There is not enough time to look up the value of items you see from the door then make an educated bid on the locker. Thats a body of knowledge you just have to keep in the ole memory banks. They are great for flea markets and yard sales. Download the Bar Code Scanner App, it scans product bar codes and UPC numbers and then you can find the retail price and ebay price of the item pretty quickly.

Actually one of the reasons I have got more into storage auctions as opposed to yard sales and flea markets, is because of technology like the internet, ebay, smart phones, the average seller has become a lot more savvy at pricing thier merchandise. I stopped going to yard sales because soo much of what I found was priced right at the Ebay ask price. Guess what people say when you offer a lower price? "Thats what it's going for on Ebay!" I say, "No, thats what somebody hopes to get for it on Ebay!" Don't get me wrong, there are still a lot of great deals at yard sales and flea markets for the serious hunter, but I just got tired of all the driving and gas bills.

The flea market closest to my house is low income. Been going for several weeks now and average about $100 in sales per day. Thats a 4:00am to 2:00pm day. Can't sell much of anything for more than $1 to $2 unless it is guns, knives, tools (power or hand). Thats what the men will pay good money for, haven't figured out what the women will pay good money for yet.

I guess I will help you since your on the other side of the state and won't be competition. 

So far for me it's electronics; computers, monitors, printers, stereos, 8-track players, cash registers. Haven't figured out the best way to sell this stuff. Of course I am talking about obsolete electronics, that are scraped up, missing plugs, wires, and accessories, probably don't work at 100%. 

Many of the regulars from my area (Chattanooga) go to Nashville and Atlanta on a regular basis, I have heard from some that Huntsville, Alabama has better stuff in lkrs, and smaller crowds + lower winning bid amounts than both Chattanooga and Nashville. One guy in the biz has been hitting Atlanta pretty hard because of the rumors of better quality stuff in lkrs, and so far he has been hauling a lot of the same junk, at higher bid prices back to Chattanooga. Although others have had some success getting good stuff in Atlanta. I have not taken the drive myself because at this time I can not justify that the extra fuel costs, and time spent will be recouped by better quality stuff in lkrs from those cities. I suppose if you have a big truck and buy multiple units you can spread the fuel costs across them, but I don't see it. I think someone on this forum said, "it doesn't matter what part of the country you are in, most lkrs have the same junk in them."

On a side note, we have been getting an influx of people into our area attending auctions from Florida, and North Carolina because they heard lkrs in our area are going cheap compared to where they are from! I had to bid against guys from Florida on the last unit I won!

Good Luck!

So far the smallest crowd I have seen was a Saturday auction in a city about 25 miles south of where I live. five people but four bidding as couples, so three bidders for three units. I thought man, there is no body here, I got these units! 1st unit 10 x 10 with a couple of 70's beach cruisers, kerosine blast heater, ingersoll air compressor, a handful of misc. boxes and bags; went for $425. 2nd unit 10 x 10 only boxes on back half of the floor stack only one to two boxes high, nasty, dirty, water stained; went for $85. 3rd unit, oh third unit paid off, thanks for coming. Needless to say, I did not win either of the two units, but I learned not to underestimate a light crowd.

Im in Southeat Tennessee. I went to an auction in a smaller city about 25 miles north of where I live. I have been to three auctions in this city, and in all three the number of people bidding, and the prices have been higher than where I live. We have more Looky-Loos close to home, but I guess those people up in that city have money to burn! I got a 5x10 3/4 full for $165. Mostly baby toys, furniture, accessories, some other furniture, old electronics, another piece of exercise equipment that will go for scrap metal, a couple boxes of adult clothes, etc. Basically everything was from Wal-Mart (except the old electronics). Get my money back? probably, any more? It will be hard work. The good thing is my unit was cheap, most units went for $350 - $925.

A question for the old timers. What should you do when one of the attendees/bidders continues to walk into units, opens the lid on boxes next to the door, pull out drawers on furniture next to the door, etc. all to get a better look at the items in the unit and the facility owner (who is doing the auction) only half-heartedly tells the guy to stop, but only after he has been doing this most of the auction?

Do you complain about the situation? or do you just stand next to the guy and get a good peek too?

This guy was bidding and winning units by the way.