Auction Hunters is FAKE!!!

Does that mean that the shows are Fake? No. It does mean that if you decide to try your hand at Auction Hunting you might not want to expect that it is going to a big score every time. Remember that on Auction Hunters they say 80% of the units are a bust. That means that only 2 out of 10 units pay off.

So you believe these two guys travel around the country in an old bread truck spending thousands of dollars on units to end up only being profitable on 20% of them and still make a living? Do these guys have houses or wives or kids? Do they live out of that bread truck?

If you started a business/venture in your town and only making a profit 20% of the time, would you take your business model nationwide?

Maybe they should say 80% of units are garden variety used household merchandise that you can sell at the flea market and make a reasonable amount of return on investment if you don't over bid on the unit. If you purchase enough units maybe 10-20% will have something really nice in it that you can resell that will bring a nice smile to your face but will not make you filthy rich overnight. Riding around the country in a bread truck with your best buddy is for entertainment purposes only and should NOT be considered a realistic business model for doing storage auctions.

Lol, That gave me a good laugh this morning Cobia, thank you. 

Remember that on Auction Hunters they say 80% of the units are a bust. That means that only 2 out of 10 units pay off.

That's because everyone overpays for 80% of them. Currently I have not lost on a unit yet for this very reason. I don't bid on the junk and I'm not afraid to walk away if the price gets too high. All to often people get caught up in the auction because they want to win, when in reality overpaying makes you lose.

So you believe these two guys travel around the country in an old bread truck spending thousands of dollars on units to end up only being profitable on 20% of them and still make a living? Do these guys have houses or wives or kids? Do they live out of that bread truck?So you believe these two guys travel around the country in an old bread truck spending thousands of dollars on units to end up only being profitable on 20% of them and still make a living? Do these guys have houses or wives or kids? Do they live out of that bread truck?

Did you even read my entire post? Even if 80% of the units are a bust, it does not mean they are worthless. It just means they lost money on that unit. They could have lost one dollar or $400 dollars. I explained in my post that at one auction they bought 11 units, nine of which they lost money, but the other two made them enough of a profit to pay for all of the units and make thousands in profit. As far as them driving around the country I believe they do that for the show. I also mentioned in my post that I believe they get payed to do the show.  What you seem to be saying is that if they are doing anything different from what they would normally do for the sake of the show that the show is fake. If that is the case then why didn't you just make a post called all TV is fake?

Did you even read my entire post? Even if 80% of the units are a bust, it does not mean they are worthless. It just means they lost money on that unit. They could have lost one dollar or $400 dollars. I explained in my post that at one auction they bought 11 units, nine of which they lost money, but the other two made them enough of a profit to pay for all of the units and make thousands in profit. As far as them driving around the country I believe they do that for the show. I also mentioned in my post that I believe they get payed to do the show.  What you seem to be saying is that if they are doing anything different from what they would normally do for the sake of the show that the show is fake. If that is the case then why didn't you just make a post called all TV is fake?

Yes I read your entire post. I just think people should be skeptical of a couple of guys who say there business model is predicated on losing money 80% of the time but they still make thousands in profit. That my friend is NOT a business or livelyhood, that is the definition of professional gambling.

Only people who are independently wealthy or have significant income from other sources can afford to live of off this method.

In the real world of storage unit buying not only are you tying up your money in the newly but inventory, but you are using up your time as well. There is NO way I could spend $4000 on 8 units,  spend a week processing those units 2 months selling everything from those units and still come out a couple of hundred to a thousand behind, with all the other bills that have to get payed during that two month period, turn around a buy 2 more units for $1000 and just KNOW I am going to make $10,000 in a week on those 2 units.

They are saying thier average is 80% unprofitable, weather that is $1 or $1000, and only 20% profitable, that could be only $1 or $1000. That is an average. What happens if they get a streak of 20 unprofitable units to 1 profitable?

Very few people can take a bad streak like that and stay in the game. I have seen people get knocked out of this business/hobby by buying ONE bad unit. These guys consistently buy 8 bad units for every 10?

But you dont get the soap opera drama on Auction hunters as you do in Storage wars. This is tv thou and people watch tv for what?? Thats right entertainment! Of course all the shows are scripted. Alot of people are acting like they did when thwy found out santa was really. Did anyone not think the shows were scipted?

It's not just that the Auction Hunter guys FIND something valuable in a locker.. it's that they ALWAYS personally know a buyer for whatever valuable item they've found and manage to unload the item for huge profit.  Even more ridiculous,  the buyer makes an offer and then the AH guys haggle the price UP to retail! 

Gimme a break.. it's nothing more than today's standard evolution in dramatic television.  Start with a show that is more-or-less real, like Storage Wars.  Another network copies the formula and attempts to improve on the success of the show by inflating the dollar amounts - like Auction Hunters. 

The next logical step to gain viewership is to add attractive, scantily-clad women - I'll guarantee you that's where we're headed.  Maybe "Storage Strippers..?"   

The next logical step to gain viewership is to add attractive, scantily-clad women - I'll guarantee you that's where we're headed.  Maybe "Storage Strippers..?"   

Now what channel, day and time is that on?  I'll be happy to write reviews. 

As said above, ALL of TV is entertainment. 
Auction Hunters cuts out the tedious stuff and keeps the show moving.

Regarding “they ALWAYS personally know a buyer for whatever valuable item they've found” – not true. 
I was on the show and their producers did the research on shops in the Boston area to find me. 
And regarding a buyer paying retail, remember this, the fact that an item showed up on a TV show adds to it’s ‘provenance’!

And regarding a buyer paying retail, remember this, the fact that an item showed up on a TV show adds to it’s ‘provenance’!

Isn't that a city in Rhode Island ?  

This board must be getting real popular.  Seems we have a influx of (under 10 post) newbies telling everyone else how wrong they are.  Not just about the shows, but 1st time lockers netting 100s or 1000+ bucks, etc. etc.

Very strange, very strange indeed.


Honestly - if you have been doing this long enough you should have a number of buyers or "go-to" people for a number of different things.  It's when they leave to travel all over the US and still can find not just the right person, but a buyer with cash in hand that really drives me nuts.

Of course all the shows are fake.  If not people really wouldn't watch them, and they wouldn't be so popular.

As for the skimply clad female buyers -- lmk what auctions they going to be at.  I'll make sure to bring lots of $1s.

Stoped watching.No longer entertaining.

Honestly - if you have been doing this long enough you should have a number of buyers or "go-to" people for a number of different things.  It's when they leave to travel all over the US and still can find not just the right person, but a buyer with cash in hand that really drives me nuts.

That's what I meant.   Of course I have my collection of friends and "go-to" people locally, but not all over the US. 

And note that every person on this board had fewer than 10 posts at one point in time; has nothing whatsoever to do with my experience with buying lockers. 

Yeah, it's fake. I was working on the crew, helped load the stuff into the rooms for them to act like they were bidding on it. it just supposed to be fun to watch, nobody in their right mind would think it's real. When we went to Dallas, the extra bidders were all extras, we rented a storage place for two days, loaded the stuff into the rooms, and shot the script. The guys "bid" on the rooms, then act amazed when they find the stuff. After we got thru, we took all the stuff we got locally back to the pawn shops, etc where we rented it from. Some of it we rented in L. A. The scripts were written around what we could find beforehand that was interesting, and some of it was written in later when we found it locally. We went into the pawn and antique shops, asked what they had that was really valuable, old or unusual, and rented it from them. we did our shoot, and returned it all. Simple as that. Hell, the "North Texas" shoot (Everything is Bigger in Texas) wasen't even shot in Texas, it was filmed in Lawton Oklahoma. In real life, those storage rooms are full of crap. We had to put some good stuff in there, or it's boring. All the "storage" type reality shows are faked. We have to, or no one would watch it. 

Yeah, it's fake. I was working on the crew, helped load the stuff into the rooms for them to act like they were bidding on it. it just supposed to be fun to watch, nobody in their right mind would think it's real. When we went to Dallas, the extra bidders were all extras, we rented a storage place for two days, loaded the stuff into the rooms, and shot the script. The guys "bid" on the rooms, then act amazed when they find the stuff. After we got thru, we took all the stuff we got locally back to the pawn shops, etc where we rented it from. Some of it we rented in L. A. The scripts were written around what we could find beforehand that was interesting, and some of it was written in later when we found it locally. We went into the pawn and antique shops, asked what they had that was really valuable, old or unusual, and rented it from them. we did our shoot, and returned it all. Simple as that. Hell, the "North Texas" shoot (Everything is Bigger in Texas) wasen't even shot in Texas, it was filmed in Lawton Oklahoma. In real life, those storage rooms are full of crap. We had to put some good stuff in there, or it's boring. All the "storage" type reality shows are faked. We have to, or no one would watch it. 

Yea but the country is full of people in their "wrong" minds! Thats why $50 units are selling for $500 now. Since you are in the TV business, can you get the producers to do shows about flea markets and thrift stores and show how buying typical used household junk for $1, $5, $10, etc. can make you hundreds and thousands of dollars.

I can see it now, you can get Alan & Ton to come to my flea market and buy everything of my tables for $1000 then show all the antiques & collectibles they found for a profit of $3000! I can't wait, we are counting on you to make this happen!