance during the previous twelve months. The performance-based stock options are also subject to vesting requirements and generally vest when the performance condition has been satisfied. The fair value for stock options granted during the period was estimated at the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model, as described in Note 2, and the fair value of restricted shares granted is based on the closing price of the shares on the grant date. Compensation cost is recognized when the performance condition has been satisfied or when it becomes probable that the performance condition will be satisfied.

Under the 2006 Plan, as amended, 10,000,000 shares of common stock were available for issuance. At September 30, 2014, there were 772,227 shares remaining reserved for issuance in connection with awards under the 2006 Plan. In February 2015, at the Company's annual meeting of stockholders, the stockholders approved an amendment to the 2006 Plan which increased the shares available for issuance under the 2006 Plan by 3,000,000 shares and established a fungible share pool so that awards other than options or stock appreciation rights granted after January 9, 2015, would be counted as 1.5 shares from the shares reserved for issuance under the 2006 Plan. On February 23, 2017, at the Company's annual meeting of stockholders, the stockholders approved amendments to the 2006 Plan to increase the number of shares available for issuance under the 2006 Plan by 3,300,000, bringing the total number of shares issuable under the 2006 Plan since it was adopted to 16,300,000 shares. At September 30, 2017, there were 3,269,071 shares remaining reserved for issuance in connection with awards under the 2006 Plan.

During fiscal year 2016, the Company issued 1,062,668 cash-settled stock appreciation rights at a price of $4.57, and 153,338 cash-settled stock appreciation rights were forfeited. During fiscal year 2017, the Company issued 218,550 cash-settled stock appreciation rights at a price of $10.30, and 234,313 cash-settled stock appreciation rights were forfeited. Stock appreciation rights are recorded as liability awards. The maximum number of shares subject to options or stock appreciation rights that can be awarded under the 2006 Plan to any person is 1,000,000 per year. The maximum number of shares that can be awarded under the 2006 Plan to any person, other than pursuant to an option or stock appreciation right, is 700,000 per year. The Company issues stock appreciation rights where restrictions lapse upon either the passage of time (service vesting), achievement of performance targets, or some combination of these conditions. For those stock appreciation rights with only service conditions, the Company recognizes compensation cost on a straight-line basis over the explicit service period. For awards with both performance and service conditions, the Company starts recognizing compensation cost over the remaining service period, when it is probable the performance condition will be met. The stock appreciation rights that include only service conditions generally vest over a period of one to four years conditioned on continued employment for the incentive period.

For the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company recorded stock-based compensation of $7.4 million, $12.3 million and $12.4 million, respectively. The total costs related to unvested awards with service vesting conditions, not yet recognized, as of September 30, 2017 was $8.8 million, which will be recognized over the weighted average vesting period of 56.00 months. The total costs related to unvested awards with performance vesting conditions, not yet recognized, as of September 30, 2017 was $4.8 million.

The 2006 Plan permits the granting of options to purchase shares of common stock intended to qualify as incentive stock options under the Internal Revenue Code and stock options that do not qualify as incentive stock options ("non-qualified stock options"). The exercise price of each stock option may not be less than 100% of the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant. However, if a grant recipient, who holds at least 10% of the common stock of the Company, receives an incentive stock option, the exercise price of such incentive stock option may not be less than 110% of the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant. The term of each stock option is fixed by the compensation committee and may not exceed 10 years from the date of grant.

The compensation committee may also award under the 2006 Plan:


•	restricted stock, which are shares of common stock subject to restrictions;


•	restricted stock units, which are common stock units subject to restrictions;


•	dividend equivalent rights, which are rights entitling the recipient to receive credits for dividends that would be paid if the recipient had held a specified number of shares of common stock;


•	stock appreciation rights, which are rights to receive a number of shares or, in the discretion of the compensation committee and subject to applicable law, an amount in cash or a combination of shares and cash, based on the increase in the fair market value of the shares underlying the right during a stated period specified by the compensation committee;


•	unrestricted stock, which are shares of common stock granted without restrictions as a bonus; and


•	performance and annual incentive awards, ultimately payable in common stock or cash, as determined by the compensation committee (the compensation committee may grant multi-year and annual incentive awards subject to achievement of specified goals tied to business criteria set forth in the 2006 Plan).

Share Repurchase Program

The Company is authorized to repurchase issued and outstanding shares of its common stock under a share repurchase program approved by our Board of Directors. Share repurchases may be made through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise, at times and in such amounts as management deems appropriate. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements and other market conditions. The repurchase program may be discontinued or suspended at any time, and will be funded using the Company's available cash. The Company's Board of Directors reviews the share repurchase program periodically, the last such review having occurred in May 2016. The Company did not repurchase shares under this program during the twelve months ended September 30, 2017. As of September 30, 2017, the Company may repurchase an additional $10.1 million shares under this program. A summary of the Company's share repurchase activity from fiscal year 2014 to the year ended September 30, 2017 is as follows:



Fiscal Year Period	Total Number of Shares Purchased	Average Price Paid per Share	Total Cash Paid for Shares Purchased	Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs(1)
2014	2,962,978	16	44,873,000	5,127,000
2015	—	—	—	5,127,000
2016	—	—	—	10,127,000
2017	—	—	—	$	10,127,000

_______________________________________________________________________________


(1)	On February 5, 2014, the Company's Board of Directors approved an additional $19.0 million for the share repurchase program. On May 5, 2016, the Company's Board of Directors approved the repurchase of an additional $5.0 million in shares raising the current amount approved for repurchase, that may yet be expended up to $10.1 million.

Stock Option Activity

A summary of the Company's stock option activity for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016, and 2015 is as follows:



	Options		Weighted- Average Exercise Price
Options outstanding at September 30, 2014	1,465,907		$	19.50
Options granted	310,177		9.92
Options exercised	(14,869	)	7.09
Options canceled	(288,572	)	20.26
Options outstanding at September 30, 2015	1,472,643		17.46
Options granted	583,228		6.68
Options exercised	(1,251	)	7.48
Options canceled	(346,133	)	16.99
Options outstanding at September 30, 2016	1,708,487		13.91
Options granted	232,845		9.18
Options exercised	(12,421	)	7.41
Options canceled	(223,938	)	13.00
Options outstanding at September 30, 2017	1,704,973		13.43
Options exercisable at September 30, 2017	1,270,781		14.99

The following table summarizes information about options outstanding at September 30, 2017:



	Options Outstanding
Range of Exercise Price	Number Outstanding	Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life	Weighted- Average Exercise Price
$5.53 - $6.96	366,151	8.30	$	6.42
$6.97 - $9.09	289,049	6.19	7.83
$9.10 - $10.82	359,597	6.92	9.78
$10.83 - $19.27	330,321	1.85	13.04
$19.28 - $46.72	359,855	5.55	29.06

The following table summarizes information about options exercisable at September 30, 2017:



	Options Exercisable
Range of Exercise Price	Number Exercisable	Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life	Weighted- Average Exercise Price
$5.53 - $6.96	282,064	8.30	$	6.36
$6.97 - $9.09	138,533	3.43	7.81
$9.10 - $10.82	182,613	6.30	9.99
$10.83 - $19.27	322,201	1.70	13.08
$19.28 - $46.72	345,370	5.52	29.35

The following table summarizes information about assumptions used in valuing options granted:



	Year ended September 30
	2017		2016		2015
Dividend yield	—		—		—
Expected volatility	54.22% - 54.93%		51.5% - 58.6%		71.9% - 77.9%
Risk-free interest rate	1.65% - 2.17%		0.5% - 1.5%		0.26% - 1.4%
Expected forfeiture rate	21.4	%	23.5	%	22.2% - 22.8%

The intrinsic value of outstanding and exercisable options at September 30, 2017 was approximately $494 and $494, respectively, based on a stock price of $5.90 on September 30, 2017.

The weighted average grant date fair value of options granted during 2017, 2016, and 2015 was $3.58, $2.07, and $4.89, respectively.

The intrinsic value of options exercised at September 30, 2017, 2016, and 2015 was approximately $24,032, $3,128 and $4,000, respectively. Approximately 0.2 million unvested service-based stock options are expected to vest.

Restricted Share Activity

A summary of the Company's restricted share activity for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016, and 2015 is as follows:



	Restricted Shares		Weighted- Average Fair Value
Unvested restricted shares at September 30, 2014	1,897,827		$	24.96
Restricted shares granted	1,298,604		10.04
Restricted shares vested	(343,204	)	27.50
Restricted shares canceled	(486,040	)	26.54
Unvested restricted shares at September 30, 2015	2,367,187		16.08
Restricted shares granted	1,504,655		5.54
Restricted shares vested	(715,188	)	16.09
Restricted shares canceled	(495,409	)	20.25
Unvested restricted shares at September 30, 2016	2,661,245		9.34
Restricted shares granted	849,352		8.78
Restricted shares vested	(748,266	)	11.04
Restricted shares canceled	(571,900	)	9.81
Unvested restricted shares at September 30, 2017	2,190,431		8.42

The intrinsic value and weighted average remaining contractual life in years of unvested restricted shares at September 30, 2017, is approximately $12.9 million and 8.37, respectively, based on a stock price of $5.90 on September 30, 2017. Approximately 1.2 million unvested service-based restricted stock shares are expected to vest.

Fair Value Measurement

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurement

11. Fair Value Measurement

The Company measures and records in the accompanying consolidated financial statements certain liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis. Authoritative guidance issued by the FASB establishes a fair value hierarchy for those instruments measured at fair value that distinguishes between assumptions based on market data (observable inputs) and the Company's assumptions (unobservable inputs). The hierarchy consists of three levels:



Level 1		Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities;
Level 2		Inputs other than Level 1 inputs that are either directly or indirectly observable; and
Level 3		Unobservable inputs developed using estimates and assumptions developed by the Company, which reflect those that a market participant would use.

As of September 30, 2017, and 2016, the Company had no Level 1 or Level 2 assets or liabilities measured at fair value. As of September 30, 2017, and September 30, 2016, the Company had financial assets that are measured at fair value and are classified as Level 3 assets within the fair value hierarchy. The Company records the financial assets using the fair value option under ASC 825, Financial Instruments. These financial assets represent the value of rights the Company holds from its participation in certain principal transactions in the Company's commercial business, where a third-party partner owns the underlying assets to be sold, and the Company has contributed funds to the partner towards purchasing those underlying assets. These assets are included in prepaid expenses and other current assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The changes in financial assets measured at fair value for which the Company has used Level 3 inputs to determine fair value for the year ended September 30, 2017, are as follows ($ in thousands):



	Level 3 Assets

Balance at September 30, 2016	$	2,200
Acquisition of financial assets	2,662
Settlements	(4,944		)
Change in fair value of financial assets	573
Balance at September 30, 2017	$	491

During the year ended September 30, 2017, the Company recognized a gain of approximately $0.6 million on its financial assets.

When valuing its Level 3 assets, the Company considers asset condition, economic and/or market events, and other pertinent information that would impact its estimate of the expected generated proceeds. The valuation procedures are primarily based on management's projection of the value of the assets securing the financial investment. Management’s estimation of the fair value of these assets is based on the best information available in the circumstances and may incorporate management's own assumptions regarding market demand for these assets. Such assumptions involve management's judgment, taking into consideration a combination of internal and external factors. Changes in fair value of the Company's Level 3 assets are recorded in Other operating expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The Company’s financial assets not measured at fair value are cash and cash equivalents (which includes cash and commercial paper with original maturities of less than 90 days). The Company believes the carrying value of these instruments approximates fair value due to their short-term maturities

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details

Defined Benefit Pension Plan

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Defined Benefit Plan [Abstract]

Defined Benefit Pension Plan

Certain employees of Liquidity Services UK Limited ("GoIndustry"), which the Company acquired in July 2012, are covered by the Henry Butcher Pension Fund and Life Assurance Scheme (the "Scheme"), a qualified defined benefit pension plan.

The Company recognizes the funded status of its postretirement benefit plans, with a corresponding noncash adjustment to accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax, in stockholders' equity. The funded status is measured as the difference between the fair value of the plan's assets and the benefit obligation of the plan.

The net periodic benefit cost recognized for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, included the following components:

Qualified Defined Benefit Pension Plan



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017			2016			2015
	(in thousands)
Interest cost	$	582		$	814		$	964
Expected return on plan assets	(826		)	(1,066		)	(1,186		)
Total net periodic benefit	$	(244	)	$	(252	)	$	(222	)

The following table provides a reconciliation of benefit obligations, plan assets, and funded status related to the Company's qualified defined benefit pension plan for the years ended September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016:

Qualified Defined Benefit Pension Plan



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017			2016
	(in thousands)
Change in benefit obligation
Beginning balance	$	26,321		$	24,069
Interest cost	582			814
Benefits paid	(718		)	(1,246		)
Actuarial loss/(gain)	(1,861		)	5,999
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	761			(3,315		)
Ending balance	$	25,085		$	26,321

Qualified Defined Benefit Pension Plan



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017			2016
	(in thousands)
Change in plan assets
Beginning balance at fair value	$	25,767		$	24,537
Actual return on plan assets	569			4,831
Benefits paid	(718		)	(1,246		)
Employer's contributions	552			1,482
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	773			(3,837		)
Ending balance at fair value	$	26,943		$	25,767
Overfunded (underfunded) status of the plan	$	1,859		$	(554	)

The accrued pension asset of $1.9 million is recorded in Other long-term assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheet. Because the plan is closed to new participants, the accumulated benefit obligation is equal to the projected benefit obligation, and totals $25.1 million and $26.3 million at September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, respectively.

The amount recognized in other comprehensive loss related to the Company's qualified defined benefit pension plan, net of tax, for the year ended September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, is shown in the following table:

Qualified Defined Benefit Pension Plan



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017			2016
	(in thousands)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Income)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Income) at beginning of year	$	1,226		$	(1,321	)
Net actuarial (gains)/losses	(1,589		)	2,547
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	240			—
Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Income) loss at end of year	$	(123	)	$	1,226

Estimated amounts to be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive (income) loss into net periodic benefit cost during 2017 based on September 30, 2017 plan measurements are $0. Amortization of a net gain or loss included in accumulated other comprehensive income shall be included as a component of net pension cost for a year if, as of the beginning of the year, that net gain or loss exceeds 10 percent of the greater of the projected benefit obligation or the market-related value of plan assets. The plan complies with the funding provisions of the UK Pensions Act 2004 and the Occupational Pension Schemes Regulations Act 2005. The Company does not plan to make contributions to the plan in the near future.

Actuarial Assumptions

The actuarial assumptions used to determine the benefit obligations at September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, and to determine the net periodic (benefit) cost for the year were as follows:

Qualified Defined Benefit Pension Plan



	2017		2016
Discount rate	2.70	%	2.30	%
Expected return on plan assets	3.80	%	3.20	%
Increases to non-GMP pensions in payment accrued pre 4/6/97	—	%	—	%
Increases to non-GMP pensions in payment accrued post 4/6/97	2.10	%	2.00	%
Rate of increases to deferred CPI linked benefits	2.10	%	2.00	%
Rate of increases to deferred RPI linked benefits	3.20	%	3.10	%

Mortality—100% for males and 105% for females of S2PxA "light" tables, projected in line with the 2016 Continuous Mortality Investigation projection model and a 1.5% per annum long-term rate of improvement.

Estimated Future Benefit Payments

The Company's pension plan expects to make the following benefit payments to participants over the next 10 years:



	Pension Benefits
	(in thousands)
Year ending September 30,
2018	$	751
2019	767
2020	791
2021	687
2022	749
2023 through 2027	4,362
Total	$	8,107

Fair Value Measurements

The investment policy and strategy of the plan assets, as established by the Trustees of the plan, strive to maximize the likelihood of achieving primary objectives of the investment policy established for the plan. The primary objectives are:


1.	Funding—to ensure that the Plan is fully funded using assumptions that contain a modest margin for prudence. Where an actuarial valuation reveals a deficit, a recovery plan will be put in place which will take into account the financial covenant of the employer;


2.	Stability—to have due regard to the likely level and volatility of required contributions when setting the Plan's investment strategy; and


3.	Security—to ensure that the solvency position of the Plan is expected to improve. The Trustees will take into account the strength of employer's covenant when determining the expected improvement in the solvency position of the Plan.

The assets are allocated among equity investments and fixed income securities. The assets are not rebalanced but the allocation between equities and bonds is reviewed on a periodic basis to ensure that the investments are appropriate to the Scheme's circumstances. The Trustees review the investment policy on an ongoing basis, to determine whether a change in the policy or asset allocation targets is necessary. The Company has elected to use a bid value of Scheme assets to calculate the expected return on assets in the net periodic benefit cost. The assets consisted of the following as of September 30, 2017:



	Actual 2016
Equity securities	43.7	%
Fixed-income securities	54.9	%
Cash equivalents	1.4	%
Total	100.0	%

The class of equity securities consists of one pooled fund whose strategy is to invest in approximately 70% UK company shares (domestic) and 30% international equity securities. The class of fixed-income securities consists of one pooled fund whose strategy is to invest in a limited number of government and corporate bonds.

The expected long-term rate of return for the plan's total assets is based on the expected returns of each of the above categories, weighted based on the current target allocation for each class. The Trustees evaluate whether adjustments are needed based on historical returns to more accurately reflect expectations of future returns.

The Company is required to present certain fair value disclosures related to its postretirement benefit plan assets, even though those assets are not included on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets. The following table presents the fair value of the assets of the Company's qualified defined benefit pension plan by asset category and their level within the fair value hierarchy, which has three levels based on reliability of the inputs used to determine fair value. Level 1 refers to fair values determined based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets, Level 2 refers to fair values estimated using significant other observable inputs, and Level 3 includes fair values estimated using significant unobservable inputs.



Balance as of September 30, 2016	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	(in thousands)
Equity securities	$	—	$	10,087	$	—	$	10,087
Fixed-income securities	—		15,149		—		15,149
Cash equivalents	531		—		—		531
Total	$	531	$	25,236	$	—	$	25,767



Balance as of September 30, 2017	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	(in thousands)
Equity securities	$	—	$	11,778	$	—	$	11,778
Fixed-income securities	—		14,795		—		14,795
Cash equivalents	371		—		—		371
Total	$	371	$	26,573	$	—	$	26,944

Valuation Techniques

The Company relies on pricing inputs from investment fund managers to value investments. The fund manager prices the underlying securities using independent external pricing sources.

Guarantees	12 Months Ended
Guarantees	Sep. 30, 2017
Guarantees [Abstract]
Guarantees	Guarantees During the second quarter of 2015, the Company issued a guarantee to GoIndustry (the "Subsidiary") and the Trustees (the "Trustees") of the Henry Butcher Pension Fund and Life Assurance Scheme (the "Scheme"). Under the arrangement, the Company irrevocably and unconditionally (a) guarantees to the Trustees punctual performance by the Subsidiary of all its Guaranteed Obligations, defined as all present and future obligations and liabilities (whether actual or contingent and whether owed jointly or severally in any capacity whatsoever) of the Company to make payments to the Scheme up to a maximum of 10 million British pounds, (b) undertakes with the Trustees that, whenever the Subsidiary does not pay any amount when due in respect of its Guaranteed Obligations, it must immediately on demand by the Trustees pay that amount as if it were the principal obligor; and (c) indemnifies the Trustees as an independent and primary obligation immediately on demand against any cost, charge, expense, loss or liability suffered or incurred by the Trustees if any payment obligation guaranteed by it is or becomes unenforceable, invalid or illegal; the amount of the cost, charge, expense, loss or liability under this indemnity will be equal to the amount the Trustees would otherwise have been entitled to recover on the basis of a guarantee. The guarantee is a continuing guarantee that will extend to the ultimate balance of all sums payable by the Company in respect of its Guaranteed Obligations.

Business Realignment Expenses

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Business Realignment Expenses

Business Realignment expenses

In January 2017, the Company decided to exit the TruckCenter land-based, live auction and retail business. Costs of $0.9 million associated with the restructuring, were recognized under other operating expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. Those costs included occupancy cost of $0.6 million, employee severance of $0.2 million, and long-lived asset impairments of $0.1 million.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2017, the Company decided to execute a restructuring of its CAG business. The restructuring plan resulted in a reduction in force across a number of departments, including Sales, Marketing and Operations in both the US and in Europe. Severance costs associated with this restructuring amounted to $0.6 million. In addition, the restructuring plan calls for the closure of several offices and legal entities in Europe. Legal and administrative costs associated with the restructuring amounted to $0.1 million. These amounts are presented within the table below.

Also related to the restructuring of its CAG business, on September 25, 2017 the Company entered into a Severance Agreement and General Release (the "Severance Agreement") with the President of the Capital Assets Group. Pursuant to the terms of the Severance Agreement, the Company provided a severance package in the amount of $0.3 million. This amount is presented under employee severance and benefit costs in the table below.

During fiscal year 2017, the Company reorganized its IronDirect business. As a result, the Company recorded approximately $0.9 million of net expense related to the impairment of long-lived assets associated with the IronDirect business, as well as a fair value adjustment. The impairment was comprised of $1.2 million of impairment related to contract intangibles, and $0.6 million of impairment related to fixed assets. This expense was netted with a $0.9 million reversal of an earn-out liability. In addition to these impairments, and the restructuring of its overall business model, the Company entered into a Severance Agreement and General Release with the previous President of IronDirect. As a result, the Company incurred severance costs of approximately $0.1 million.

On June 16, 2017 the Company entered into a sub-lease agreement for 18,412 square feet of office space at 6931 Arlington Road, Bethesda, Maryland. The sub-lease commenced September 29, 2017, and will expire April 30, 2023. On the sub-lease commencement date, the Company relocated its headquarters previously located at 1920 L street NW, Washington DC, to the new Bethesda location. The Company ceased using the previous location as of September 30, 2017 and recognized a $2.0 million cease-use charge in its consolidated statements of operations at September 30, 2017, under the Other operating expenses line item. The amount is presented under occupancy cost in the table below.

The table below sets forth the significant components and activity in the liability for business realignment initiatives during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017, on a segment and consolidated basis:



(in thousands)	Liability Balance at September 30, 2016		Business Realignment Expenses		Cash Payments			Liability Balance at September 30, 2017
Employee severance and benefit costs:
CAG	—		1,037		(244		)	793
Corporate & Other	—		570		(171		)	399
Total employee severance and benefit costs	—		$	1,607	$	(415	)	$	1,192
Occupancy costs:
CAG	—		—		—			—
Corporate & Other	—		2,616		(628		)	1,988
Total occupancy costs	$	—	$	2,616	$	(628	)	$	1,988
Total business realignment	$	—	$	4,223	$	(1,043	)	$	3,180

The $4.2 million in employee severance and occupancy cost per the table above is recorded in Other operating expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Of this $4.2 million in cost, approximately $3.7 million is associated with general and administrative, $0.3 million with sales and marketing, and $0.2 million with technology and operations activities.

The Company expects that the majority of the remaining liability balance at September 30, 2017, of approximately $3.2 million will be paid during fiscal year 2018, with the remainder in fiscal year 2019.

During fiscal year 2015, the Company incurred approximately $0.3 million of business realignment expenses. In order to conform to current year presentation, this amount was reclassified from Technology and operations, and General and Administrative expenses to the Other operating expenses line item in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The reclassification had no effect on total operating expenses, net income, or cash flows.

Legal Proceedings	12 Months Ended
Legal Proceedings	Sep. 30, 2017
Loss Contingency, Information about Litigation Matters [Abstract]
Legal Proceedings	Legal Proceedings Howard v. Liquidity Services, Inc., et al., Civ. No. 14-1183 (D. D. C. 2014). On July 14, 2014, Leonard Howard filed a putative class action complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (the ‘‘District Court’’) against the Company and its chief executive officer, chief financial officer, and chief accounting officer, on behalf of stockholders who purchased the Company’s common stock between February 1, 2012, and May 7, 2014. The complaint alleged that the defendants violated Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 by, among other things, misrepresenting the Company’s growth initiative, growth potential, and financial and operating conditions, thereby artificially inflating its stock price, and sought unspecified compensatory damages and costs and expenses, including attorneys’ and experts’ fees. On October 14, 2014, the Court appointed Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec and the Newport News Employees’ Retirement Fund as co-lead plaintiffs. The plaintiffs filed an amended complaint on December 15, 2014, which alleges substantially similar claims, but which does not name the chief accounting officer as a defendant. On March 2, 2015, the Company moved to dismiss the amended complaint for failure to state a claim or plead fraud with the requisite particularity. On March 31, 2016, the Court granted that motion in part and denied it in part. Only the claims related to the Company’s retail division were not dismissed. On May 16, 2016, the Company answered the amended complaint. Plaintiffs’ class certification motion was granted on September 6, 2017. The scheduling order in this action requires that fact discovery be completed by February 23, 2018, and that expert discovery be completed by July 27, 2018. The Company believes the allegations in the amended complaint are without merit and cannot estimate a range of potential liability, if any, at this time. In re Liquidity Services, Inc. Derivative Litigation, Civ. No. 2017-0080-JTL (Del. Ch.). On February 2, 2017, plaintiff David Girardi filed a putative derivative complaint in the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (the “Court of Chancery”), and on February 7, 2017, plaintiff Harold Slingerland filed a putative derivative complaint in the Court of Chancery. On March 9, 2017, plaintiffs Girardi and Slingerland filed a consolidated putative derivative complaint in the Court of Chancery, purportedly on the Company’s behalf. The consolidated complaint names as defendants the Company’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as well as certain other individuals who served on the Company’s Board of Directors between 2012 and 2014, and seeks recovery from those individuals, not the Company. The complaint asserts that, among other things, the defendants breached their fiduciary duties to the Company and its stockholders by causing or allowing the Company to make the same misstatements that are alleged in the amended complaint in the Howard action, and for alleged trading in the Company's securities while in possession of material non-public information. The defendants have filed a motion to dismiss the complaint in its entirety. On November 27, 2017, the Court of Chancery granted the defendants’ motion to dismiss.

Segment Information

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Information

Prior to the Company's quarterly report as of June 30, 2017, the Company provided operating results in one reportable segment. Effective as of June 30, 2017, the Company provides operating results in three reportable segments: GovDeals, Capital Assets Group (CAG), and Retail Supply Chain Group (RSCG). These three segments constitute 99% of the Company's revenue as of September 30, 2017, and each offers separately branded marketplaces to enable sellers to achieve channel marketing objectives to reach buyers. Across its segments, the Company offers its sellers two primary transaction models as well as a suite of services, and its revenues vary depending upon the models employed and the level of service required. This change in segment presentation does not affect consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive loss, balance sheets or statements of cash flows. A description of the reportable segments follows:

•

The GovDeals reportable segment provides self-service solutions in which sellers list their own assets, and it consists of marketplaces that enable local and state government entities including city, county and state agencies, as well as commercial businesses located in the United States and Canada to sell surplus and salvage assets. GovDeals also offers a suite of services to sellers that includes asset sales and marketing. This segment includes the Company's GovDeals.com and AuctionDeals.com marketplaces.

•

The CAG reportable segment provides full-service solutions to sellers and it consists of marketplaces that enable federal government agencies as well as commercial businesses to sell surplus, salvage, and scrap assets. The assets that the company receives as the exclusive contractor of the DLA of the DoD are sold in this segment. CAG also offers a suite of services that includes surplus management, asset valuation, asset sales and marketing. Commercial sellers are located in the United States, Europe, Australia and Asia. This segment includes the Company's Network International, GoIndustry DoveBid, Government Liquidation, and Uncle Sam's Retail Outlet marketplaces.

•

The RSCG reportable segment consists of marketplaces that enable corporations located in the United States and Canada to sell surplus and salvage consumer goods and retail capital assets. RSCG also offers a suite of services that includes returns management, asset recovery, and ecommerce services. This segment includes the Company's Liquidation.com, Liquidation.com DIRECT, and Secondipity marketplaces.

Corporate & Other primarily consists of the Company's TruckCenter and IronDirect operating segments that are not individually significant, as well as elimination adjustments. The TruckCenter business consisted of land-based, live auctions for fleet and transportation equipment. On January 30, 2017, the Company exited its TruckCenter land-based, live auction business in order to focus its time and resources on its ecommerce marketplace strategy. IronDirect offers buyers access to construction equipment, parts and services through a single ecommerce marketplace.

Decisions concerning the allocation of the Company’s resources are made by the Company’s Chief Operating Decision Maker ("CODM"), which is the Company's chief executive officer, with oversight by the Board of Directors. The Company reports segment information based on the internal performance measures used by the CODM to assess the performance of each operating segment in a given period. In connection with that assessment, the CODM uses segment gross profit to evaluate the performance of each segment. Gross profit is calculated as total revenue less cost of goods sold and seller distributions.

The following table sets forth certain financial information for the Company's reportable segments.



		Year Ended September 30,
		2017			2016		2015
GovDeals:
	Revenue	$	—		$	—	$	—
	Fee revenue	26,853			22,802		20,577
	Total revenue	26,853			22,802		20,577
	Gross profit	25,172			21,422		19,342
	Depreciation and amortization	245			241		256
	Other operating expenses	—			—		—

CAG:
	Revenue	100,160			140,210		177,770
	Fee revenue	44,971			51,555		34,178
	Total revenue	145,131			191,765		211,949
	Gross profit	71,934			109,373		135,829
	Depreciation and amortization	1,222			1,837		2,107
	Other operating expenses	465			—		84

RSCG:
	Revenue	85,766			88,986		138,037
	Fee revenue	9,265			5,232		23,776
	Total revenue	95,032			94,218		161,813
	Gross profit	30,050			29,903		46,656
	Depreciation and amortization	1,134			974		1,372
	Other operating expenses	—			—		145

Corporate & Other:
	Revenue	2,644			4,632		(139		)
	Fee revenue	356			3,037		2,925
	Total revenue	2,999			7,669		2,786
	Gross profit	(2,666		)	1,415		1,197
	Depreciation and amortization	3,195			3,449		5,500
	Other operating expenses	3,187			—		44

Consolidated:
	Revenue	188,570			233,828		315,668
	Fee revenue	81,445			82,626		81,457
	Total revenue	270,015			316,454		397,125
	Gross profit	124,490			162,113		203,023
	Depreciation and amortization	5,796			6,502		9,235
	Other operating expenses	$	3,651		$	—	$	273

The following table presents a reconciliation between the reportable segments and the Company's consolidated results:



		Year Ended September 30,
		2017			2016			2015
Reconciliation:
	Total revenue	$	270,015		$	316,454		$	397,125
	Gross profit	124,490			162,113			203,023
	Operating expenses	160,839			196,231			346,965
	Other operating expenses	3,651			—			273
	Interest (income) expense and other expense, net	(362		)	(1,217		)	171
	(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(451		)	27,025			(39,571		)
	Net loss	$	(39,187	)	$	(59,926	)	$	(104,815	)

Other operating expenses includes changes in the fair value of the Company's financial assets and business realignment expenses, which can be seen in more detail in Note 14.

See Note 5 in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for goodwill impairment information by segment.

Revenue attributed to countries that represent a significant portion of consolidated revenues are as follows:



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017		2016		2015
United States	240,102		281,328		366,149
Rest of the world	29,913		35,126		30,976
Consolidated	$	270,015	$	316,454	$	397,125

Total segment assets reconciled to consolidated amounts are as follows:



	September 30,	September 30,
	2017	2016
Segment Assets:
GovDeals	43,262	38,828
CAG	115,514	121,352
RSCG	39,766	—
Corporate & Other	16,687	99,929
Total Segment Assets:	215,229	260,109

As of September 30, 2016, the RSCG segment balance sheet was included within Corporate & Other because it was not practical for the Company to separate the RSCG and Corporate & Other balance sheets at that time. As of September 30, 2017, the RSCG and corporate balance sheets have been separated.

Total long-lived assets by geographic areas are presented as follows:



	September 30,	September 30,
	2017	2016
United States	16,142	14,159
Rest of the world	650	217
Consolidated	16,793	14,376

Property and equipment, additions by segment are presented as follows:



	September 30,	September 30,
	2017	2016
GovDeals	223	242
CAG	938	39
RSCG	733	—
Corporate & Other	5,911	5,809
Consolidated	7,805	6,090

Quarterly Results (Unaudited)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Quarterly Results (Unaudited)

Quarterly Results (Unaudited)

The following table sets forth for the eight most recent quarters the selected unaudited quarterly consolidated statement of operations data. The unaudited quarterly consolidated statement of operations data has been prepared on the same basis as the Company's audited consolidated financial statements and, in the opinion of management, includes all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for the fair presentation of this data.



	Three months ended
	Dec. 31, 2015			Mar. 31, 2016			June 30, 2016			Sept. 30, 2016			Dec. 31, 2016			Mar. 31, 2017			June 30, 2017			Sept. 30, 2017
	(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Revenue from operations	$	65,875		$	86,878		$	85,188		$	78,513		$	70,796		$	72,335		$	65,520		$	61,364
Loss before provision for income taxes from operations	$	(7,351	)	$	(1,117	)	$	(141	)	$	(24,291	)	$	(8,294	)	$	(8,305	)	$	(8,573	)	$	(14,466	)
Net loss from operations	$	(5,197	)	$	(850	)	$	(124	)	$	(53,755	)	$	(8,397	)	$	(8,252	)	$	(8,614	)	$	(13,924	)
Basic and diluted loss per common share	$	(0.17	)	$	(0.03	)	$	0.00		$	(1.75	)	$	(0.27	)	$	(0.26	)	$	(0.27	)	$	(0.44	)
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding	30,490,670			30,594,940			30,726,554			30,740,977			31,261,603			31,361,122			31,485,599			31,503,349

Subsequent Event Subsequent Event	12 Months Ended
Subsequent Event Subsequent Event	Sep. 30, 2017
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Event	Subsequent Event On October 11, 2017, the Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services DLA published a Request for Technical Proposals (“RFTP”) and draft Invitation for Bid (“IFB”) for the sale of surplus, useable non-rolling stock property. The DLA is awarding two term contracts, each with a base term of two years and four one-year options to extend. One term contract will include all property west of the Mississippi River, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam. The other term contract will include all property east of the Mississippi River, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. On December 5, 2017, the DLA has determined that the Company is not the apparent high bidder for either of the two contracts. Final contract awards are subject to a protest period and a pre-award survey by the DLA regarding the bidder’s ability to satisfactorily perform the work in accordance with their technical proposal submitted in step-one of the solicitation.

SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]

SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

SCHEDULE II—VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(dollars in thousands)



	Balance at beginning of period	Charged (credited) to expense		Reductions		Balance at end of period
Deferred tax valuation allowance (deducted from net deferred tax assets)
Year ended September 30, 2015	7,216	1,258		—		8,474
Year ended September 30, 2016	8,474	35,783		—		44,257
Year ended September 30, 2017	44,257	10,122		—		54,379
Allowance for doubtful accounts (deducted from accounts receivable)
Year ended September 30, 2015	1,042	1,243		(1,814	)	471
Year ended September 30, 2016	471	247		—		718
Year ended September 30, 2017	718	357		(407	)	668
Inventory allowance (deducted from inventory)
Year ended September 30, 2015	1,723	(575	)	(378	)	770
Year ended September 30, 2016	770	2,709		(33	)	3,446
Year ended September 30, 2017	3,446	10,381		(9,255	)	4,572

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Use of Estimates

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

Business Combinations

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.

Accounts Receivable

Inventory

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

Prepaid expenses and other current assets

Other Assets

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is 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 equipment		Three to five years
Furniture and fixtures		Five to seven years
Internally developed software for internal-use		Five years
Leasehold improvements		Shorter of lease term or useful life
Buildings		Thirty-nine years
Land		Not depreciated

Intangible Assets

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Goodwill

The annual goodwill impairment assessment was performed as of July 1, 2017, for fiscal year 2017.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue when all of the following criteria are met:


•	a buyer submits the winning bid in an auction and, as a result, evidence of an arrangement exists, and the sale price has been determined;


•	the buyer has assumed the risks and rewards of ownership; and


•	collection is reasonably assured.

The Company collects and remits sales taxes on merchandise that it purchases and sells, and reports such amounts under the net method in its Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Cost of Goods Sold

Risk Associated with Certain Concentrations

Income Taxes

Stock-Based Compensation

Advertising Costs

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Foreign Currency Translation

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (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 Income (Loss)
Balance at September 30, 2014	(3,671	)	220		(3,451	)
Current-period other comprehensive (loss) income	(3,276	)	1,101		(2,175	)
Balance at September 30, 2015	(6,947	)	1,321		(5,626	)
Current-period other comprehensive loss	(398	)	(2,547	)	(2,945	)
Balance at September 30, 2016	(7,345	)	(1,226	)	(8,571	)
Current-period other comprehensive income	551		1,589		2,140
Balance at September 30, 2017	(6,794	)	363		(6,431	)

Earnings per Share

(a) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2017 1,023,072 options;

(b) for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2016 1,284,689 options; and

The following summarizes the potential outstanding common stock of the Company as of the dates set forth below:



	September 30,
	2017			2016			2015
	(amounts in thousands except per share and share data)
Weighted average shares calculation:
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	31,402,921			30,638,163			29,987,985
Treasury stock effect of options and restricted stock	—			—			—
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	31,402,921			30,638,163			29,987,985
Net loss	$	(39,187	)	$	(59,926	)	$	(104,815	)
Basic and diluted loss per common share	$	(1.25	)	$	(1.96	)	$	(3.50	)

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of estimated useful lives of property and equipment

Property and equipment is 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 equipment		Three to five years
Furniture and fixtures		Five to seven years
Internally developed software for internal-use		Five years
Leasehold improvements		Shorter of lease term or useful life
Buildings		Thirty-nine years
Land		Not depreciated

Property and equipment, including equipment under capital lease obligations, consists of the following:



	September 30,
	2017			2016
	(in thousands)
Computers and purchased software	$	23,724		$	24,584
Internally developed software for internal-use	7,100			—
Office/Operational equipment	6,845			6,700
Leasehold improvements	4,167			5,139
Building	2,558			2,257
Furniture and fixtures	1,247			1,356
Vehicles	1,048			981
Land	754			754
Construction in progress	944			3,926
Total property and equipment	48,387			45,697
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(31,594		)	(31,321		)
Total property and equipment, net	$	16,793		$	14,376

Schedule of changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of taxes

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 Income (Loss)
Balance at September 30, 2014	(3,671	)	220		(3,451	)
Current-period other comprehensive (loss) income	(3,276	)	1,101		(2,175	)
Balance at September 30, 2015	(6,947	)	1,321		(5,626	)
Current-period other comprehensive loss	(398	)	(2,547	)	(2,945	)
Balance at September 30, 2016	(7,345	)	(1,226	)	(8,571	)
Current-period other comprehensive income	551		1,589		2,140
Balance at September 30, 2017	(6,794	)	363		(6,431	)

Summary of the basic and diluted income per share

The following summarizes the potential outstanding common stock of the Company as of the dates set forth below:



	September 30,
	2017			2016			2015
	(amounts in thousands except per share and share data)
Weighted average shares calculation:
Basic weighted average shares outstanding	31,402,921			30,638,163			29,987,985
Treasury stock effect of options and restricted stock	—			—			—
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	31,402,921			30,638,163			29,987,985
Net loss	$	(39,187	)	$	(59,926	)	$	(104,815	)
Basic and diluted loss per common share	$	(1.25	)	$	(1.96	)	$	(3.50	)

Property and Equipment (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Schedule of estimated useful lives of property and equipment

Property and equipment is 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 equipment		Three to five years
Furniture and fixtures		Five to seven years
Internally developed software for internal-use		Five years
Leasehold improvements		Shorter of lease term or useful life
Buildings		Thirty-nine years
Land		Not depreciated

Property and equipment, including equipment under capital lease obligations, consists of the following:



	September 30,
	2017			2016
	(in thousands)
Computers and purchased software	$	23,724		$	24,584
Internally developed software for internal-use	7,100			—
Office/Operational equipment	6,845			6,700
Leasehold improvements	4,167			5,139
Building	2,558			2,257
Furniture and fixtures	1,247			1,356
Vehicles	1,048			981
Land	754			754
Construction in progress	944			3,926
Total property and equipment	48,387			45,697
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(31,594		)	(31,321		)
Total property and equipment, net	$	16,793		$	14,376

Goodwill (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Summary of goodwill activity

The following summarizes the goodwill activity for the Company's reportable segments that have goodwill during the periods indicated:



Goodwill (in thousands)	RSCG			CAG			GovDeals		Total
Balance at September 30, 2014	$	78,458		$	131,198		$	—	$	209,656
Impairment charge	(52,716		)	(83,532		)	—		(136,248		)
Business disposition	(6,733		)	—					(6,733		)
Translation adjustments	(405		)	(2,197		)	—		(2,602		)
Balance at September 30, 2015	$	18,604		$	45,469		$	—	$	64,073
Reallocation of goodwill	—			(23,731		)	23,731		—
Impairment charge	(18,998		)	—			—		(18,998		)
Translation adjustments	394			(335		)	—		59
Balance at September 30, 2016	—			21,403			23,731		45,134
Impairment charge	—			—			—		—
Translation adjustments	—			254			—		254
Balance at September 30, 2017	$	—		$	21,657		$	23,731	$	45,388

Intangible Assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Net [Abstract]

Schedule of intangible assets



		Balance as of September 30, 2017							Balance as of September 30, 2016
	Useful Life (in years)	Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount		Gross Carrying Amount		Accumulated Amortization			Net Carrying Amount
Contract intangibles	10	$	—	$	—		$	—	$	1,500	$	(150	)	$	1,350
Brand and technology	3 - 5	—		—			—		5,749		(5,018		)	731
Covenants not to compete	3 - 5	—		—			—		700		(533		)	167
Patent and trademarks	3 - 10	943		(516		)	427		820		(418		)	402
Total intangible assets, net		$	943	$	(516	)	$	427	$	8,769	$	(6,119	)	$	2,650

Schedule of future expected amortization of intangible assets

Future expected amortization of intangible assets at September 30, 2017, is as follows:



Year Ending September 30,	Amortization
	(in thousands)
2018	$	76
2019	69
2020	70
2021	58
2022 and after	154
Total	$	427

Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of components of provision for income taxes of continuing operations

The components of the provision for income taxes of continuing operations are as follows:



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017			2016			2015
Current tax provision (benefit):
U.S. Federal	$	(234	)	$	—		$	(32,116	)
State	613			672			(1,375		)
Foreign	(210		)	176			203
	169			848			(33,288		)
Deferred tax (benefit) expense:
U.S. Federal	(592		)	25,338			326
State	(86		)	3,890			(4,422		)
Foreign	58			(3,051		)	(2,187		)
	(620		)	26,177			(6,283		)
Total (benefit) provision	$	(451	)	$	27,025		$	(39,571	)

Schedule of significant components of deferred tax assets and liabilities

Significant components of the Company's deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows:



	September 30,
	2017			2016
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating losses—Foreign	$	9,171		$	8,964
Net operating losses—U.S.	31,133			17,086
Accrued vacation and bonus	859			1,305
Inventory capitalization	1,315			1,906
Inventory reserves	1,903			1,311
Allowance for doubtful accounts	98			120
Stock compensation expense	6,689			8,105
Amortization of intangibles	2,753			2,286
Amortization of goodwill	—			1,021
Pension liability	—			133
Restructuring costs	913			—
Other	3,134			3,699
Total deferred tax assets before valuation allowance	57,968			45,936
Less: valuation allowance	(54,379		)	(44,257		)
Net deferred tax assets	3,589			1,679
Deferred tax liabilities:
Amortization of goodwill	9,000			9,444
Depreciation	185			658
Capitalized costs	3,032			—
Pension liability	372			—
Total deferred tax liabilities	$	12,589		$	10,102
Net deferred taxes	$	(9,000	)	$	(8,423	)

Schedule of reconciliation of U.S. federal statutory rate to effective rate for continuing operations

The reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to the effective rate for continuing operations is as follows:



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017		2016		2015
U.S. statutory rate	35.0	%	35.0	%	35.0	%
Permanent items	(0.9	)%	(4.2	)%	(6.3	)%
State taxes	1.2	%	1.9	%	2.6	%
Net foreign rate differential	(2.8	)%	(3.8	)%	(3.0	)%
Unrecognized tax benefits	3.5	%	(2.2	)%	—	%
Change in valuation allowance	(34.8	)%	(108.8	)%	(0.9	)%
Other	(0.06	)%	—	%	—	%
Provision for income taxes	1.1	%	(82.1	)%	27.4	%

Schedule of reconciliation unrecognized tax benefits

The following is a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits:



	Year Ended September 30, (In thousands)
	2017			2016	2015
Beginning balance at October 1	$	725		—	—
Additions based on positions related to the current year	—			—	—
Additions for tax positions of prior years	1,426			725	—
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(229		)	—	—
Settlements	(1,922		)	—	—
Balance at September 30	$	—		725	—

Equity Transactions (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Summary of share repurchase activity

A summary of the Company's share repurchase activity from fiscal year 2014 to the year ended September 30, 2017 is as follows:



Fiscal Year Period	Total Number of Shares Purchased	Average Price Paid per Share	Total Cash Paid for Shares Purchased	Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs(1)
2014	2,962,978	16	44,873,000	5,127,000
2015	—	—	—	5,127,000
2016	—	—	—	10,127,000
2017	—	—	—	$	10,127,000

_______________________________________________________________________________


(1)	On February 5, 2014, the Company's Board of Directors approved an additional $19.0 million for the share repurchase program. On May 5, 2016, the Company's Board of Directors approved the repurchase of an additional $5.0 million in shares raising the current amount approved for repurchase, that may yet be expended up to $10.1 million.

Summary of stock option activity

A summary of the Company's stock option activity for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016, and 2015 is as follows:



	Options		Weighted- Average Exercise Price
Options outstanding at September 30, 2014	1,465,907		$	19.50
Options granted	310,177		9.92
Options exercised	(14,869	)	7.09
Options canceled	(288,572	)	20.26
Options outstanding at September 30, 2015	1,472,643		17.46
Options granted	583,228		6.68
Options exercised	(1,251	)	7.48
Options canceled	(346,133	)	16.99
Options outstanding at September 30, 2016	1,708,487		13.91
Options granted	232,845		9.18
Options exercised	(12,421	)	7.41
Options canceled	(223,938	)	13.00
Options outstanding at September 30, 2017	1,704,973		13.43
Options exercisable at September 30, 2017	1,270,781		14.99

Summary of information about options outstanding and exercisable

The following table summarizes information about options outstanding at September 30, 2017:



	Options Outstanding
Range of Exercise Price	Number Outstanding	Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life	Weighted- Average Exercise Price
$5.53 - $6.96	366,151	8.30	$	6.42
$6.97 - $9.09	289,049	6.19	7.83
$9.10 - $10.82	359,597	6.92	9.78
$10.83 - $19.27	330,321	1.85	13.04
$19.28 - $46.72	359,855	5.55	29.06

The following table summarizes information about options exercisable at September 30, 2017:



	Options Exercisable
Range of Exercise Price	Number Exercisable	Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life	Weighted- Average Exercise Price
$5.53 - $6.96	282,064	8.30	$	6.36
$6.97 - $9.09	138,533	3.43	7.81
$9.10 - $10.82	182,613	6.30	9.99
$10.83 - $19.27	322,201	1.70	13.08
$19.28 - $46.72	345,370	5.52	29.35

Summary of information about assumptions used in valuing options granted

The following table summarizes information about assumptions used in valuing options granted:



	Year ended September 30
	2017		2016		2015
Dividend yield	—		—		—
Expected volatility	54.22% - 54.93%		51.5% - 58.6%		71.9% - 77.9%
Risk-free interest rate	1.65% - 2.17%		0.5% - 1.5%		0.26% - 1.4%
Expected forfeiture rate	21.4	%	23.5	%	22.2% - 22.8%

Summary of restricted share activity

A summary of the Company's restricted share activity for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016, and 2015 is as follows:



	Restricted Shares		Weighted- Average Fair Value
Unvested restricted shares at September 30, 2014	1,897,827		$	24.96
Restricted shares granted	1,298,604		10.04
Restricted shares vested	(343,204	)	27.50
Restricted shares canceled	(486,040	)	26.54
Unvested restricted shares at September 30, 2015	2,367,187		16.08
Restricted shares granted	1,504,655		5.54
Restricted shares vested	(715,188	)	16.09
Restricted shares canceled	(495,409	)	20.25
Unvested restricted shares at September 30, 2016	2,661,245		9.34
Restricted shares granted	849,352		8.78
Restricted shares vested	(748,266	)	11.04
Restricted shares canceled	(571,900	)	9.81
Unvested restricted shares at September 30, 2017	2,190,431		8.42

Fair Value Measurement Fair Value Measurement (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation

The changes in financial assets measured at fair value for which the Company has used Level 3 inputs to determine fair value for the year ended September 30, 2017, are as follows ($ in thousands):



	Level 3 Assets

Balance at September 30, 2016	$	2,200
Acquisition of financial assets	2,662
Settlements	(4,944		)
Change in fair value of financial assets	573
Balance at September 30, 2017	$	491

Defined Benefit Pension Plan (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Defined Benefit Plan [Abstract]

Schedule of net periodic benefit cost recognized

The net periodic benefit cost recognized for the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, included the following components:

Qualified Defined Benefit Pension Plan



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017			2016			2015
	(in thousands)
Interest cost	$	582		$	814		$	964
Expected return on plan assets	(826		)	(1,066		)	(1,186		)
Total net periodic benefit	$	(244	)	$	(252	)	$	(222	)

Schedule of reconciliation of benefit obligations, plan assets, and funded status related to qualified defined benefit pension plan

Qualified Defined Benefit Pension Plan



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017			2016
	(in thousands)
Change in benefit obligation
Beginning balance	$	26,321		$	24,069
Interest cost	582			814
Benefits paid	(718		)	(1,246		)
Actuarial loss/(gain)	(1,861		)	5,999
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	761			(3,315		)
Ending balance	$	25,085		$	26,321



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017			2016
	(in thousands)
Change in plan assets
Beginning balance at fair value	$	25,767		$	24,537
Actual return on plan assets	569			4,831
Benefits paid	(718		)	(1,246		)
Employer's contributions	552			1,482
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	773			(3,837		)
Ending balance at fair value	$	26,943		$	25,767
Overfunded (underfunded) status of the plan	$	1,859		$	(554	)

Schedule of amount recognized in other comprehensive loss related to qualified defined benefit pension plan, net of tax

Qualified Defined Benefit Pension Plan



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017			2016
	(in thousands)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Income)
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Income) at beginning of year	$	1,226		$	(1,321	)
Net actuarial (gains)/losses	(1,589		)	2,547
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	240			—
Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Income) loss at end of year	$	(123	)	$	1,226

Schedule of actuarial assumptions used to determine (benefit) obligations and net periodic benefit cost

The actuarial assumptions used to determine the benefit obligations at September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, and to determine the net periodic (benefit) cost for the year were as follows:

Qualified Defined Benefit Pension Plan



	2017		2016
Discount rate	2.70	%	2.30	%
Expected return on plan assets	3.80	%	3.20	%
Increases to non-GMP pensions in payment accrued pre 4/6/97	—	%	—	%
Increases to non-GMP pensions in payment accrued post 4/6/97	2.10	%	2.00	%
Rate of increases to deferred CPI linked benefits	2.10	%	2.00	%
Rate of increases to deferred RPI linked benefits	3.20	%	3.10	%

Schedule of expected benefit payments to participants

The Company's pension plan expects to make the following benefit payments to participants over the next 10 years:



	Pension Benefits
	(in thousands)
Year ending September 30,
2018	$	751
2019	767
2020	791
2021	687
2022	749
2023 through 2027	4,362
Total	$	8,107

Schedule of allocation of plan assets

The assets consisted of the following as of September 30, 2017:



	Actual 2016
Equity securities	43.7	%
Fixed-income securities	54.9	%
Cash equivalents	1.4	%
Total	100.0	%

Schedule of fair value of assets of qualified defined benefit pension plan by asset category and level within fair value hierarchy

The following table presents the fair value of the assets of the Company's qualified defined benefit pension plan by asset category and their level within the fair value hierarchy, which has three levels based on reliability of the inputs used to determine fair value. Level 1 refers to fair values determined based on quoted prices in active markets for identical assets, Level 2 refers to fair values estimated using significant other observable inputs, and Level 3 includes fair values estimated using significant unobservable inputs.



Balance as of September 30, 2016	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	(in thousands)
Equity securities	$	—	$	10,087	$	—	$	10,087
Fixed-income securities	—		15,149		—		15,149
Cash equivalents	531		—		—		531
Total	$	531	$	25,236	$	—	$	25,767



Balance as of September 30, 2017	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	(in thousands)
Equity securities	$	—	$	11,778	$	—	$	11,778
Fixed-income securities	—		14,795		—		14,795
Cash equivalents	371		—		—		371
Total	$	371	$	26,573	$	—	$	26,944

Business Realignment Expenses (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

Schedule of significant components and activity in business realignment initiatives



(in thousands)	Liability Balance at September 30, 2016		Business Realignment Expenses		Cash Payments			Liability Balance at September 30, 2017
Employee severance and benefit costs:
CAG	—		1,037		(244		)	793
Corporate & Other	—		570		(171		)	399
Total employee severance and benefit costs	—		$	1,607	$	(415	)	$	1,192
Occupancy costs:
CAG	—		—		—			—
Corporate & Other	—		2,616		(628		)	1,988
Total occupancy costs	$	—	$	2,616	$	(628	)	$	1,988
Total business realignment	$	—	$	4,223	$	(1,043	)	$	3,180

Segment Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment

Total long-lived assets by geographic areas are presented as follows:



	September 30,	September 30,
	2017	2016
United States	16,142	14,159
Rest of the world	650	217
Consolidated	16,793	14,376

Total segment assets reconciled to consolidated amounts are as follows:



	September 30,	September 30,
	2017	2016
Segment Assets:
GovDeals	43,262	38,828
CAG	115,514	121,352
RSCG	39,766	—
Corporate & Other	16,687	99,929
Total Segment Assets:	215,229	260,109

Property and equipment, additions by segment are presented as follows:



	September 30,	September 30,
	2017	2016
GovDeals	223	242
CAG	938	39
RSCG	733	—
Corporate & Other	5,911	5,809
Consolidated	7,805	6,090

Revenue attributed to countries that represent a significant portion of consolidated revenues are as follows:



	Year Ended September 30,
	2017		2016		2015
United States	240,102		281,328		366,149
Rest of the world	29,913		35,126		30,976
Consolidated	$	270,015	$	316,454	$	397,125

The following table sets forth certain financial information for the Company's reportable segments.



		Year Ended September 30,
		2017			2016		2015
GovDeals:
	Revenue	$	—		$	—	$	—
	Fee revenue	26,853			22,802		20,577
	Total revenue	26,853			22,802		20,577
	Gross profit	25,172			21,422		19,342
	Depreciation and amortization	245			241		256
	Other operating expenses	—			—		—

CAG:
	Revenue	100,160			140,210		177,770
	Fee revenue	44,971			51,555		34,178
	Total revenue	145,131			191,765		211,949
	Gross profit	71,934			109,373		135,829
	Depreciation and amortization	1,222			1,837		2,107
	Other operating expenses	465			—		84

RSCG:
	Revenue	85,766			88,986		138,037
	Fee revenue	9,265			5,232		23,776
	Total revenue	95,032			94,218		161,813
	Gross profit	30,050			29,903		46,656
	Depreciation and amortization	1,134			974		1,372
	Other operating expenses	—			—		145

Corporate & Other:
	Revenue	2,644			4,632		(139		)
	Fee revenue	356			3,037		2,925
	Total revenue	2,999			7,669		2,786
	Gross profit	(2,666		)	1,415		1,197
	Depreciation and amortization	3,195			3,449		5,500
	Other operating expenses	3,187			—		44

Consolidated:
	Revenue	188,570			233,828		315,668
	Fee revenue	81,445			82,626		81,457
	Total revenue	270,015			316,454		397,125
	Gross profit	124,490			162,113		203,023
	Depreciation and amortization	5,796			6,502		9,235
	Other operating expenses	$	3,651		$	—	$	273

Reconciliation of Revenue from Segments to Consolidated

The following table presents a reconciliation between the reportable segments and the Company's consolidated results:



		Year Ended September 30,
		2017			2016			2015
Reconciliation:
	Total revenue	$	270,015		$	316,454		$	397,125
	Gross profit	124,490			162,113			203,023
	Operating expenses	160,839			196,231			346,965
	Other operating expenses	3,651			—			273
	Interest (income) expense and other expense, net	(362		)	(1,217		)	171
	(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(451		)	27,025			(39,571		)
	Net loss	$	(39,187	)	$	(59,926	)	$	(104,815	)

Quarterly Results (Unaudited) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of unaudited quarterly consolidated statement of operations data



	Three months ended
	Dec. 31, 2015			Mar. 31, 2016			June 30, 2016			Sept. 30, 2016			Dec. 31, 2016			Mar. 31, 2017			June 30, 2017			Sept. 30, 2017
	(in thousands, except share and per share data)
Revenue from operations	$	65,875		$	86,878		$	85,188		$	78,513		$	70,796		$	72,335		$	65,520		$	61,364
Loss before provision for income taxes from operations	$	(7,351	)	$	(1,117	)	$	(141	)	$	(24,291	)	$	(8,294	)	$	(8,305	)	$	(8,573	)	$	(14,466	)
Net loss from operations	$	(5,197	)	$	(850	)	$	(124	)	$	(53,755	)	$	(8,397	)	$	(8,252	)	$	(8,614	)	$	(13,924	)
Basic and diluted loss per common share	$	(0.17	)	$	(0.03	)	$	0.00		$	(1.75	)	$	(0.27	)	$	(0.26	)	$	(0.27	)	$	(0.44	)
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding	30,490,670			30,594,940			30,726,554			30,740,977			31,261,603			31,361,122			31,485,599			31,503,349

Organization (Details) client in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Organization (Details) client in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017 reportablesegment client	Jun. 30, 2017 reportablesegment	Sep. 30, 2017 reportablesegment categories client
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Number of product categories offered (in categories) \| categories			500
Number of clients \| client	10		10
Reportable segments (in segments) \| reportablesegment	3	1	3

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Inventory (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Inventory [Line Items]
Inventory reserve	$ 4.6	$ 3.4
IronDirect
Inventory [Line Items]
Inventory reserve	$ 3.1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Other Assets (Details) - Tanager Acquisitions Promissory Note - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2015
Receivables with Imputed Interest [Line Items]
Receivable with imputed interest, face amount			$ 12.3
Receivable with imputed interest, term (in years)			5 years
Proceeds from collection of notes receivable		$ 1.0
Receivable with imputed interest, net amount		11.3
Subsequent Event
Receivables with Imputed Interest [Line Items]
Proceeds from collection of notes receivable	$ 1.5
Other Assets
Receivables with Imputed Interest [Line Items]
Receivable with imputed interest, net amount		8.3
Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets
Receivables with Imputed Interest [Line Items]
Receivable with imputed interest, net amount		$ 3.0

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - PP&E (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Computers and purchased software \| Minimum
Property and Equipment
Estimated useful life	1 year
Computers and purchased software \| Maximum
Property and Equipment
Estimated useful life	5 years
Office equipment \| Minimum
Property and Equipment
Estimated useful life	3 years
Office equipment \| Maximum
Property and Equipment
Estimated useful life	5 years
Furniture and fixtures \| Minimum
Property and Equipment
Estimated useful life	5 years
Furniture and fixtures \| Maximum
Property and Equipment
Estimated useful life	7 years
Internally developed software for internal-use
Property and Equipment
Estimated useful life	5 years
Buildings
Property and Equipment
Estimated useful life	39 years

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Intangible Assets and Impairment of Long-Lived Assets (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Intangible Assets
Asset impairment	$ 1,963,000	$ 18,998,000	$ 147,414,000
IronDirect
Intangible Assets
Impairment of contract intangible asset	1,200,000
Asset impairment	$ 900,000	$ 0
Minimum
Intangible Assets
Useful Life (in years)	3 years
Maximum
Intangible Assets
Useful Life (in years)	10 years
Contract Intangible \| IronDirect
Intangible Assets
Impairment of contract intangible asset	$ 1,200,000
Leasehold improvements \| IronDirect
Intangible Assets
Impairment of long-lived assets	$ 600,000

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Concentration (Details) - contract	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
U.S. Department of Defense
Risk Associated with Certain Concentrations
Number of contracts	2
U.S. Department of Defense \| Revenue \| Surplus Contract
Risk Associated with Certain Concentrations
Concentration risk (as a percent)	27.60%	31.00%	24.70%
U.S. Department of Defense \| Revenue \| Scrap Contract
Risk Associated with Certain Concentrations
Concentration risk (as a percent)	11.10%	10.20%	15.30%
Supplier Concentration Risk \| Cost of Goods Sold \| Contract with commercial client
Risk Associated with Certain Concentrations
Concentration risk (as a percent)	21.80%	12.10%	6.90%
Maximum
Risk Associated with Certain Concentrations
Term for release of funds to the seller	30 days

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Advertising Costs and AOCI (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance	$ 162,611	$ 216,002	$ 316,983
Current-period other comprehensive (loss) income	2,140	(2,945)	(2,175)
Balance	132,636	162,611	216,002
Advertising Costs
Advertising costs	5,200	6,000	5,300
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance	(7,345)	(6,947)	(3,671)
Current-period other comprehensive (loss) income	551	(398)	(3,276)
Balance	(6,794)	(7,345)	(6,947)
Net Change Pension and Other Post Retirement Benefit Plans
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance	(1,226)	1,321	220
Current-period other comprehensive (loss) income	1,589	(2,547)	1,101
Balance	363	(1,226)	1,321
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
AOCI Attributable to Parent, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Balance	(8,571)	(5,626)	(3,451)
Current-period other comprehensive (loss) income	2,140	(2,945)	(2,175)
Balance	$ (6,431)	$ (8,571)	$ (5,626)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Earnings Per Share (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Options
Earnings per Share
Anti-dilutive securities	1,023,072	1,284,689	1,256,345

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Weighted Average Shares (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Weighted average shares calculation:
Basic weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)									31,402,921	30,638,163	29,987,985
Treasury stock effect of options and restricted stock (in shares)									0	0	0
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding (in shares)									31,402,921	30,638,163	29,987,985
Net loss	$ (13,924)	$ (8,614)	$ (8,252)	$ (8,397)	$ (53,755)	$ (124)	$ (850)	$ (5,197)	$ (39,187)	$ (59,926)	$ (104,815)
Basic and diluted loss per common share (USD per share)	$ (0.44)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.26)	$ (0.27)	$ (1.75)	$ 0.00	$ (0.03)	$ (0.17)	$ (1.25)	$ (1.96)	$ (3.50)

Significant Contracts (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Significant Contracts (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 06, 2016	Apr. 30, 2016 renewal_option	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) contract renewal_option	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015
Significant Contracts
Liability for inventory included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities			$ 30,193	$ 45,133
U.S. Department of Defense
Significant Contracts
Number of contracts \| contract			2
Non-rolling stock
Significant Contracts
Usable surplus property to be purchased as a fixed percentage of DoD's original acquisition value			1.80%
Surplus Contract
Significant Contracts
Base term of follow-on contract extension			2 years
Renewal options extended term	1 year		1 year
Number of renewal options \| renewal_option			3
Surplus Contract \| U.S. Department of Defense
Significant Contracts
Liability for inventory included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities			$ 6,200	$ 16,100
Surplus Contract \| U.S. Department of Defense \| Revenue
Significant Contracts
Concentration risk (as a percent)			27.60%	31.00%	24.70%
Surplus Contract \| Non-rolling stock
Significant Contracts
Usable surplus property to be purchased as a fixed percentage of DoD's original acquisition value			4.35%
Profits from resale of the property (as a percent)			100.00%
Surplus Contract \| Service Fee
Significant Contracts
Decrease in revenue			$ 2,000
Scrap Contract
Significant Contracts
Renewal options extended term		12 months
Term of contract (in years)		36 months
Number of renewal options \| renewal_option		2
Adjusted percentage of profit sharing distribution		65.00%	64.50%
Scrap Contract \| U.S. Department of Defense \| Revenue
Significant Contracts
Concentration risk (as a percent)			11.10%	10.20%	15.30%

Property and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Property and Equipment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Property and Equipment
Property, plant, and equipment	$ 48,387	$ 45,697
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(31,594)	(31,321)
Property and equipment, net	16,793	14,376
Depreciation and amortization	4,800	5,100	$ 6,100
Capitalized internally developed software for internal-use	7,805	6,090
Computers and purchased software
Property and Equipment
Property, plant, and equipment	23,724	24,584
Internally developed software for internal-use
Property and Equipment
Property, plant, and equipment	7,100	0
Depreciation and amortization	400
Property, plant and equipment transfer	3,900
Capitalized internally developed software for internal-use	3,200
Office/Operational equipment
Property and Equipment
Property, plant, and equipment	6,845	6,700
Leasehold improvements
Property and Equipment
Property, plant, and equipment	4,167	5,139
Building
Property and Equipment
Property, plant, and equipment	2,558	2,257
Furniture and fixtures
Property and Equipment
Property, plant, and equipment	1,247	1,356
Vehicles
Property and Equipment
Property, plant, and equipment	1,048	981
Land
Property and Equipment
Property, plant, and equipment	754	754
Construction in progress
Property and Equipment
Property, plant, and equipment	944	$ 3,926
Property, plant and equipment transfer	(3,900)
IronDirect \| Leasehold improvements
Property and Equipment
Impairment of long-lived assets	$ 600

Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) reportablesegment	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) item	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) item	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Number of reporting units				4	5	2
Impairment charge		$ 51,200	$ 85,100	$ 0	$ 18,998	$ 136,248
Accumulated goodwill impairment loss							$ 13,400
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at the beginning of the period			209,656	45,134	64,073	209,656
Impairment charge		(51,200)	(85,100)	0	(18,998)	(136,248)
Business disposition						(6,733)
Translation adjustments				254	59	(2,602)
Reallocation of goodwill					0
Balance at the end of the period	$ 45,134	64,073		45,388	45,134	64,073
RSCG
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Impairment charge	19,000				18,998	52,716
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at the beginning of the period			78,458	0	18,604	78,458
Impairment charge	(19,000)				(18,998)	(52,716)
Business disposition						(6,733)
Translation adjustments					394	(405)
Reallocation of goodwill					0
Balance at the end of the period	0	18,604		0	0	18,604
CAG
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Impairment charge				0	0	83,532
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at the beginning of the period			131,198	21,403	45,469	131,198
Impairment charge				0	0	(83,532)
Business disposition						0
Translation adjustments				254	(335)	(2,197)
Reallocation of goodwill					(23,731)
Balance at the end of the period	21,403	45,469		21,657	21,403	45,469
GovDeals
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Impairment charge				0	0	0
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at the beginning of the period			$ 0	23,731	0	0
Impairment charge				0	0	0
Translation adjustments				0	0	0
Reallocation of goodwill					23,731
Balance at the end of the period	$ 23,731	$ 0		$ 23,731	$ 23,731	$ 0

Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Intangible Assets
Gross Carrying Amount		$ 943,000	$ 8,769,000
Accumulated Amortization		(516,000)	(6,119,000)
Net Carrying Amount		427,000	2,650,000
Amortization expense		$ 1,000,000	1,400,000	$ 3,100,000
Minimum
Intangible Assets
Useful Life (in years)		3 years
Maximum
Intangible Assets
Useful Life (in years)		10 years
Contract intangibles
Intangible Assets
Useful Life (in years)		10 years
Gross Carrying Amount		$ 0	1,500,000
Accumulated Amortization		0	(150,000)
Net Carrying Amount		0	1,350,000
Brand and technology
Intangible Assets
Gross Carrying Amount		0	5,749,000
Accumulated Amortization		0	(5,018,000)
Net Carrying Amount		$ 0	731,000
Brand and technology \| Minimum
Intangible Assets
Useful Life (in years)		3 years
Brand and technology \| Maximum
Intangible Assets
Useful Life (in years)		5 years
Covenants not to compete
Intangible Assets
Gross Carrying Amount		$ 0	700,000
Accumulated Amortization		0	(533,000)
Net Carrying Amount		$ 0	167,000
Covenants not to compete \| TruckCenter
Intangible Assets
Write off of intangible asset	$ 100,000
Unamortized value of intangible asset	$ 0
Covenants not to compete \| Minimum
Intangible Assets
Useful Life (in years)		3 years
Covenants not to compete \| Maximum
Intangible Assets
Useful Life (in years)		5 years
Patent and trademarks
Intangible Assets
Gross Carrying Amount		$ 943,000	820,000
Accumulated Amortization		(516,000)	(418,000)
Net Carrying Amount		$ 427,000	$ 402,000
Patent and trademarks \| Minimum
Intangible Assets
Useful Life (in years)		3 years
Patent and trademarks \| Maximum
Intangible Assets
Useful Life (in years)		10 years

Intangible Assets - Future Amortization (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Future expected amortization of intangible assets
2018	$ 76
2019	69
2020	70
2021	58
2022 and after	154
Net Carrying Amount	$ 427	$ 2,650

Commitments (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Commitments (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 16, 2017 ft²
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Deferred rent charges included in other long-term liabilities	$ 600	$ 1,000
Rent expense	10,800	$ 11,500	$ 12,500
Future minimum payments under the leases
2018	9,432
2019	8,696
2020	4,903
2021	2,806
2022	1,001
2023	305
Total future minimum lease payments	27,143
Other Operating Expense
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Cease use charge	2,000
Office space \| Bethesda, Maryland
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Number of square feet \| ft²				18,412
Office space \| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA \| Other Operating Expense
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Cease use charge	$ 2,000

Income Taxes - Provision (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes - Provision (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Current tax provision (benefit):
U.S. Federal	$ (234)	$ 0	$ (32,116)
State	613	672	(1,375)
Foreign	(210)	176	203
Current income tax expense	169	848	(33,288)
Deferred tax (benefit) expense:
U.S. Federal	(592)	25,338	326
State	(86)	3,890	(4,422)
Foreign	58	(3,051)	(2,187)
Total deferred tax (benefit) expense	(620)	26,177	(6,283)
Total provision	$ (451)	$ 27,025	$ (39,571)

Income Taxes - Deferred Tax Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Deferred tax assets:
Net operating losses—Foreign	$ 9,171	$ 8,964
Net operating losses—U.S.	31,133	17,086
Accrued vacation and bonus	859	1,305
Inventory capitalization	1,315	1,906
Inventory reserves	1,903	1,311
Allowance for doubtful accounts	98	120
Stock compensation expense	6,689	8,105
Amortization of intangibles	2,753	2,286
Amortization of goodwill	0	1,021
Pension liability	0	133
Restructuring costs	913	0
Other	3,134	3,699
Total deferred tax assets before valuation allowance	57,968	45,936
Less: valuation allowance	(54,379)	(44,257)
Net deferred tax assets	3,589	1,679
Deferred tax liabilities:
Amortization of goodwill	9,000	9,444
Depreciation	185	658
Capitalized costs	3,032	0
Pension liability	372	0
Total deferred tax liabilities	12,589	10,102
Net deferred taxes	$ (9,000)	$ (8,423)

Income Taxes - Reconciliation (Details)	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes - Reconciliation (Details)	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Reconciliation of the U.S. federal statutory rate to the effective rate for continuing operations
U.S. statutory rate (as a percent)	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Permanent items (as a percent)	(0.90%)	(4.20%)	(6.30%)
State taxes (as a percent)	1.20%	1.90%	2.60%
Net foreign rate differential (as a percent)	(2.80%)	(3.80%)	(3.00%)
Unrecognized tax benefits (as a percent)	3.50%	(2.20%)	0.00%
Change in valuation allowance (as a percent)	(34.80%)	(108.80%)	(0.90%)
Other (as a percent)	(0.06%)	0.00%	0.00%
Provision for income taxes (as a percent)	1.10%	(82.10%)	27.40%

Income Taxes - CarryForwards (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards
Deferred tax assets related to available federal and state NOL carryforwards	$ 45,400	$ 35,800
Deferred tax assets related to available foreign NOL carryforwards	9,171	8,964
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance	10,000
Valuation allowance	54,379	44,257
Undistributed foreign earnings	8,000
Cash and cash equivalents held overseas on which taxes would be incurred upon repatriation	14,900	21,500
Reconciliation of unrecognized tax benefits
Beginning balance	725	0	$ 0
Additions for tax positions of prior years	1,426	725	0
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(229)	0	0
Settlements	(1,922)	0	0
Ending balance	0	$ 725	$ 0
Uncertain tax positions
Recovery of tax deductions related to equity compensation	1,200
Recovery of prior year taxes	200
Foreign
Net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards
NOL's subject to expiration	500
Deferred Tax Asset Related To Net Operating Loss Carryforward
Net operating loss (NOL) carryforwards
Increase (decrease) in valuation allowance	$ (1,200)

Equity Transactions - 2006 Plan (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 23, 2017	Feb. 28, 2015	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Jan. 09, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 02, 2005
2006 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2006 Plan)
Shares available for issuance	16,300,000							10,000,000
Remaining shares reserved for issuance			3,269,071				772,227
Increase in shares available for issuance	3,300,000	3,000,000
Reserve shares counted per share granted from fungible share pool (in shares)						1.5
Stock-based compensation			$ 7.4	$ 12.3	$ 12.4
Unvested awards
Service costs related to unvested awards, not yet recognized			$ 8.8
Weighted average vesting period for recognition of cost related to unvested awards			56 years
Minimum
2006 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2006 Plan)
Shares and options vesting period			1 year
Maximum
2006 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2006 Plan)
Shares and options vesting period			4 years
Cash-settled stock appreciation rights
2006 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2006 Plan)
Granted (in shares)			218,550	1,062,668
Granted (in dollars per share)			$ 10.30	$ 4.57
Forfeited (in shares)			234,313	153,338
Options or stock appreciation rights \| Maximum
2006 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2006 Plan)
Number of shares awarded per person per year			1,000,000
Other than options or stock appreciation rights \| Maximum
2006 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2006 Plan)
Number of shares awarded per person per year			700,000
Performance awards
Unvested awards
Service costs related to unvested awards, not yet recognized			$ 4.8
Employee and director options \| Minimum
Unvested awards
Exercise price of stock option as a percentage of the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant			100.00%
Employee and director options \| Maximum
Unvested awards
Term of stock option			10 years
Holder of at least 10% of common stock \| Incentive Stock Options \| Minimum
Unvested awards
Exercise price of stock option as a percentage of the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant			110.00%
Vesting based on performance \| Options
2006 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2006 Plan)
Shares and options vesting period			12 months
Vesting based on performance \| Options \| Minimum
2006 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2006 Plan)
Actual payout as a percent of employee target payout, based upon the entity's actual performance during the previous twelve months			0.00%
Vesting based on performance \| Options \| Maximum
2006 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2006 Plan)
Actual payout as a percent of employee target payout, based upon the entity's actual performance during the previous twelve months			100.00%

Equity Transactions - Repurchase Program (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	May 05, 2016	Feb. 05, 2014
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Approximate Dollar Value of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs	$ 10,127,000	$ 10,127,000	$ 5,127,000	$ 5,127,000	$ 10,100,000
Common stock repurchase (in shares)	0	0	0	2,962,978
Average Price Paid per Share (in dollars per share)	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 16
Total Cash Paid for Shares Purchased	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 44,873,000
Additional amount authorized under share repurchase program						$ 19,000,000
Share repurchase program approved amount					$ 5,000,000.0

Equity Transactions - Employee Options (Details) - Employee and director options - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Stock option activity
Options outstanding at the beginning of the period (in shares)	1,708,487	1,472,643	1,465,907
Options granted (in shares)	232,845	583,228	310,177
Options exercised (in shares)	(12,421)	(1,251)	(14,869)
Options cancelled (in shares)	(223,938)	(346,133)	(288,572)
Options outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)	1,704,973	1,708,487	1,472,643
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	1,270,781
Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Options outstanding at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 13.91	$ 17.46	$ 19.50
Options granted (in dollars per share)	9.18	6.68	9.92
Options exercised (in dollars per share)	7.41	7.48	7.09
Options cancelled (in dollars per share)	13.00	16.99	20.26
Options outstanding at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	13.43	$ 13.91	$ 17.46
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 14.99

Equity Transactions - Options (Details)	12 Months Ended
Equity Transactions - Options (Details)	Sep. 30, 2017 $ / shares shares
Exercise price range one
Summary of information about stock options outstanding and exercisable
Exercise price, minimum (in dollars per share)	$ 5.53
Exercise price, maximum (in dollars per share)	$ 6.96
Options Outstanding
Number outstanding (in shares) \| shares	366,151
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)	8 years 3 months 19 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 6.42
Options Exercisable
Number exercisable (in shares) \| shares	282,064
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)	8 years 3 months 19 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 6.36
Exercise price range two
Summary of information about stock options outstanding and exercisable
Exercise price, minimum (in dollars per share)	6.97
Exercise price, maximum (in dollars per share)	$ 9.09
Options Outstanding
Number outstanding (in shares) \| shares	289,049
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)	6 years 2 months 8 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 7.83
Options Exercisable
Number exercisable (in shares) \| shares	138,533
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)	3 years 5 months 5 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 7.81
Exercise price range three
Summary of information about stock options outstanding and exercisable
Exercise price, minimum (in dollars per share)	9.10
Exercise price, maximum (in dollars per share)	$ 10.82
Options Outstanding
Number outstanding (in shares) \| shares	359,597
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)	6 years 11 months 1 day
Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 9.78
Options Exercisable
Number exercisable (in shares) \| shares	182,613
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)	6 years 3 months 19 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 9.99
Exercise price range four
Summary of information about stock options outstanding and exercisable
Exercise price, minimum (in dollars per share)	10.83
Exercise price, maximum (in dollars per share)	$ 19.27
Options Outstanding
Number outstanding (in shares) \| shares	330,321
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)	1 year 10 months 6 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 13.04
Options Exercisable
Number exercisable (in shares) \| shares	322,201
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)	1 year 8 months 12 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 13.08
Exercise price range five
Summary of information about stock options outstanding and exercisable
Exercise price, minimum (in dollars per share)	19.28
Exercise price, maximum (in dollars per share)	$ 46.72
Options Outstanding
Number outstanding (in shares) \| shares	359,855
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)	5 years 6 months 18 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 29.06
Options Exercisable
Number exercisable (in shares) \| shares	345,370
Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Life (in years)	5 years 6 months 7 days
Weighted-Average Exercise Price (in dollars per share)	$ 29.35

Equity Transactions - Fair Value (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Intrinsic value and weighted average remaining contractual life in years of outstanding and exercisable options
Stock price (in dollars per share)	$ 5.90
Employee and director options
Fair value assumptions
Expected volatility, minimum (as a percent)	54.22%	51.50%	71.90%
Expected volatility, maximum (as a percent)	54.93%	58.60%	77.90%
Risk free interest rate, minimum (as a percent)	1.65%	0.50%	0.26%
Risk free interest rate, maximum (as a percent)	2.17%	1.50%	1.40%
Expected forfeiture rate (as a percent)	21.40%	23.50%
Intrinsic value and weighted average remaining contractual life in years of outstanding and exercisable options
Intrinsic value of outstanding shares	$ 494
Intrinsic value of exercisable options	$ 494
Weighted average grant date fair value of options granted (in dollars per share)	$ 3.58	$ 2.07	$ 4.89
Intrinsic value of options exercised	$ 24,032	$ 3,128	$ 4,000
Service-based stock options expected to vest (in options)	0.2
Employee and director options \| Minimum
Fair value assumptions
Expected forfeiture rate (as a percent)			22.20%
Employee and director options \| Maximum
Fair value assumptions
Expected forfeiture rate (as a percent)			22.80%

Equity Transactions - Restricted Shares (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Unvested awards
Stock price (in dollars per share)	$ 5.90
Restricted shares
Restricted share activity
Unvested restricted shares at the beginning of the period (in shares)	2,661,245	2,367,187	1,897,827
Restricted shares granted (in shares)	849,352	1,504,655	1,298,604
Restricted shares vested (in shares)	(748,266)	(715,188)	(343,204)
Restricted shares cancelled (in shares)	(571,900)	(495,409)	(486,040)
Unvested restricted shares at the end of the period (in shares)	2,190,431	2,661,245	2,367,187
Weighted-Average Fair Value
Unvested restricted shares at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 9.34	$ 16.08	$ 24.96
Granted (in dollars per share)	8.78	5.54	10.04
Restricted shares vested (in dollars per share)	11.04	16.09	27.50
Restricted shares cancelled (in dollars per share)	9.81	20.25	26.54
Unvested restricted shares at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 8.42	$ 9.34	$ 16.08
Unvested awards
Intrinsic value of unvested restricted shares	$ 12.9
Weighted average remaining contractual life of unvested restricted shares	8 years 4 months 15 days
Service-based restricted stock options expected to vest (in options)	1,200,000

Fair Value Measurement - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Fair Value Measurement - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Fair value measurement
Gain on financial assets	$ 600,000
Recurring basis \| Level 1
Fair value measurement
Assets, fair value	0	$ 0
Liabilities, fair value	0	0
Recurring basis \| Level 2
Fair value measurement
Assets, fair value	0	0
Liabilities, fair value	$ 0	$ 0

Fair Value Measurement - Changes in Level 3 Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Change in fair value of financial assets	$ 573	$ 0	$ 0
Recurring basis \| Level 3
Fair Value, Assets Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance at September 30, 2016	2,200
Acquisition of financial assets	2,662
Settlements	(4,944)
Change in fair value of financial assets	573
Balance at September 30, 2017	$ 491	$ 2,200

Defined Benefit Pension Plan (Details)	12 Months Ended
Defined Benefit Pension Plan (Details)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) item	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Accumulated OCI
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	$ 240,000	$ 0
Information about plan assets
Actual (as a percent)	100.00%
Equity securities
Information about plan assets
Actual (as a percent)	43.70%
Defined benefit plan number of pooled funds \| item	1
Percentage of UK company shares (as a percentage)	70.00%
Defined benefit plan pooled funds strategy percentage to be invested in international securities (as a percentage)	30.00%
Fixed-income securities
Information about plan assets
Actual (as a percent)	54.90%
Defined benefit plan number of pooled funds \| item	1
Cash equivalents
Information about plan assets
Actual (as a percent)	1.40%
Defined benefit pension plan
Net periodic benefit cost recognized
Interest cost	$ 582,000	814,000	$ 964,000
Expected return on plan assets	(826,000)	(1,066,000)	(1,186,000)
Total net periodic benefit	(244,000)	(252,000)	(222,000)
Change in benefit obligation
Beginning balance	26,321,000	24,069,000
Interest cost	582,000	814,000	964,000
Benefits paid	(718,000)	(1,246,000)
Actuarial loss/(gain)	(1,861,000)	5,999,000
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	761,000	(3,315,000)
Ending balance	25,085,000	26,321,000	24,069,000
Change in plan assets
Beginning balance at fair value	25,767,000	24,537,000
Actual return on plan assets	569,000	4,831,000
Benefits paid	(718,000)	(1,246,000)
Employer's contributions	552,000	1,482,000
Foreign currency exchange rate changes	773,000	(3,837,000)
Ending balance at fair value	26,943,000	25,767,000	24,537,000
Overfunded (underfunded) status of the plan	1,859,000	(554,000)
Accumulated OCI
Accumulated OCI at beginning of year	1,226,000	(1,321,000)
Net actuarial (gains)/losses	(1,589,000)	2,547,000
Accumulated OCI at end of year	(123,000)	$ 1,226,000	$ (1,321,000)
Estimated amounts to be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into net periodic benefit cost
Estimated amounts to be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into net periodic benefit cost during next fiscal year	$ 0
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used in Calculations [Abstract]
Discount rate (as a percentage)	2.70%	2.30%
Expected return on plan assets (as a percentage)	3.80%	3.20%
Increases to non-GMP pensions in payment accrued pre 4/6/97 (as a percentage)	0.00%	0.00%
Increases to non-GMP pensions in payment accrued post 4/6/97 (as a percentage)	2.10%	2.00%
Rate of increases to deferred CPI linked benefits (as a percentage)	2.10%	2.00%
Rate of increases to deferred RPI linked benefits (as a percentage)	3.20%	3.10%
Defined benefit plan long term rate of improvement (as a percentage)	1.50%
Expected benefit payments over the next 10 years
2018	$ 751,000
2019	767,000
2020	791,000
2021	687,000
2022	749,000
2023 through 2027	4,362,000
Total	$ 8,107,000
Defined benefit pension plan \| Males
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used in Calculations [Abstract]
Defined benefit plan mortality rate (as a percentage)	100.00%
Defined benefit pension plan \| Females
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used in Calculations [Abstract]
Defined benefit plan mortality rate (as a percentage)	105.00%

Defined Benefit Pension Plan - Fair Value Estimates (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Total
Defined benefit pension plan
Fair values	$ 26,944	$ 25,767
Level 1
Defined benefit pension plan
Fair values	371	531
Level 2
Defined benefit pension plan
Fair values	26,573	25,236
Equity securities \| Total
Defined benefit pension plan
Fair values	11,778	10,087
Equity securities \| Level 2
Defined benefit pension plan
Fair values	11,778	10,087
Fixed-income securities \| Total
Defined benefit pension plan
Fair values	14,795	15,149
Fixed-income securities \| Level 2
Defined benefit pension plan
Fair values	14,795	15,149
Cash equivalents \| Total
Defined benefit pension plan
Fair values	371	531
Cash equivalents \| Level 1
Defined benefit pension plan
Fair values	$ 371	$ 531

- Narrative (Details)		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
- Narrative (Details)	Sep. 25, 2017 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 16, 2017 ft²
Business Disposition
Asset impairment				$ 1,963,000	$ 18,998,000	$ 147,414,000
Reversal of earn-out liability				954,000	0	0
Restructuring charges				4,223,000		$ 300,000
Restructuring reserve			$ 3,180,000	3,180,000	0
Other Operating Expense
Business Disposition
Cease use charge				2,000,000
IronDirect
Business Disposition
Asset impairment				900,000	0
Impairment of contract intangible asset				1,200,000
TruckCenter \| Operating Expense
Business Disposition
Restructuring costs		$ 900,000
Contract Intangible \| IronDirect
Business Disposition
Impairment of contract intangible asset				1,200,000
Leasehold Improvements \| IronDirect
Business Disposition
Impairment of long-lived assets				600,000
Occupancy Cost
Business Disposition
Restructuring charges				2,616,000
Restructuring reserve			1,988,000	1,988,000	0
Occupancy Cost \| CAG
Business Disposition
Restructuring charges				0
Restructuring reserve			0	0	0
Occupancy Cost \| TruckCenter
Business Disposition
Restructuring costs		600,000
Employee Severance
Business Disposition
Restructuring charges				1,607,000
Restructuring reserve			1,192,000	1,192,000	0
Employee Severance \| CAG
Business Disposition
Restructuring costs			600,000
Restructuring charges				1,037,000
Restructuring reserve			793,000	793,000	$ 0
Employee Severance \| CAG \| Severance Agreement
Business Disposition
Restructuring costs	$ 300,000
Employee Severance \| IronDirect
Business Disposition
Restructuring costs				100,000
Employee Severance \| TruckCenter
Business Disposition
Restructuring costs		200,000
Long-Lived Asset Impairment \| TruckCenter
Business Disposition
Restructuring costs		$ 100,000
Legal and Administrative Costs \| CAG
Business Disposition
Restructuring costs			$ 100,000
General and administrative
Business Disposition
Restructuring charges				3,700,000
Sales and marketing
Business Disposition
Restructuring charges				300,000
Technology and operations
Business Disposition
Restructuring charges				200,000
Office space \| Bethesda, Maryland
Business Disposition
Number of square feet \| ft²							18,412
Office space \| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA \| Other Operating Expense
Business Disposition
Cease use charge				$ 2,000,000

Business Realignment Expenses - Activity in Liability for Business Realignment Initiatives (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2015
Business realignment expenses rollforward
Liability Balance, beginning	$ 0
Business Realignment Expenses	4,223	$ 300
Cash Payments	(1,043)
Liability Balance, ending	3,180
Employee severance and benefit costs:
Business realignment expenses rollforward
Liability Balance, beginning	0
Business Realignment Expenses	1,607
Cash Payments	(415)
Liability Balance, ending	1,192
Occupancy costs:
Business realignment expenses rollforward
Liability Balance, beginning	0
Business Realignment Expenses	2,616
Cash Payments	(628)
Liability Balance, ending	1,988
CAG \| Employee severance and benefit costs:
Business realignment expenses rollforward
Liability Balance, beginning	0
Business Realignment Expenses	1,037
Cash Payments	(244)
Liability Balance, ending	793
CAG \| Occupancy costs:
Business realignment expenses rollforward
Liability Balance, beginning	0
Business Realignment Expenses	0
Cash Payments	0
Liability Balance, ending	0
Corporate & Other \| Employee severance and benefit costs:
Business realignment expenses rollforward
Liability Balance, beginning	0
Business Realignment Expenses	570
Cash Payments	(171)
Liability Balance, ending	399
Corporate & Other \| Occupancy costs:
Business realignment expenses rollforward
Liability Balance, beginning	0
Business Realignment Expenses	2,616
Cash Payments	(628)
Liability Balance, ending	$ 1,988

Segment Information - Schedule of Reportable Segments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue									$ 188,570	$ 233,828	$ 315,668
Fee revenue									81,445	82,626	81,457
Total revenue from operations	$ 61,364	$ 65,520	$ 72,335	$ 70,796	$ 78,513	$ 85,188	$ 86,878	$ 65,875	270,015	316,454	397,125
Gross profit									124,490	162,113	203,023
Depreciation and amortization									5,796	6,502	9,235
Other operating expenses									3,651	0	273
Operating Segments \| GovDeals
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue									0	0	0
Fee revenue									26,853	22,802	20,577
Total revenue from operations									26,853	22,802	20,577
Gross profit									25,172	21,422	19,342
Depreciation and amortization									245	241	256
Other operating expenses									0	0	0
Operating Segments \| CAG
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue									100,160	140,210	177,770
Fee revenue									44,971	51,555	34,178
Total revenue from operations									145,131	191,765	211,949
Gross profit									71,934	109,373	135,829
Depreciation and amortization									1,222	1,837	2,107
Other operating expenses									465	0	84
Operating Segments \| RSCG
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue									85,766	88,986	138,037
Fee revenue									9,265	5,232	23,776
Total revenue from operations									95,032	94,218	161,813
Gross profit									30,050	29,903	46,656
Depreciation and amortization									1,134	974	1,372
Other operating expenses									0	0	145
Corporate & Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue									2,644	4,632	(139)
Fee revenue									356	3,037	2,925
Total revenue from operations									2,999	7,669	2,786
Gross profit									(2,666)	1,415	1,197
Depreciation and amortization									3,195	3,449	5,500
Other operating expenses									$ 3,187	$ 0	$ 44

Segment Information - Reconciliation from Segments to Consolidated (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Total revenue	$ 61,364	$ 65,520	$ 72,335	$ 70,796	$ 78,513	$ 85,188	$ 86,878	$ 65,875	$ 270,015	$ 316,454	$ 397,125
Gross profit									124,490	162,113	203,023
Operating expenses									160,839	196,231	346,965
Total costs and expenses									3,651	0	273
Interest (income) expense and other expense, net									(362)	(1,217)	171
(Benefit) provision for income taxes									(451)	27,025	(39,571)
Net loss	$ (13,924)	$ (8,614)	$ (8,252)	$ (8,397)	$ (53,755)	$ (124)	$ (850)	$ (5,197)	$ (39,187)	$ (59,926)	$ (104,815)

Segment Information - Schedule of Revenues by Country (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue	$ 61,364	$ 65,520	$ 72,335	$ 70,796	$ 78,513	$ 85,188	$ 86,878	$ 65,875	$ 270,015	$ 316,454	$ 397,125
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									240,102	281,328	366,149
Rest of the world
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 29,913	$ 35,126	$ 30,976

Segment Information - Schedule of Total Segment Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	$ 215,229	$ 260,109
Operating Segments \| GovDeals
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	43,262	38,828
Operating Segments \| CAG
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	115,514	121,352
Operating Segments \| RSCG
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	39,766	0
Corporate & Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Assets	$ 16,687	$ 99,929

Segment Information - Schedule of Total Long-Lived Assets by Geograpical Location (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	$ 16,793	$ 14,376
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	16,142	14,159
Rest of the world
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	$ 650	$ 217

Segment Information - Property and Equipment, Additions by Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment additions	$ 7,805	$ 6,090
Operating Segments \| GovDeals
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment additions	223	242
Operating Segments \| CAG
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment additions	938	39
Operating Segments \| RSCG
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment additions	733	0
Corporate & Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment additions	$ 5,911	$ 5,809

Quarterly Results (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Unaudited quarterly consolidated statement of operations
Revenue from operations	$ 61,364	$ 65,520	$ 72,335	$ 70,796	$ 78,513	$ 85,188	$ 86,878	$ 65,875	$ 270,015	$ 316,454	$ 397,125
Loss before provision for income taxes from operations	(14,466)	(8,573)	(8,305)	(8,294)	(24,291)	(141)	(1,117)	(7,351)	(39,638)	(32,901)	(144,386)
Net loss	$ (13,924)	$ (8,614)	$ (8,252)	$ (8,397)	$ (53,755)	$ (124)	$ (850)	$ (5,197)	$ (39,187)	$ (59,926)	$ (104,815)
Unaudited quarterly consolidated statement of operations
Basic and diluted loss per common share (USD per share)	$ (0.44)	$ (0.27)	$ (0.26)	$ (0.27)	$ (1.75)	$ 0.00	$ (0.03)	$ (0.17)	$ (1.25)	$ (1.96)	$ (3.50)
Basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding (in shares)	31,503,349	31,485,599	31,361,122	31,261,603	30,740,977	30,726,554	30,594,940	30,490,670

Subsequent Event (Details) - Surplus Contract		12 Months Ended
Subsequent Event (Details) - Surplus Contract	Oct. 11, 2017 contract option	Sep. 30, 2017 renewal_option
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of renewal options \| renewal_option		3
Non-rolling stock \| Subsequent Event
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Number of contracts \| contract	2
Term of contract (in years)	2 years
Number of renewal options \| option	4
Term of renewal options (in years)	1 year

SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Deferred tax valuation allowance (deducted from net deferred tax assets)
Activity in valuation and qualifying accounts
Balance at beginning of period	$ 44,257	$ 8,474	$ 7,216
Charged (credited) to expense	10,122	35,783	1,258
Balance at end of period	54,379	44,257	8,474
Allowance for doubtful accounts (deducted from accounts receivable)
Activity in valuation and qualifying accounts
Balance at beginning of period	718	471	1,042
Charged (credited) to expense	357	247	1,243
Reductions	(407)	0	(1,814)
Balance at end of period	668	718	471
Inventory allowance (deducted from inventory)
Activity in valuation and qualifying accounts
Balance at beginning of period	3,446	770	1,723
Charged (credited) to expense	10,381	2,709	(575)
Reductions	(9,255)	(33)	(378)
Balance at end of period	$ 4,572	$ 3,446	$ 770

401(k) Benefit Plan	12 Months Ended
401(k) Benefit Plan	Sep. 30, 2017
Defined Contribution Plan [Abstract]
401(k) Benefit Plan	401(k) Benefit Plan The Company has a retirement plan (the Plan), which is intended to be a qualified plan under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Plan is a defined contribution plan available to all eligible employees and allows participants to contribute up to the legal maximum of their eligible compensation, not to exceed the maximum tax-deferred amount allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. The Plan also allows the Company to make discretionary matching contributions. For the years ended September 30, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company contributed and recorded expense of approximately $2.1 million, $1.7 million and $2.4 million, respectively, to the Plan.

401(k) Benefit Plan (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
401(k) Benefit Plan (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Defined Contribution Plan [Abstract]
Amount contributed and recorded expense under the 401(k) Benefit Plan	$ 2.1	$ 1.7	$ 2.4

Guarantees (Details) £ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2015 GBP (£)
Guarantees [Abstract]
Guarantee Obligation Value, maximum	£ 10