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Messages - drbecker

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136
The Treasure Chest / Re: A dissapointing treasure
« on: January 30, 2011, 06:36:42 PM »
I have found over $4K in one unit before it was mostly in 1 dollar bills.  I normally only find a few dollars but I have had other units with over $100 in them.

137
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Got a wet one
« on: January 30, 2011, 06:30:38 PM »
I could only see a couple of the mattresses when I bid.  The other mattresses were covered with blankets it looked like other furniture.  I like to buy junky looking unit cause normally I do not loose money as they are cheap.  I thought there might be some good scrap in the unit there was not.

138
Stories about Storage Auctions / Got a wet one
« on: January 30, 2011, 01:49:29 PM »
Bought a huge unit on Friday a 12X30. It looked bad and smelled bad it was bad.  Turns out it has flooded in Dec.  Well that was not the worst it was a $1 move in special and the guy skipped and its no wonder there were 20 mattresses and box springs in it.  I have not sorted the boxes yet but expect only junk.  Cost $40 for the unit and $170 so far at the dump.  3000 pounds right to the dump wet mattresses are heavy and some of the bags of clothes must have weighed 100 pounds.  I wish the unreality shows would show someone getting a dandy unit like this.  Got 2 other units that are not as bad but not done looking through them yet know I got over 100 records and I can get $1 each for those if I bring in an unsorted collection.  Have found a little gold in a unit I paid $305 for not enough to pay it off.

139
I once bought a unit for $50 that when I returned the personals I was told the guy had died 9 years ago and a friend was paying $205 a month to keep his stuff.  Well it was really dirty and had a lot of junk in it. The friend had paid $22,140 over 9 years. I made a few hundred mainly off scrap there were 2 Honda 750 engines in the unit one frozen up.  Lots of other scrap.  Most of the stuff was junk.  I can not explain it but I see it all the time.

140
The Treasure Chest / Re: Safes and what they contain
« on: January 27, 2011, 01:15:42 AM »
I have found most safes are empty, I got one with a lot of sports memorbiala in it once and paperwork on no value. 

141
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: My Friday will be BUSY!
« on: January 27, 2011, 01:13:23 AM »
Thrift stores around here do not buy stuff they take donations.  If you do not have a good storage area avoid large items like couches or mattresses.  Sell as fast as you can storage is expensive I would rather give my mediocre stuff to goodwill then pay to store it and I have a big garage 28X33 feet and 2 stories. 
I have rented trucks before and they are expensive (last time between rental and fuel it was $200)  but sometimes you have things to get rid of.  In the past I rented a truck if I had a lot of mattresses.  I now have a trailer and it is paying for itself fast. All my mattresses go to the dump.

142
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: Your monthly income of profit?
« on: January 27, 2011, 01:07:57 AM »
I think to double your money in gross sales would be about the worst you could do and make money. I have lost money on lockers and I have made 100 times my investment. I have lost money on $1 lockers and made money on $700 lockers.  You have to figure in dump fees and gas spent hauling the stuff around.  I think if a guy was careful and worked hard at it he could pull in a decent salary but it is hard work and it is uncertain you can not plan on making a certain amount every month.  You can not make money on every unit it is not like the TV show.

143
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: What is trash?
« on: January 18, 2011, 09:02:48 PM »
Trash is broken toys, paperwork, magazines, sex toys, pissed on mattresses, couches with holes burned in them, food that is 10 years expired (ever seen black ketchup?), ripped clothes, clothes that were packed dirty and have mildewed for years (I find a lot of this), dressers with drawers missing, porn, empty DVD boxes, empty CD cases, VCR tapes with no cover on them or home recorded, broken or chipped dishes, underwear, cassette tapes, worn out tires, scrap lumber, pianos that have sat in the barn for 20 years before being moved into storage, 8 track tapes (most are no good).  That is all stuff that goes to the dump.  Unsoiled clothes mostly go to goodwill I only keep the good stuff like new with labels or leathers and furs.  Furniture that is still usable can be sold on craigslist but most of it has to be sold cheap to get anyone interested. I give a lot of usable but ugly furniture away. It all boils down to is it worth messing with and do I have room to store it while trying to sell it.  Most cheap household good are not worth messing with unless you have a retail outlet or do flea markets all the time. Most dishes that say made in China go to goodwill.  A lot of the electronics you find do not work.  Unheated moist storage is hard on electronics.  Right now all CRT TVs are worthless even if they work.  I strip the copper out of them and then take them to goodwill who have a deal with the county to recycle e waste. They take them working or not.  Most VCR players are not worth messing with they get scrapped for copper content.  Most CD players are only worth a few dollars if they work.  I figure 90 to 95% of the stuff I get in a typical unit is thrown out or donated.  I know some of it could be sold for modest amounts but I have not enough time or room to mess with it.  I am the kind who likes to buy units that are messy and dirty looking because they normally do not go real high and it is easy to get your money back.  My best unit was a 10X20 full of trash that I bought for $50.  Found over $4000 cash in it but I hauled about 4000 pounds to the dump.  I buy $1 units as long as they are not all mattresses and couches. I assume all stuffed furniture is no good when I bid. 

144
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: PODS
« on: January 13, 2011, 11:54:51 PM »
Yes, mixed results lot of junk few good things.  Have not done one is a long time think you get better stuff from a fixed location.

145
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: Where to find the best units
« on: January 08, 2011, 03:36:56 PM »
I think the neighborhood is most important. Buy units in a ghetto and you get gang banger stuff. Buy them in an upscale area with no low income housing and get better stuff.

146
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: First Auction Today
« on: December 30, 2010, 06:37:46 PM »
I will not take units that are all mattresses.  I saw a unit the had 5 mattresses and an old TV last batch I did. No one would bid $1.  I did get 2 dollar units but some I will not take at any price.  Saw one with 4 sofas and a hot tub in once no one bid on that one. Dump fees eat up any profit quick on big items.

147
Well here in WA it would be considered stealing since the contents belong to the renter until sold at auction. Not to say it does not happen but I suspect it more likely the unit will be posed as in the best stuff will be showing.

148
West / Re: Seattle Auctions AFTER Unreality Television Storage Shows!
« on: December 28, 2010, 01:54:49 PM »
Sounds more or less normal 4 units for $800.  Let us know if you find anything great.

149
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: Whole Bin or By the Piece?
« on: December 27, 2010, 08:50:27 PM »
I much prefer the whole unit much better chance of getting something good and you do not end up with half of something as often.

150
The Treasure Chest / A Pimps ring
« on: December 25, 2010, 11:08:47 PM »
Found this baby in a unit I bought this week. It is marked 18K and the big stone looks to be Aquamarine. It seems to big for a women so I figure a pimp.
The unit appears to have belonged to a hoarder who was homeless. I think all the stuff in it was stuff he found  on the street lots of well worn knives and junk.  I should make money on it but this ring really helps as does the Omega Seamaster in poor shape but running.







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