Storage Auctions
The Storage Locker => New to Storage Auctions? => Topic started by: LaWaughn on July 26, 2011, 01:27:44 PM
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I have over 250 pieces of quality office furniture that I won at auction. I have contacted office furniture and regular furniture stores. Everyone wants to buy it but no one has the resources to move it. The furniture is high quality cherry wood. I don't know what to do with it.
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I have over 250 pieces of quality office furniture that I won at auction. I have contacted office furniture and regular furniture stores. Everyone wants to buy it but no one has the resources to move it. The furniture is high quality cherry wood. I don't know what to do with it.
If you have them in your possession and have moved them from where you got them, then YOU have a way to move them and could sell them to the people above "Everyone..." and you should still do OK on them from a profit standpoint.
You COULD charge them some percentage for doing the moving for them ON TOP OF the purchase price.
If the items are still stored where you bought them, you could still move them (or hire someone to move them) to your buyer(s).
Anytime someone says "I'm ready to buy." I make the extra effort to get that to happen. If these people TRULY want to buy you should be able to work something out with one of them. You could always sell smaller portions to multiple buyers.
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It is still stored at the place I won it from. It takes at least 4 people to lift one desk. I have at least 80. Delivering to individuals is not an option. This is real cherry and mahogany wood. Fully assembled.
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It is still stored at the place I won it from. It takes at least 4 people to lift one desk. I have at least 80. Delivering to individuals is not an option. This is real cherry and mahogany wood. Fully assembled.
Well, I wasn't thinking of selling to individuals (not in any bulk anyway) but rather selling 10 desks or so to company "A", maybe 5 to company "B" etc.
You don't mention what you might want to sell them for, or what you bought them for. If you bought them cheap enough you should be able to build in some delivery expense. If the company(s) buying them are getting them for themselves, they won't be as concerned as a reseller would be.
Personally, if I had seen that bulk of furniture I would have run for the hills...and it wouldn't have been the first time.
I'll look up a thread on a fellow who bought a lot of office furn in Florida and will post the link here for you to read.
http://storageauctionforums.com/index.php?topic=834.0
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P.P.P.P.P.P.
You don't mention what you might want to sell them for, or what you bought them for. If you bought them cheap enough you should be able to build in some delivery expense. If the company(s) buying them are getting them for themselves, they won't be as concerned as a reseller would be.
Like MM I have no idea what your expenditures have been or profit margin is. You might bite the bullet and go to a temp agency. Most will allow you to hire through them with an 8 hour day prepaid as general labor, no business license required. Maybe the local place that the work a day people hang out on the corner soliciting work is OK too. Explain that its HEAVY lifting. Rent a flat bed truck with a lift gate that has minimum 4'x7.5' gate. Buy furniture dollies and get to moving your product.
If you're willing to bust your butt then you should only need one helper. I think that 4 people moving this quantity of and weight of furniture is better but then you're paying for more man hours during windshield time.(There are ways for you to move this stuff by yourself but you need the popper equipment and know how.)
Scheduling your drop offs is another concern when spending this kind of money for delivery but is way cheaper than hiring a moving company.
Another option if look in your local want ad paper for ads stating that handy man Joe has his own moving truck and will help you move. Hire him.
Once again P.P.P.P.P.P. never buy something just for the value, if you don't have a plan of attack you'll end up losing period.
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Once again P.P.P.P.P.P. never buy something just for the value, if you don't have a plan of attack you'll end up losing period.
Rafe had good points including the 5P principle. An internet search will pop up this:
"Your marketing plan should address the 5 P's of Marketing: People, Price, Product, Promotion, and Place"+
But 30 or more years ago 5P meant: Proper Planning Prevents P...poor Perfomance.
Either way you look at it the 5P approach has a lot to recommend it.
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I like the top 5 Ps MM but I did mean the 6 that I put, I just highlighted the 'p' in P...-poor too.
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LaWaughn I was just thinking about some ways I might sell off high quantities of cherry-wood desks and realized that I have a friend in the custom cabinet business that might like a couple for more high end jobs. Maybe try calling some custom counter top shops or cabinet businesses. They would have the means to pick them up too. Realize though that they are buying for the stock wood and not the table so prices would be lower but a nice way to get rid of your remaining stock once you sell all you can at the best price you can sell at.
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Heavy Cherry Wood ? I would of run too MM , I did win a 10 X 30 locker full of office furniture but only had a wood conference 12 ft. table that I ended up cutting up .
Most of he file cabinets and the nice metal desk with wood top's I ended up scrapping as I couldn't move anything on Craig's List thanks to a local mortgage company going out of business and posting on the same week I posted there 3 floors of office furniture for FREE , just bring a truck or trailer on Sat .
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good advice all around. Let us know how you get rid of them!
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I am going to add on something about the temp agency route, jsut so you know in advanced, you will be charged no less than 4 hours for each person you hire from there (even if they only work for an hour), this adds up quite fast. Best thing to do is advertise on CL for temp work, or hire some of your buddies.
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Thanks everyone for your advice. Thanks Movieman for the link it was helpful. I contacted some office liquidator companies. One had some interest. I will also contact some custom cabinet companies. I'll let you guys know how it works out.
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Good Luck ;D
I would put it on Craig's in lots of 5 or more with free delivery , when You get those calling about 1 or 2 desk , charge them a delivery fee and rent a big U-Haul truck with a bunch of pads and dolly's , and grab ( 4 ) Four guys from OUTSIDE the local day labor place , once You find one good worker , He will connect You with 3 of His Hard Working Buddies .
After the first couple of deliveries , buy your own dolly's and pads ( I got 28 4 wheel dolly's and 2 appliance dolly's in a locker last year so I am good ::) ) When the sales start to dry up , Then Call the Liquidators , because they will offer You way below wholesale , and what they are worth .
I made a connection with a hard working Honest Brazilian for help with My larger tent rentals. Plus , I think I have the local community locked up as they will rent a tent from Me (for 1/2 price ) take it down from My customer , use it for a party or two ? , and return it to wherever I want it after the weekend , if I ask them to set it up somewhere , No Problem Friend ;D .
Pads and dolly's are cheap at Harbor Freight
http://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/dollies.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/40-inch-x-72-inch-movers-blanket-47262.html
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LaWaughn,
I hope I am wrong but I just wanted to bring this to your attention. I would hate to have you sell them something their not getting. The last thing you need is to get a buyers attorney on your case.
I have some contacts in the furniture business in my day job and I am somewhat familiar with the construction. I would highly recommend that you look this furniture over VERY GOOD. Unless you have purchased from a manufacture that went out of business and you were able to see some raw goods, you could possible have MDF with a veneer on it. Look very carefully for end grain on the wood. The drawer fronts may be real wood. The side panels of the drawer pedestals should have end grain. Also, the inside of the peds should be wood grain and the underside of the top should have matching glue up lines as the top.
If I am out of line, I apologize.
Wayne
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If you have time, I would just place an ad on Craigslist. List them at a really good price and you might sell several of them every day. You could even offer a special discount if they buy more than one.
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LaWaughn,
I hope I am wrong but I just wanted to bring this to your attention. I would hate to have you sell them something their not getting. The last thing you need is to get a buyers attorney on your case.
I have some contacts in the furniture business in my day job and I am somewhat familiar with the construction. I would highly recommend that you look this furniture over VERY GOOD. Unless you have purchased from a manufacture that went out of business and you were able to see some raw goods, you could possible have MDF with a veneer on it. Look very carefully for end grain on the wood. The drawer fronts may be real wood. The side panels of the drawer pedestals should have end grain. Also, the inside of the peds should be wood grain and the underside of the top should have matching glue up lines as the top.
If I am out of line, I apologize.
Wayne
Very good advice. I ASSuMEd that you knew what you had but as an obviously impulse bidder from OP I would say cover your bases all around.
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This furniture is the good stuff and not veneer. It was a government auction. Check out the link below of the pictures of room 1 and let me know if you think I'm crazy.
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/off/2523142876.html (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/off/2523142876.html)
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Good luck
Thats a lot of furniture to unload in this economy , even at that price
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This furniture is the good stuff and not veneer. It was a government auction. Check out the link below of the pictures of room 1 and let me know if you think I'm crazy.
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/off/2523142876.html (http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/off/2523142876.html)
Looks like great furniture and you are offering it at a great price (and we all know why)....for someone who needs it, they will be very happy...now to find them.
I'm sure we've all heard the expression, "it's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it." I'm thinking in D.C. there must be a LOT of furniture available....yours would seem to be among the cheapest...let's hope you find some buyers before moving day rolls around.
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I looked at your other listing in the "furniture" section of CL where the pictures are a bit larger.
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/fuo/2523101000.html
Looks like the stuff is currently in a former day care center floor of an office building.
Wish you luck in getting rid of it all. I sent you a link earlier in this thread about a guy in Florida who had similar but maybe not as nice stuff.
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Thanks Movieman I did look at your like that's where I got the idea to contact office liquidators. I got one office liduidator interested but he can't deal with it before I have to move it out. I got people who want to buy less than twenty items each even though I advertised for people to buy 20 items or more. It's not in a location where I can have people in and out of there a lot. I contacted a mover to assist people yesterday he never showed. Without him people didn't buy anything because they were relying on him to move it. I lost almost a grand in sales yesterday. Frustrated.
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Sorry your mover didn't show up. I don't know why people don't follow through on committments...money out of his pocket too.
Would it make sense to have TWO of those folks show up (explaining to them that there will be 2 movers there, and the reason you are doing that)?
Meanwhile, I see you have deleted the CL post that had larger pictures. Don't understand that, but guess you have your reasons.
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I deleted the larger picture post so I could repost it at the top of the list this morning. It's there but in a different spot. I do that all day to get back on the first page. I have two people viewing it tomorrow I think they will buy. They say that they have their own trucks so they will come back another day to actually move the items. This furniture business is a slow process if you don't have your own trucks. Once I move this lot I will get a used truck on offer deliveries myself. I will also more about 50 items to my house and sell them individually on t weekends
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Open a call center and hire 250 employees lol.
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Friday, August 12, 2011....
What's the latest on your furniture liquidation ?
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I wonder how he made out with all the office furniture ? He hasn't been back since Aug. 2 .
I know from personal experience how office furniture sells here in Mass. with so many companies going OOB , downsizing or moving out of the state / country . You almost have to offer to pay someone to take it plus offer free delivery .
Bandit
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I wonder how he made out with all the office furniture ? He hasn't been back since Aug. 2 .
I know from personal experience how office furniture sells here in Mass. with so many companies going OOB , downsizing or moving out of the state / country . You almost have to offer to pay someone to take it plus offer free delivery .
Bandit
And another one bites the dust. Add him to the list with "momonamission", "JohnnyGHonda", the guy in Texas with similar office furniture, and who knows how many others who hardly made the hit-parade at 10 posts on this forum.
The "survival of the fittest" has a perfect testing ground in this business.
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No I did not bite the dust. Just been crazy busy.
So to recap.
250 pieces of Office Furniture total
Located in a Government Warehouse like facility that is only accessible by calling one person to come open it for me.
Furniture is gorgeous and super super sturdy. (Larger and heavier than I thought it was because I did not view it before bidding on it)
Once won I didn't know how to move it.
1. I showed it to an office liquidator. They said they wanted to buy it but go scared once they saw how big of a project it would be.
2. I showed it to neighbors who wanted to get large amounts of pieces but chickened out once they saw how bulky the pieces were.
3. I showed it to a furniture store owner who also chickened out.
4. I advertised for buyers that wanted at the least 20 pieces of furniture at once. I found 2 buyers. One showed and only want 5 pieces but not that day maybe a week later after he got back from vacation. The second was about to enter the building 15 minutes later but the guy who opened the building had to go do something so we all had to leave. The second guy actually wanted 20 pieces but didn't view anything and didn't come with a truck anyway.
All of these showings were on seperate days. Since I only got about 15 minutes in the building per visit.
All of these showings were a waste of my time.
Okay take a breath.
I got brave, joined this forum for advice and decided move 30 pieces at a time to my house and sell it off for $20 per piece for non cherry wood and $40 for cherry wood pieces. Please understand that these pieces easilly retail for $250 and up per piece but because I had 250 pieces to move it fast I made the pieces really low so I could do another pick up of 30 pieces.
I hired a mover for $80 on craigslist. Moved the first batch to my house and they sold in about a week. Cherry pieces sold in a few hours. (I sold them through craigslist.)
Second batch went fine.
Third batch I fould a person that wanted the remaining 120+ pieces. GREAT
but.........Because I suppose to have removed the furniture in 10 days and was still moving it 6 weeks later and
Because the guy who opens the building no longer wanted to open the building just for me and Because no matter how many time I asked they were not willing to charge me the $10 per day storage fee for every day that I did not remove the furniture THEY TOOK THE FURNITURE BACK
I sold half
Furniture Lessons learned:
Do be afraid on it
You will need a box truck or a trailer to move it alond with at least two hand trucks and dollies.
Some pieces will get chipped and scratched in the move but for a low price people will not care.
White people love cherry wood.
Place in in a storage facility at offers a deep discount for a month.
Try to get warehouse space just for a weekend
When I sold the items from my house my living room and kitchen was covered with book shelves. I looked crazy but the money was good. Have yourself a furniture yard sale.
Try finding a auctioneer with a warehouse that can store and auction off your items.
So anyway I paid $50 for 250 pieces of Executive Office Furniture. I sold half. Had half taken away. Learned a lot.
Would I do it again. Yes ;D
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Would I do it again. Yes ;D
Well, you persevered and got some good results and as you said, you learned a lot. There are plenty of people who read and contribute to these forums who have learned that just because you get something cheap that it is not necessarily a good deal.
Would you do it again and the answer is "yes". That one kind of astounds me. That was a lot of work for the return, but if you were happy with it, I'm sure there are more surplus furniture auctions in your area.
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The return was good enough to pay some bills. When I won the furniture I expected it to be a quick flip. What I have now is a list of people I can know email when I have other items for sale. Half of my buyers were college students. They will need more stuff.
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Thanks for coming back and telling Us The Rest of the Story
I often look at the Gov. auction sites but haven't gotten my feet wet yet as the closest to Me are usually in Nj. LOL , and I hate driving through New York City
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Bandit those auctions are great.
I bought a server rack. Won it for a low price. Advertised it on Craigslist. Found a buyer and had him meet my son there. The buyer paid for it and removed it.
I sold the server rack having never seen it in person.
I didn't have to remove it or store it.
Nice. Try them out someday and let us know how it works out for you.
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Gov auctions can pay off that's for sure.
I have bought two over the last 8 years....both were "smalls"....not furniture.
The first was two van loads worth....one load was CASES of chainsaw files. It worked out to over 14,000 files. There were 12 files in a box and 18 boxes in a case. Quite a heavy load, but each case was easy to move.
The other items in that buy were things like Scotch tape dispensers, 3 ring binders, etc. Got the lot for $400, local pickup (10 miles one way) and made a profit of $4k....mostly because of the chainsaw files, even though were a larger diameter than needed for most consumer chainsaws.
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The other government lot was Wenger Swiss Army knives and a second batch of no-name utility knifes. Wengers did well at from $10 to $30 each for knives that retailed for $20 to $50 each. Small utilities....$2 to $6.
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I check the gov auctions from time to time, so have probably missed a few good ones, but what used to start with a bid of $30 now starts at $150....you have to be sure you'll clear on one of those !
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Right now I'm looking at a large lot of washers and dryers. Over 150 to be exact but I don't think I will go for it. The lot has no bids and is about to close. I don't want to end up having to store that much stuff. I think it way out of my league at the moment but I know that the money if there. I can make a very nice profit selling them off at just $50 each.
It's too scary for me at the moment.
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Cool to hear the rest of the story! What are the washers/dryers going for?
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White people love cherry wood.
Ahhh yes, I almost forgot about this age old adage.
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The washers and dryers are starting at $200 with no bids and less than one day left.
I watched this auction last week it had no bidders and was relisted.