Storage Auctions

The Storage Locker => General Storage Auction Talk => Topic started by: Travis on November 27, 2012, 09:22:04 PM

Title: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: Travis on November 27, 2012, 09:22:04 PM
We all see the Guys on Auction Hunters paying $1,000 for a unit and then reselling the contents for $10,000.

I personally have never made that kind of money on a storage unit (perhaps in percentages but not actual dollars) and I have only met one guy who has. He paid around 5 grand for a construction materials unit that he later resold for 25 grand.

I bought around a hundred storage units in 2010 and I only had 3 or 4 that I made around $2,500 on. One of them I only paid $100 for which isn't a bad return percentage wise.

I'm wondering, have any of you ever made a $10,000 profit on a storage unit or even anywhere close to that amount?
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: MovieMan on November 27, 2012, 09:52:32 PM


I'm wondering, have any of you ever made a $10,000 profit on a storage unit or even anywhere close to that amount?

Nope; 3K profit maybe 10 times; 1K profit maybe 20; etc, etc
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: Travis on November 27, 2012, 11:12:05 PM
Oh, yes...been there. I bought a unit that had two larges boxes marked "clothes". Nobody else bid on the unit so I got it for $5. There were actually clothes & shoes in the boxes but is was all brand new designer merchandise with the tags still on them. Once my wife realized they were here sizes, 90% of the merchandise was confiscated, including all of the Gucci!

But for $ 5 dollars, who really cares right? Haven't had to take her shopping in quite a while. ;)
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: the teacher on November 27, 2012, 11:48:59 PM
The single best locker I've ever had I paid $1000 for and sold the contents for over $7000, and kept a few things out of it. 

I've had two that I paid right at $400 for and sold the contents for right at $4400. 

Those are the best......I've never had a 10k or more locker....but I'd like to try it once!
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: Travis on November 28, 2012, 12:09:33 AM
I have a good feeling that we won't come across anyone who has actually made that much money on a single storage unit. If most pros haven't done this once in their career, this makes Auction Hunters even more unbelievable than it was before....if that's possible.
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: alloro on November 28, 2012, 12:29:09 AM
A little over a year ago I won a unit for $200. It contain a lot of commercial products from a saleswoman. To date I have sold about 75% of the contents on eBay for about $15K. I estimate about $5K remains which will have resulted in about $20K gross income. Between fees and shipping costs I would've spent about $3K leaving me with a $17K profit on the $200 unit.
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: Travis on November 28, 2012, 08:15:37 AM
Well, I stand corrected. Alloro did it. Was this the only time this has happened in your career or have there been other major scores?
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: craiglstauction on November 28, 2012, 09:59:39 AM
I myself have not even gotten close to 10k.  We all have read of people hitting the unit lottery and finding gold in the units.  But we read about that only once a year maybe?

I know of only 1 person in my local area that has made over 10k on a unit, and that was 4-5 years ago.  He still tells the story of him and his partner at the time spending 3k on a unit.  They sold the contents for over $20k.

If you can find a nice coin collection, lots of guns, or tons of jewelry you can hit that 10k profit mark.  I'll keep playing the powerball however.  Think my odds may be better that way ;)

Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: alloro on November 28, 2012, 07:21:27 PM
Alloro did it. Was this the only time this has happened in your career

Knock on wood, I've always come out ahead on every unit I've bought. But yes, that has been my biggest profit on a single unit to date.
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: dbr831 on November 30, 2012, 09:06:36 AM
Yep, once. Paid $500 earlier this year. Return so far about $10,500. Still have a few items left to sell. Might make another $300-500 on it if I'm lucky. Biggest single item in that unit was $750, made about $4000 in assorted sterling, a little over $1000 in books (Amazon, still dribbling in, the gift that keeps on giving), $800 in gold jewelry and a whole bunch of miscellaneous stuff. Most memorable unit to date for sure.
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: theoddfind on December 22, 2012, 08:35:07 AM
Yes I made over $30,000 on a unit and still have merchandise worth around $12-15K, I posted it under The Treasure Chest titled "my best unit in 2012"
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: Travis on December 22, 2012, 08:53:42 AM
Yes I made over $30,000 on a unit and still have merchandise worth around $12-15K, I posted it under The Treasure Chest titled "my best unit in 2012"


That's awesome....can we rub your belly for luck? ;)
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: theoddfind on December 22, 2012, 09:35:10 AM
For $1 you can ...
Title: Re: $10,000 Storage Unit?
Post by: alloro on December 22, 2012, 11:57:07 AM
For $1 you can ...

Love that answer! :)