Isn't the statement I put in red above essentially what you were saying in your points 1-4? (at least to some degree)
And anytime the word "always" is used, that's a red flag in itself. Seldom (if ever) does something take place in an "always" way....that is called a "glittering generality" but if any of your points 1-4 happen, it is something that is not a true LIEN situation and IMHO to be watched for.

Wow MovieMan, 1214 post...you have been busy.

How many post have you seen here where folks are "complaining" about "the Storage place" or "the Auctioneer" has/is committing Fraud  by moving stuff, show casing stuff, cherrypicking etc....?

I stop by everyday and read(don't post much though)....and I cannot recall a day where there is not a thread or reply stating this....or when I'm onsite, I hear it each and every day from bidders....so yea, for me "ALWAYS" applies

So keep on looking for them "red flags".....maybe that will keep you too busy to bust on another's reply

You have yourself a good day

Many, many reasons why this might be.....but as a auctioneer, I'll tell you what I can.

1. sometimes folks just show up to move out and are driving a Ford Escort but the units contents requires a
small/large U-Haul to move and they don't have the money to rent one.....so stuff gets "left behind"....
even if it still has some value.....the site owner/operator puts the good/better stuff in a unit and throws the
true "junk" away.

2. sometimes folks have a family member that has passed....they don't want any of grandmas junk...so they
(renter/site owner) work out a deal to sign over the rights in lieu of "bill collection" and the site sells the stuff
to try and recoup some funds

3. site owners are just like me & you....they have stuff they no longer want/need....put it in a empty unit and sell it

4. "showcasing"...if you had alot of stuff that was left/abandoned....that was "going" in the dumpster(every pickup cost), would you not "showcase" it first....before you payed to have it hauled away?

It seems like most bidders think the storage place is "always" trying to "get one over" on the bidders....which
in the grand scheme of things is just not the case.

Is a Blackberry a smart phone??...sometimes I wonder...

If so, then yes...almost at every sale

I buy gold/silver coins...use the memo function to keep a spread sheet
of the spot price...with the value of 90% "Junk" silver coins and prices
of each coin and per roll...for a quick calc of the highest I'm willing to bid

also can hit coinflation.com site that has a built in calc, that's updated
several times a day as the spot price changes

Ain't Technology Grand....

Bid on it like it's empty...when you get it open and it's full of family papers & photos, then you want feel so bad...if it's got gold/silver/cash/gun....then you got a bargain

If that is the "Law" in CA. then he broke said "Law"...and the buyer also broke the law too...let me ask this, Did you call "In" on him??, My guess is NO...did any others call "In" on him....another guess..NO.

Let's switch gears...what if you were bidding on and won the firearm...and were stopped for a, let's say a speeding ticket...and they found this firearm...would your response be " but Officer the auctioneer just sold it to me " what would happen...chances in CA are that you would be arrested right along with the auctioneer and the firearm would be eventually destroyed.

In today's society, more and more people are testing their "Luck" with laws...and in Cash strapped CA...I would think that the risk of being hit with the "Maximum fine allowed by law" would be to great to chance.

But back to the "Banter" that started this...when I see people posting statements using the words "They, Them, Auctioneers etc." then I take that as referring to me & mine, lumping us all together so to speak.

I don't mind at all, people "Calling Out" bad auctioneers...but if you are gonna post this, then NAME THEM!...don't use general terms like " They, Them & the Auctioneers"...that's all

When you use these terms and let's say 500 people read your post and half form the opinion that your right...that's 250 that I now have to convince that we all don't do business like that.

.

Hard to tell Roger Mack who you are addressing the two posts directly above this. I am simply reporting what happens at an auction in my area. I have no association with the auction company.

Could you explain where you are coming from in your comments?  Thanks.

Sorry to have been so aggressive in the post but I just get pissed off when people say things like "I wont go to piece by piece auctions. Seems pretty obvious that good stuff would be gone by the time the general public got to take a look.

I'll pass on the nasty old thongs and socks knowing you took the gold, electronics and antiques"

And,  "one thing we have noticed is that jewelry boxes go immediately to the little trailer they roll down the aisle....in other words THEY get the gold and silver"


If you have storage companies and auctioneers doing these type of things...report them to your states auction board...what they are doing is against the law in most, if not all states!

we run a honest auction, if you have ones that aren't REPORT THEM!!...doing those things just gives us all a bad reputation.

here is a story for you:...back in 2002 we found a 1oz Krugerrand(South African Gold Coin) in a unit
when "M" handed it to me he said "I don't know what kind of foreign coin this is, but it's very heavy"
now my choice was to tell everyone what it was and let them take a good look at it or just slip it into a box and buy it for myself for several dollars.....what do you think I did???.....well it sold for 95.00(gold was 250.00 then)

What would you have done??? and be honest with yourself!

In all my years of doing this I've never overpaid for anything at our or anyone else's auctions

.

I wont go to piece by piece auctions. Seems pretty obvious that good stuff would be gone by the time the general public got to take a look.

I'll pass on the nasty old thongs and socks knowing you took the gold, electronics and antiques.

Yea I take all this stuff right out to the table and sell it just like everything else....If you knew the "Law" then you would know that...Piss off Wanker!

whats some of the most interestin stuff found

Define "interesting"....as in "Weird", "Valuable", "Funny" etc...Different strokes for different folks.

Valuable: Cars, Bikes, Jewelry, Coins...Value means different things to diff people, that crappy old "Bennie Baby" may be the one that little old lady needs to "Complete" her "Collection", but is throwaway junk too me...the list keeps on and on.

Weird: Hoarder's units...some can be good and some can be bad!...that old "console stereo/tv"...why in the hell ppl keep those things is beyond me....we have never sold one for more than a dollar!!

         after 15 yrs of selling "by the piece"....there is a strange thing with the number 3....you know "they say things come in 3's and so on".....well It's true!. I'll give you a example:
   Aquariums, If I open a unit and see a Aquarium, I know that there will be at least 3 total come out of the the other units throughout the day...this applies too alot of things like: Kerosene Heaters, George Foreman Grills,
Futons....

Funny:(Too me anyway)
Loads of porn in a "Preacher's" unit...."Pimp Daddy" clothes(you know them when you see them)...those "Polaroids" your wife "thought" you burned!!....then there was the unit that belonged to a woman with a "BoB" fetish...Found a locked tool box(no pun intended) full of them, and you should have see the look on the faces of the couple who bought it for 35.00 when they finally got it opened!!!