Storage Auctions
The Storage Locker => Stories about Storage Auctions => Topic started by: MovieMan on March 30, 2012, 04:01:05 PM
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Getting a jump start on April, 2012 auction scene. May we all find that "1 in 50" locker that has the gold bars.
(and may the newbies buy the other 49 at prices which will drive them away once they don't make a profit). ;D
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Bought 3 lockers on Friday and allthough that was March it is now April and I am finally getting them sorted. Crowds were moderate prices were high but not through the roof. Not very many lockers up for sale
I bought:
1) About a 6X8 odd size for $190 first auction up for sale. Saw a dryer and some boxes. Was a dud nothing good one small sterling ring lot of junk some clothes and a few books will lose money
2) A 5 X 10 for $275.
3) a 5X10 for $175. Saw some speakers and a few boxes some furniture looked okay. Was a dud empty whiskey bottles and trash. Found a first for me the Cremains of a dog. Firs box I looked in had a half box of .44 mag ammo. Figured I has struck it rich but that was it.
Now for unit number 2. It took them over a half hour to get the lock off as they lost the key. We all waited around. Once off the manager said the locker had been rented to the same person for 30 years. Heavy dirt and cob webs. It did not look exciting a washer and dryer what looked to me like an old cabinet style TV some chairs a few small items showing. Well the thing intrigued me so I went higher then I thought it was worth. First thing I pulled out was a 70s vintage suitcase and it opened putting stuff back in I found a western style belt with a Sterling and 10K gold buckle on it. That got me pumped.
Ended up with 3 custom fishing rods one a Russ Peak (these can top $1000), a Heddon bamboo fly rod, a Browning rod, a Fin-nor deep sea reel, 3 marble top pieces a Buffet a end table and a round table. In a box of Books i found a pass to the 1934 Olympics in perfect condition along with 3 $2 bills one a 1928, a $5 silver certificate from 1934, a 1918 Walking half dollar, 2 Buffalo nickels and a 1927 vintage dictionary that is 6 inches thick and a work of art. Also got some Wedgewood China a bunch of other neat glass including some depression glass. Tonight in the rags I was tossing out I found a nice condition Hudson Bay 4 point blanket. There is a Tres Pano Mexican Guitar and they are worth something not junk. It truelly looked like the stuff was put in in 1982 and not touched since, I have a Panasonic portable AMFM radio with 8 track new in the box and a Clock radio new in the box dated 1977. Oh there was a wall mounted electronics Dart game from the 70s as well. It was a dream locker! Not much trash I hauled a mattress and box spring to the dump and they looked good I just could not imagine sleeping on a mattress that old that had been stored in an unheated locker.
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Great score(s) drbecker! Reminds me of a unit we got that we call 'Joan's Locker'. So many interesting items and I'm still selling unique stuff from it (some 3+ months later). As a matter of fact I shipped out a 1968 Moulin Rouge program yesterday and I'll be shipping some 'vintage' luggage labels tomorrow.
I love units that are anything but boring.....but at this point, I'll settle for boring~I need the inventory! ;)
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Some picts
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/belt001.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/belt002.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/belt004.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/belt005.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/belt006.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/belt008.jpg)
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Nice drbecker, sounds like even with two duds you will do fine.
We will be getting a locker tomorrow have to cut the lock ourselves. ;D
Son left a washer dryer/ and two dressers for the x to pick up, and she did not get it, she also has the only key. So we will pick it up tomorrow. It is just a few miles down the road.
Might also be a dud she may have picked up and left the $50 deposit, but highly unlikely.
Son needs a sofa so may do some trading.
Will try and get in with this facility, never have auctions. Think they work real hard with their tenants, they don't even own bolt cutters. :o Will tread lightly though don't want anything coming back to us.
Letting us in on a unit we do not own, and knowing we don't even have the key, little on the side of not legal. ??? We have gone up and paid the bill so the manager does know us. Will let you know what we find.
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Very nice drbecker. 3 $2 bills one a 1928, a $5 silver certificate from 1934, a 1918 Walking half dollar, 2 Buffalo nickels - really wish I could find a unit with stuff like this in it. So far I've found a few wheat pennies and 1 buffalo nickle. Those prices for my area are actually reasonable. Before the current madness you could figure a 5x5 = 100, 5x10 = 150-175, 10x10 = 150 - 225 depending on how packed, and then on up.
As for ammo - I keep finding a bullet here, another there, a shell casing in yet another. Found what I figured was a police officer unit on day. It had belt, sheriff's office patch, pistol holster, and 3 .40 bullets. Thought ok this is looking like a good sign. Next came the cleaning kit for a pistol (empty) - and then NADA.
We have 2 different auctions on Friday. One at 9:30 that I'm interested in and then a 2 facility caravan starting at 10.
Here is what I'm interested in at the 9:30 (if not paid up...will be just my luck)
D-38: Empire Payphones, Inc. - Sevenpay phones & Parts.
R-58 L. Ware: Two beds, Sofa, Dining Table and chairs, end table, dresser and misc. boxes, pictures.
A069: C Reed: Four tool boxes, TC, Car ramps and misc. boxes.
D024: C Reed: Tool boxes, engine lift, ladders, dollies, and misc. boxes.
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I checked out the maker on the belt and they went out of business in the 60s. This belt is unused.
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Went to empty our free unit. (Son's)
Husband had to work.
Borrowed bolt cutters, drove to the storage place no one in office. So went over could not cut the huge master lock off. Handles on bolt cutters not long enough to get good leverage.
Went and Got my Uncle and two pieces of pipe. Between the two of us we get it open. My uncle needed a washer so got his help for free.
4 dressers, 3 bags of garbage, one mirror, TWO QUEEN SIZE MATTRESS AND ONE BOX SPRING......
2 of the dresser are solid wood one old so not bad.
What was not there the WASHER AND DRYER
Son forgot to mention the the mattress's... I mainly did it to get the washer dryer (fast cash)..
Guess the ex came and picked up the washer dryer and left the garbage.
So might be able to sell the dressers or bargain for a sofa. (son needs one) Oh well I will remind my son of this when he tries to put me in a nursing home.... ;D
And now I owe a favour to my uncle.
So for a free unit and from a retaliative same as any purchased locker.
and sure am glad I don't have to cut locks for a living. ;)
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Not that you'll ever need it but I got a hydraulic kit from Harbor Frieght years ago. Mainly for the press for various autobody projects but it had a cutter. Like a mini jaws of life. Pretty cool. Had to play and cuts thru the most protective locks!
Just a future FYI for ya. ;)
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Not that you'll ever need it but I got a hydraulic kit from Harbor Frieght years ago. Mainly for the press for various autobody projects but it had a cutter. Like a mini jaws of life. Pretty cool. Had to play and cuts thru the most protective locks!
Just a future FYI for ya. ;)
;D ;D ;D Husband uses a cookie cutter, but no power at location so had to go the old fashion way. Almost took the small generator, but it was just a few dressers. ::)
;D
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Well today's auction was pretty good. The 9:30 saw 2 units and only a dozen people. Didn't make the 10 am auction. The 11am auction had 3 units and about 20 people. So the crowd was much lower then last few months. Don't know if that is due to spring break and people traveling or what.
I did get my phone unit I mentioned in post above. Bid $101 on it. Was only 2 other people that I know was interested in it. One said he just put a token bid on it but I jumped my bid from 51 to 101 just in case. Will post some pictures of the unit if people are interested.
Can't make any of the auctions next week. So my next auction will be the 19th I think /sigh.
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Back from my vacation and got a call from a fellow buyer who started the conversation like this:
"Want to hear a REAL storage wars story?"
Seems another buyer got two 10x40s just packed with good tools, etc. First one went for $4K; second one went for $2500.
It gets better. He found a box of pre 1964 silver coins...sold it as a batch to one buyer for $4,300.
It does happen but remember this guy's been buying for over 20 years too....he's bought a lot of lockers and
they weren't ALL this good !
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Well it keeps coming, going through some small I though were junk I took a careful look at this and saw the name! These are worth around $50 to $100. Some were real gold this one is not marked so must be plate. Probably from the 50s.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/Dunhill001.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/Dunhill004.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/Dunhill005.jpg)
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Auction today was 17 units so we were pretty excited. Turns out this company pulls everything out of the unit and sells stuff individually. First unit 3/4 done took 2 hours. We left at that point. Will probably not go to another one of their auctions unless we are really low on inventory and there are no other options available. There is only one more storage auction in our area this month so looks like picking will have to fill the shelves.
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Went to a HUGE auction in a smaller city of 15,000 about 75 miles from where I live. They advertised 40+ units, and I think they auctioned 48 if I remember correctly. It was advertised on AuctionZip so you know what that means! HUGE crowd, largest I have seen, well over 200 people, some folks were estimating 300 people. I did not even attempt to do a count myself. Crowd was so large they had to open 3 to 4 to 5 units up at a time and had the line snaking up and down various rows of units for folks to look. What was really bad is you had to bid on units while you where in line waiting to look at other units.
I managed to win 2 units. a 10 x 15 3/4 full and a 7 x 12 1/2 full for a little over $1200. (when I say 1/2 full & 3/4 full, I am talking total volume, not floor space) Prices were on the high end of making a profit, but still a little bit cheaper then what they have been going for in my city the last four to five months. I didn't see any "jackpot" units and no single unit broke the $1000 mark.
It will take a while to sort and research, so the treasure chest update will be a while. I did find a practically brand new leather Harley Davidson jacket that retails for $400, and I got 11, yes eleven, vacuum cleaners out of ONE unit. I hope it's not 1 working and 10 broken. ;)
What was intersesting was I didn't see a single regular buyer from my city at this auction. I thought that was strange because our city is the closest metro area to this smaller city, I didn't think it was that far a drive.
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Cobia - I've found only 1 or 2 of our regulars will venture away from their main hunting grounds. Either they don't want to waste gas and come home empty or lazy. Not sure which. Even auctions that are only 30 mins away in smaller towns have a complete set of other buyers. Maybe they don't look for those auctions.
Calcoastgal - those small lot auctions can be worth it if can stick out the whole day. I'm like you however and would of taken off unless really was interested in something. I hate those auctions as it takes forever. Good part is you know what your bidding on and less trash.
Keep it up drbecker. Got to love units that keep on given.
For me I have a auction Thursday I may go just to look. Is at 5:30 in evening, is normally crowded, and place is a little "iffy" from talking with other regulars. Friday has 2 auctions I can't make due to work. Saturday is my small 3 facility caravan that I've done very bad at and ok on. Hopefully they will do "live" auctions this time. Lots of people since it's a saturday, and live may drive up the price but we will see.
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This week...April 9 through 13 (Friday the 13th)...six auctions to go to.
Hope to get at LEAST one locker !
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Couple more pictures from the locker that keeps giving> I dropped off the personals this afternoon and the manager said he was just going to throw them out. Turns out the renter killed himself 8 years ago and his girlfriend was paying on it for 8 years. She died in Dec and the payments stopped. He lived in CA the locker was in WA. Looks like he lived here about 2 or 3 years and this was stuff he stored when he moved back to CA. He had never been back. Rent was $66 a month now started lower but I figure he paid about $18K over 30 years.
46 pieces of Wedgewood:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/Wedgewoodchina001.jpg)
Marble table with chairs
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/easter2012011.jpg)
Brand new toaster oven from 30 years ago never used these are actually worth something.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/Wedgewoodchina006.jpg)
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Lol - very nice pictures there drbecker. Think you have enough bikes? If those are not for you and the family it's time to sell those bad boys. Least here in the south it's time to sell them.
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Well it keeps coming, going through some small I though were junk I took a careful look at this and saw the name! These are worth around $50 to $100. Some were real gold this one is not marked so must be plate. Probably from the 50s.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/Dunhill001.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/Dunhill004.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/drbecker/Dunhill005.jpg)
You might want to get this checked out. I don't see it saying swiss made on it anywhere. It might be real it might not.
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Two facility caravan today. Got to the first and saw two 'regulars' pulling out and a note on the door saying "Auction cancelled". Went in and talked to the manager as he is my favorite and I had some homemade strawberry shortcake to deliver to him. He said the other facility was still a go, but for the third straight month all his tenants paid up.
Headed on down to the other facility and there were about 30 folks (2/3 newbies and/or looky-lous) for 3 lockers. First locker a 5X10, 1/8 full with nothing but junk. It was obvious it had been gone through. Went for $75. Second unit a 10X10 2/3 full. I really liked this unit. Nice dining table with 6 chairs, lots of tubs nicely stacked, an NFL stadium seat, tools, golf clubs and kids toys. I was in it up to $500, but it went for $800. Our local whale never even placed a bid on it.....he knew a newbie couple was going to overpay. Final unit was a 5X10 with about 3 feet high of crap on the floor from front to back. There was a nice headboard in/under it, but other than that it looked like oodles of dirty laundry. It went for $100 to a regular. He said he needed the headboard.
Rather disappointing day, but seems to be the norm lately. Small enough crowd, but units were minimal, quality was lacking and prices just a bit too high.
We have some unadvertised auctions on Wednesday and Friday.....so still some hope for this week~
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Just catching up from this past weekend/holiday :)
Went to a facility on Good Friday that is part of a strip mall-type office complex. The only ones there were me, another couple who have a store, and Mr. Whale. (not him again!) :P
Three lockers - bidding went like this:
#1 - 5x5, with absolute crap - Whale opens at $25, couple go $30, Whale $35, couple $40, Whale $50 and wins. (Couple comments to me "Didn't want it, but wasn't going to let him have it for $25!)
#2 - 10x30 - half full with two or three dressers, four stock car slicks, a couple racing jacks, misc. tools, and boxes/bags. Couple opens at $50 - Whale to $100 - and on it went to $850 with the Whale winning. Wow, maybe he's Dale Earnhardt's cousin or something...
#3 - 15x50 - (GIANT locker) - about half-full of big furniture - three full size cloth office couches, a couple conference room medium-sized tables, desks, chairs, etc. - but limited amount of boxes and no file cabinets. Whale starts at $100 - and he never stopped. Couple went up to $1700 - Whale won at $1800.
So Mr. Whale flexed his muscles and won them all, and with tax spent around $3000. Apparently one of those days where he wasn't going to lose a unit. Things are picking up with two more this week and three next week. Hoping for the best - good luck to everyone!
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Went to an auction on Tuesday the 10...five units.
I remember two went in the $100 to $150 range...both 5 x 10s...each with about 5 to 10 items. I would have paid maybe $40 for each.
Crowd wasn't bad .... maybe 20 to 25.
Then a 12 x 20. I would have paid $450 to be safe. It started at $300 and sold at $625. It was stuff down each side and was only 2 feet high at that...couple of bigger things, a large aquarium for one.
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Went to three today. First place nothing to write home about...3 units. Second place 6 units. One nice 10 x 15 showing a lot of small tool boxes (contents ?) 4 bikes (worth $40 apiece at flea), a frig, a washer (or dryer ?) beat up chest of drawers. I waited until bidding started and at $700 bumped it by $25...my one bid. Sold for $925 to one of the 5 "big" bidders there (me included)....all but two of us bailed at the $725 mark.
So, it goes on. Small crowd here though...again only about 20. Third place cancelled.
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Another auction, another locker. Today found me at a place that hardly ever holds an auction. He tries hard to work with people. Someone did pay up so we had 5 units instead of 6. Crowd was ok - around 25 people, mostly regulars with a few newbies. Units were as follows:
1) small closet size - lots of cloths on top, end of golf bag, TONS of dust. I grabbed it at $25
Whale and I was bidding on this both at same time, he told auction guy to give it to me instead. Working with him in past paid off in small way today.
2) 10x10 - tool chest, fishing poles, dresser, 4 small toolboxes on side - $250
3) 5x10 - 2 matress, 4 new dish tv stands in boxes, large fish tank, 2 drawer toolchest in back - $200 (this to a newibe, lady has unit here and had heard about it). No clue how she is going to move that stuff less she has a young grandson or something.
4) 5x5 - looked even worse then my unit. Tried to grab it at $10, went for $20
5) 10x15 or 20?? - this unit was packed. Old style rocking chair, tons of boxes, totes, etc. Looked like what I call a "grandma" unit. It started out at $200 and sold for $550. This will either be a really good unit or bad. I saw many boxes with magazines in them is why I passed on it.
So in general not a bad day. 3 facility caravan on Saturday. Normally is a silent auction but they are going to call it out they keep saying. Crowd is normally in the 50s so we will see how it goes.
*side note - guy did offer me $40 sight unseen for the unit. I passed as I want to dig and even if it is all trash, I'm out just $25.
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Went to two auctions today...each place had 5 units.
First two at place one were trash but still sold in the $50 to $75 range. About 25 people there...20 were newbies I had never seen before...the supply of them is like waves coming in on the beach, but their numbers seem to be dwindling a bit.
Third unit a 10 x 20, pretty full but with more big stuff than I normally like. It was the first viable one at this place and I figured it would go for a bit, so I decided to start it high and see what happened. Auctioneer asked for $100 and I said $500. That shut them up pretty fast, but anymore there's always SOMEONE (OLD or NEW) who will chime in.
This time it was a newbie to responded to the auctioneer's offer of "600 anyone?" Newbie took the bait. Then he asked me for $700 and I came back at $625 and got it. When locking it up a regular came up (he hadn't bid) and said "I owed you one." The spirit of sharing getting paid back.
Next two lockers were good: 10 x 15 showing a lot of smalls...went for $1050. A 10 x15 with a really nice queen mattress showing went for $675.
So, that place was OK.
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Next place, 5 lockers crowd had grown to maybe 50....45 newbies. First few were 5x5 and crap. Went in $75 range.
Third one a 10 x 5....paint sprayer, some cheap tools, not much in there...$375 to newbie. Last two were large, but crap and I didn't even stay for the selling of the last one.
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The one I got will do OK, but unless there's a big surprise in there, it won't go down in the record books for earnings.
I may post a pic of a little cabinet with beveled glass which seems old and might bring a few bucks, but nothing super.
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I went to my first pod auction yesterday. Advertised 8 units 4 were auctioned. There were ~15 people total and maybe 8 groups of bidders.
#1 - $50 looked like big load of trash. 1 particle board dresser, boxes, 1/10 full.
#2 - $650 professionally packed, ~30 boxes, large entertainment center showing, 1/2 full, this is the one I would have wanted. I was really on a info mission although I did have the $ to buy it.
#3 - $725 young white couple with a young son. Corner curio ($50), stained multicolor microfiber couch ($100), lots of boxes, 2/3 full. This was the whole house/apartment probably some good stuff but would be difficult to clear profit.
#4 - $625 train table, BBQ grill, hoses, air hose, misc tools. Looked like it had thoughtfully packed. I quit at $600 - large surface area needed to store before selling and couldn't bring myself to keep going.
I was surprised by this auction. First not many people and prices weren't horrible. If I had cleared more room in the garage, I would have taken one home.
Sam
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Went to two facilities yesterday, same company. Silent bidding (more on this later)
First location advertised 6 units....was down to one at auction time. 20 or so in the crowd... half noobs, half regulars. Cut the lock, threw open the door and there stood one broken beach chair and an old pillow. Pass.
Second location advertised 18 units....still had 14 at auction time. Same kind of crowd, lost a few, picked up a few.
I ended up bidding on 6 of the 14, smaller, inside units, obvious quality or neatly packed mysteries....I have a bit of the gambler in me and neatly stacked & packed closed boxes and totes sometimes get me going. Bid prices ranged from mid $200 range to upper $400 range.
.....now about the silent bidding aspect. Everyone gets a bid sheet with all the units listed and has until the end of the auction to fill them out and hand them in.
THEN....they are sent off to the corporate headquarters in Texas to be tallied up and winners decided. This takes anywhere from 10 to 15 BUSINESS days. This is the only company I have ever dealt with that does their auctions this way.
Has anyone else ever run into this kind of policy? It has many downsides to it but the one upside is, so many folks around here hate it, that the crowds stay relatively small.
It took me a while to get used to not needing to have any cash on me and lugging a fist full of locks around.....and the wait can be torture, especially if you have upcoming actions prior to hearing back from Texas. All in all though I have had some profitable units from this chain and have continued to return.
Thoughts?
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Dang Jbone - I've never heard of that before. My auction Sautrday doesn't do the count until the end of the caravan. Even if they already know who won at the previous places. But at the end of the day you do know who won. I think they do this to keep max # of people at all 3 facilities. One thing I hate about silent auctions is you can easy "win" more units then you have the cash. Here, they give you time to run to the bank if need or will take a CC. I'll pass on putting stuff on my CC for this. Just waiting for the day I win 4 units, blow all my cash, and have to bust my butt to get them all cleaned out.
MM - glad you got a unit. Even if make a small profit as long as your in the green it's all good IMO.
Genie - I'm surprised at the turnout for the pods. Most pods in Atlanta are a zoo. Where I'm at they normally only have 1 and it always cancels. They have advertised for over 6 months now but have yet to do an auction.
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Attended a rare weekend auction this morning....rare for me as weekends tend to draw way to large of a crowd. This is a small privately owned place though and a bit off the beaten path, only had about 10 ~ 12 show up. Two units up for auction.
1) 5 X 10 two mattresses, mediocre furniture some black trash bags. I did not bid, went for $260.
2) 10 X 10 odd unit, 1/4 full, neatly stacked boxes with what looked to be new smalls...toaster, waffle maker, irons, hair dryer....things like that. NIB large wooden storage cabinet. I saw about $200 in value and set my limit at $250, ended up going for $475.....even if everything was still in all the boxes it seemed like it would be hard to break even at that price.
Stopped at a local yard sale on the way home and was lucky enough to find a few boxes of books. I have a bar-code scanner APP on my phone that looks up ISBN numbers through www.bookscouter.com (http://www.bookscouter.com) and was able to find $38 worth of books, about a dozen total, selling for $0.25 a piece....turned $4 and change into a couple of bucks.....so the morning was not a total waste.
Now that the weather has broken I think I may hit a few yard sales every weekend.
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3 facility silent auction this morning. Crowd was down to about normal size for saturday (30-40). Did have a bit of a fuss after the first location. Some of the newbies stood behind the new girl taking the bid sheets. They waited till she looked at the last one to up thier bid and put in their sheet. Many of the regulars noticed this and it was "quickly" fixed. If you crowded around the girl they yanked your sheet out. First unit was a really NICE unit but knew it was out of my price range so didn't worrry about it. Later in day one of the newbies felt the wii box in the front even after being told the rules multiple times. Lady that runs the auction yanked her bid sheet, and then looked inside the box and told all of us the contents (most of regulars were in the back). After that the rest of the day was easy and simple. Four people won the 10 units.
I laughed as one of my buddies called me before the auction saying he just passed me. We had both gone out to hit yard sales before the auction. I spent $25 to buy 45+ CDs and the case. Can sell them for $2 - $3 each at the flea and was running low so took the gamble. Going to pick up some match box cars from budy for $.25 each just to refill my box at the flea. Sell them for $.50 each. Nothing to really make money but it brings in the kids...who bring in the parents who then shop also.
So a decent day but nothing great. Still have unit I bought friday to clean out. Can't wait till Monday to get back in there.
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Nothing to really make money but it brings in the kids...who bring in the parents who then shop also.
Guy at today's swap had a popcorn machine. $0.25/bag
Said he makes $20-30/day but the real value is his sales have gone up.
Same thing. Smell draws kids. Parents follow. And at only $0.25 who's gonna turn down an easy and cheap way to calm the kiddo's!
Machine is placed in very back so they have to walk thru all his inventory.
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I had no auctions this week in my area so I decided to take the time and go to an antique fair at the local fairgrounds. Just an FYI for all of those out there I will never avoid or throw away a mattress again. Bed springs were selling for $6.00 each... Yes I said beds springs. The older and rustier the better. Individual springs were 6 and a 2'X2' sections were going for $25.00. Almost everyone there was carrying them around. Not sure what you would do with them but one lady I talked to was going to put her 2X2 on her mantel. ???
I have 2, not advertised, sales this week. Hoping for a low turnout. So tired of the crowds paying way to much for everything and the store is getting empty.
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Bed springs were selling for $6.00 each... Yes I said beds springs. The older and rustier the better. Individual springs were 6 and a 2'X2' sections were going for $25.00. Almost everyone there was carrying them around. Not sure what you would do with them ....
Some time ago (maybe a year) one of the auction buyers in my area was selling single springs (RUSTED) on eBay.
Forgot what she got for them, but I'll say $10...seems about right. I seem to remember a pic of one of these with a Christmas decoration fastened to the top.
This "craze" probably got started in some craft type article and took off. Who know if it is still going, or in what areas. I would think that if you got a mattress in a locker you could certainly strip off the fabric maybe do some cutting and would end up with the same things, but who knows if they would go or not. I'll look them up on eBay and modify this thread later with results.
Edit: couldn't find anything on eBay or any articles using Google.
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Bed springs who knew. ::)
Found this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-HARD-TO-FIND-RUSTY-BED-SPRINGS-PLUS-FREE-PRIMITIVE-NODDER-PATTERN-/380429247940?pt=Folk_Art&hash=item589359a5c4
Have a twin mattress laying around will see what I can come with the true question will be will it sell.
will keep you posted.
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Ok - well that is news to me on the bed springs. Read the ebay link money posted. He allowed them to sit and rust for months naturally. WTH - if those things actually sold I'd have to re-look at all those box springs. As is I give them to a lady that burns the matress and takes springs in to scrap.
Auction today that I'll not get to attend due to meetings. Still have my friday locker to clean out also with a 30% and then 50% chance of rain. Really wish they would of given us gate codes. Could of had it cleaned out Saturday.
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Went to two facilities yesterday, same company. Silent bidding (more on this later)
First location advertised 6 units....was down to one at auction time. 20 or so in the crowd... half noobs, half regulars. Cut the lock, threw open the door and there stood one broken beach chair and an old pillow. Pass.
Second location advertised 18 units....still had 14 at auction time. Same kind of crowd, lost a few, picked up a few.
I ended up bidding on 6 of the 14, smaller, inside units, obvious quality or neatly packed mysteries....I have a bit of the gambler in me and neatly stacked & packed closed boxes and totes sometimes get me going. Bid prices ranged from mid $200 range to upper $400 range.
.....now about the silent bidding aspect. Everyone gets a bid sheet with all the units listed and has until the end of the auction to fill them out and hand them in.
THEN....they are sent off to the corporate headquarters in Texas to be tallied up and winners decided. This takes anywhere from 10 to 15 BUSINESS days. This is the only company I have ever dealt with that does their auctions this way.
Has anyone else ever run into this kind of policy? It has many downsides to it but the one upside is, so many folks around here hate it, that the crowds stay relatively small.
It took me a while to get used to not needing to have any cash on me and lugging a fist full of locks around.....and the wait can be torture, especially if you have upcoming actions prior to hearing back from Texas. All in all though I have had some profitable units from this chain and have continued to return.
Thoughts?
Sounds strange, but if all the hassle keeps the competition at bay and you can win some nice units, i'm all for it!
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Sounds strange, but if all the hassle keeps the competition at bay and you can win some nice units, i'm all for it!
Kinda related... I overpaid on a unit I got in February so I had to nickel & dime it the best I could. This unit (like many) had several mattress & boxspring sets in it. Normally, if they are not new in plastic or practically new, I don't attempt to sale them, they just go to the dump. Since I was really hurting to recoup my initial investment in the unit I decided to try to sell them even though they were obviously used, but not in terribly nasty shape. Funny thing is I did end up selling one of the queen size mattresses to a guy for $40. When he showed up to look at it I pointed out all the imperfections so he knew he wasn't getting a new mattress. His reply: "I don't care about that, it's for my dog, and your price is cheaper then a new dog bed."
Never occured to me to market used mattresses as "cheap dog beds!"
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Funny thing is I did end up selling one of the queen size mattresses to a guy for $40. When he showed up to look at it I pointed out all the imperfections so he knew he wasn't getting a new mattress. His reply: "I don't care about that, it's for my dog, and your price is cheaper then a new dog bed."
My first thought is 'how big is your dog?!?!'
veering back to the auction scene~
Attempted two different, little known, auctions over Fri/Sat. Both were cancelled with no way of knowing. Tried calling numerous phone #'s etc, to no avail the day(s) before and again on the way to said auctions.. Lots of crabby 'regulars' over the weekend here. Lucky for us they were both within 25 miles, but still.....hate the wasted gas and time.
Can't find any auctions in our neck o' the desert this week, so time for organizing and listing~
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Have a twin mattress laying around will see what I can come with the true question will be will it sell.
will keep you posted.
And here's the completed return on "nodder rusty spring".
http://www.ebay.com/csc/i.html?rt=nc&LH_Complete=1&_nkw=spring%20nodder%20rusty&_dmpt=Folk_Art&_fln=1&_trksid=p3286.c0.m283
Think I'll pass on this idea as it seems like a lot of work getting them ready for what MIGHT amount to a return of $1 on a single spring. The completeds have SOME sales, but nothing outstanding.
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Went to an auction this past Saturday - six lockers - local auctioneer owns the facility and also a nearby auction house. It's also one of the only places in my area where they do the old-fashioned "hard core" auctioneering - with the main guy, and his partner, who yells out "YEP" everytime someone places a bid and verbally prods the crowd for bids.
Unit #1: 10x30 - Full size circus tent - went for $130
Unit #2: 10x10 - 1/3 full of boxes, most were re-sealed and contained furniture/desks/hutch = $750
Unit #3: 5x10 - had four couches = $110
Unit #4: 10x20 - Popcorn machine, razor scooter, 2 leather chairs, old cabinet radio = $475
Unit #5: workout equip, military bags, headboard, suitcases, etc. = $950
Unit #6: Kids (plastic) motorized motorcyle, one unassembled kids cycle in box, GUN (could only see the stock, may have been a BB Gun), few more boxes, lamps, etc. Bidding went crazy = $975
Guys run a pretty good auction, but they also attract a pretty big crowd - about 40-50 with about 30 different people bidding! Prices were a little higher than they've been. Image one is the $475 leather chair unit and image #2 is the box unit. Didn't get good shots of the others - since the "tag team" auctioneer brothers stood directly in front of the locker.
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Auction this morning started out as 5 lockers. There were only 2 at sale time. The crowd was very small for my area. Only 10 bidder numbers.
First unit had a couple of small pieces of furniture showing, a mattress and box springs, two surf boards and alot of boxes and bags. Unit went for $800.00. I guess from what I over heard the surf boards were old and possibly worth alot.
Second unit had a nice large hutch showing as well as an antique built in type glass door shelving unit, fridge with no doors showing, some kind of couch or chair upholstered, a coffee table and lots of boxes and bags. I won this unit for $400.00.
Ended up finding the doors (side by side with water in the door) for the fridge, two sets for washer and dryers, Pretty nice 60's era dresser, the upholstered item is a chaise lounge, several pieces of 10k gold jewerly (not big but worth some), $10.00 face value of silver half dollars. All in all not a bad unit for the money. I will try to get photos posted tomorrow. I forgot to bring my camera home from the office.
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Nice calcoastgal - those 1/2s could be worth more then spot value depending on what they are. I'm always looking for coins and stuff like that with no luck.
Today is my 7 facility caravan I always take off to do. Wish I had not burned a vacation day. First place had 2 units and 1 at the 2nd facility. Third facility had a unit for the first time in 4 months. I drive up and see the News 6 van in the parking lot and just groaned. We already had a larger crowd again with a bunch of noobs. The camera man films the opening of the 1 unit a 10x25 and I almost bust out laughing. Unit has a bunch of crap lumber in it (plywood, 2x6s, etc), a very used shop vac, broken work lights in back, a decent ladder, a few gutter type metal and a counter or something. All of it looked to of been ripped out of a house. Most of us just walked away. I heard a $30 bid so it may of gotten $50. If the lumber had been decent looking I'd of bid and it would of been worth the time and effort. As it is that was a bust locker. I just hope the segment proves this isn't storage wars and maybe it "reduces" the crowd.
All of the other locations paid up except for 1. Have 1 more unit to bid on at 1:15 so I came home to waste time. Maybe it will draw the crowd down with 2 hours between auctions.
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Well I've found luck but not by winning a unit. Have a friend who is moving to Chicago and wants me to consign here lockers. They are 2 10x30's. She's giving me 30% of the sale total and she's on the hook for any garbage fees. Good news is I stand to bank alot of cash bad news is the I actually must go though all her crap.
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Went to 2 of 3 auctions today; all three had about 35 attendees with bout 5 to 8 regulars, some recent newbies and the balance completely new including a one-legged man in a wheel chair.
Price pretty good, though a couple went higher that I thought was comfortable and all the ones I was interested in went for $400 to $1000 more than I would have paid...but then, I'm interested in making a profit whereas some of these folks are not (apparently).
Bottom line, I didn't get one, and where I used to (1 year 4 months ago) buy 4 to 6 a month, I now buy 1 to 2 a month and sometimes 1 in six weeks. Oh well; picking is going well though.
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Nice auction today......about 15 people show up. One new guy bought 8 lockers....all crap in my opinion, but maybe he'll get lucky on one or two. Funniest part was two women that nobody had ever seen before. They walked out about half way through the auction complaining that this was "nothing like the tv shows"....LMAO!
I'm with MovieMan.....picking is going pretty good....auctions are rough right now!
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Attending two auctions today, both usually have fairly decent units. Will let everyone know how it turns out.
Called the facility that held the silent auction last Thursday to find out if any of the six units I had bid on were paid up by the tenants.....to my surprise none had been. I was expecting at least two or three to be paid up and unavailable....
As I could possibly be on the hook for all six (unlikely, but possible) I probably won't be as aggressive as usual today. Any unit that gets my bid will need to be exceptional.
Could be a very busy week coming up if all the stars align correctly!
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Ya Movieman - I've found it sort of sad that I have purchased as many lockers this year as you. Even last year you were buying 2-3x more units then I.
The last unit Thursday of the caravan sucked for me. Was a ok furniture unit but I didn't even really look into it. The news crew was at this location also since the first locker was a complete bust. I just got in my car and headed out. Most of the regulars were a little upset with the TV coverage. Going to hate to see how the auctions next month are. Just as the crowds started to go down.
BTW - over 25 people waited around the 2.5 hrs between auctions for that 1 unit. I went home and then hit that auctions as I was leaving town.
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1st facility on Friday:
2 units, down from 6, 35 ~ 40 in attendance.
1st unit: Older model lawn tractor, MTD 42" flat tire, looked well used, large tool box, misc garden tools. Went for $900.
2nd unit: The only thing in this unit (12' X 20') was an outdoor patio chair.....actually two chairs with a table in the center with a hole for an umbrella ( all one piece) Looked to be black brushed aluminum. Went for $125.
These both seemed WAY overpriced and were bought by new folks.
2nd facility on Friday:
4 units, down from 8, 20 ~25 in attendance.
All 4 very similar "household" units...small furniture, cloths, boxes and totes and all went for between $600 & $900.
Went to 2 yard sales today with my trusty bookscouter APP and picked up 24 books for $6, they are already packed and ready to be shipped for a grand total sellback of $72.35.....I love this thing!
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Went to an auction this past Thursday. About 20-25 people in attendance which is low for this area (South-Central PA). 9 Units were up for grabs. Our storage space is currently pretty full so we were looking very specifically for a small furniture unit.
First unit had a pleather sectional and a stereo surround system. We have had luck with sales and quick turnaround on sofas so far so I was interested. Unit ended up selling for $300 which was above the $250 limit I had set.
The next 4-5 units all went for less than $100 and didn't have very high quality. I snagged one of them containing 4 pieces of furniture and not too much else. A black accent table, glass display case, entertainment center and a mini bar were the items of furniture. It was perfect for what we were looking for and very cheap. We figure to be able to get $40-80 for each piece of furniture.
The remaining units all had some furniture and other odds and ends and went between $100-200 (all reasonable prices). I liked the location and the crowd a lot. There was definitely room for profit in all the units today. We plan to return to this site each month and hopefully have additional space in the future.
btw. I jumped back between using I and we in this post. We is because it is 3 of us working together and I because I was the only one in attendance at the auction today. I'm glad to be posting and hope to remain active on this board going forward.
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Two different auctions. Don took the single facility and I hit the caravan. Crowds were minimal in the beginning at both. Don got the first locker of the day. 10X20 full of appliances, furniture and some sporting goods showing. Paid $725. Of course I'm suffering from some sort of elbow pain (see tendonitis......I think) so here we go......
The caravan started at one facility with 3 units. First was just some canopy type stuff. Supports and tarps and the like. Went for $75. Next was a 5X10 relatively full with an old chair and mattresses blocking most of the doorway. there was a tool box sitting on a table that was visible, but not much else. went for $350. I was in it up to $225. Third unit was a 10X20 half full of tools. Welder, evaporative cooler, tool boxes. It opened at $500 and ended at $1900.
Went to the next facility and our crowd more than doubled as the other auction had ended and they all flocked over. While there Don called to say 'you're gonna kill me......there's a pool table in here.' UGH......we'll either have to hire some young stud to help load or rent a box truck with a ramp.
All the units at the second facility were pretty much garbage and went too high.
I'm at home now as I didn't want to waste the fuel to carry on with the caravan, but may end up at the one facility that I love! Will have to see when Don rolls in and how much we have to unload. Add in the fact that by the end of the last facility the crowd had soared to over 80? Just don't know if I feel like dealing with the masses~
Can't tell ya much on his unit as right now it's all being fed over the phone. I know there's a side by side fridge (black....don't know make or condition yet), an upright freezer, a gas range (that will replace my piece of crap one), a pool table (with cues. Asked if he had the balls....he laughed), paintball guns, a few NFL jerseys (of course one is a Jay Cutler (waahhhh) from when he was in Denver....tough sell), dining table with 6 chairs, washer & dryer (older), leather chair.............and that is all I can remember off the top o' my head.
Will post an update when I have time/more info~
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Where the update Rockin???? Want to know what all goodies you got. Or maybe I need to check the other sections for post.
Going to miss the 2 auctions we have today due to work. May be able to hit one of the two thursday but not sure. Waiting to hear from some friends on how the crowds and units looked.
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Went to a single auction yesterday which had about 40 buyers....most of them newbies (and I mean NEW). The 5 or so who were regulars got a few but most went to the new people.
Prices somewhat reasonable but most lockers were crappy. Maybe 5 of the 15 lkrs sold went for $400 to $650 with some room for making money. I didn't get one...wanted them cheaper.
Going to some auctions today...Wednesday, April 25, 2012.
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Where the update Rockin???? Want to know what all goodies you got. Or maybe I need to check the other sections for post.
Sorry craiglst~was busy sorting last night and hooking up a new computer (not out of a unit.....early relative) this morning. I hate setting up and getting used to a new computer. And the keyboard seems sooooo tiny. Plan on numerous type-os~
We never went back to the unit yesterday. I promise an update sometime in the near future. This morning we're getting a Uhaul and bringing home the rest of the unit (still 3/4 full).
Will let ya know. 7 Denver Bronco's jerseys~all past players, but in excellent cond. I see a 'lot' sale on ebay. Broncos hats & gloves. The Larry Fitzgerald jersey is a Super Bowl one. I may keep it seeing as my Vikes are threatening to leave.
Lots of video game items. So far the only 'system' we've found is an Atari 5200 with about 10 games & 2 controllers (should be $50 on ebay IF it works).
Not a lot of personal items thus far. A large sterling chain and a small one. Hoping for more of that kind of stuff, but not likely from the looks of things.
Will try to update tonight~
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Went to one auction today (4/25/2012) and more than one person was commenting that “…just when you think things are going back to normal…you see this”.
OR as my dear old granny used to say:
“Take me out and bury me decent”. The implication was that now she had seen everything and was ready to die.
Today I saw the worst of those two ideas above come true. This is a long post.
Five lockers; crowd of about 40…maybe 8 regulars..rest mixed newbies and NEW newbies.
First locker (the lkr owner was there and was going to get to bid). The manager with whom I am VERY friendly said he owed about $600 and had offered the manager over the phone $50 and then had upped it to $250. No go says the manager. This guy had treated the manager’s wife and staff very badly.
So, the guy told the manager “I’ll be there to bid on it and I’m sure I’ll get it for $50 or so." He drove 90 miles one way to do so.
So, the lkr goes for $650. That was fine for “revenge” on the manger’s part, but it set the mood for the day. That lkr (a 5 x 10) had one mattress set, one Dish receiver, maybe 5 boxes and a couple of other small pieces of furniture and a dresser…for $650? Holy cow!
AND the buyer was an experienced auction goer and flea seller !
Next one is a 10 x 10 packed all the way around. This one went for $900. I would have liked it at about $400 or $500…nothing really showing. Lots of boxes and a chest on it’s side with a drawer missing.
(CONTINUED IN NEXT POST)
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Next a 5 x 10 that was white garbage bags and a couple of night stands showing…a tapered pile from 3 feet in to about 5 feet high at back….NOT MUCH THERE…went for $450 to a newbie.
Next a 10 x 10 and this is the CRÈME OF THE CROP. I would have gladly paid about $600 or so even though it looked like this. On left and right only about 2 feet high from 3 feet in to the stack at the back which went to 7 feet and was left to right full. A U-shape but a shallow one.
A bright shiny upright Pachinko type machine and a race car style children’s plastic sit-in car were sitting atop two metal pickup truck tool boxes (contents unknown). In left rear corner some totes topped off with three nice musical instrument cases (trumpet to sax size).
SO, not much in there, but I would have gone $600 or so. Went for….wait for it….$1,800 to a regular buyer. Un-freakin-believable. All the regulars were aghast and several newbies fainted !
Next a 5 x 10 with one cheap wood shelf, 5 feet tall, two framed pics, some other small furn (2 pieces) and maybe two totes….$450.
GET OUT OF TOWN !
Finally a 10 x 10 MOUND of stuff that looked thrown in….you guessed it…$650. I would have risked $150 just for the fun of going through it.
Now you can see why granny was right….”TAKE ME OUT AND BURY ME DECENT !”
EDIT AND ADDITION:
6 HOURS after auction ended I went back over (1 mile from home) and found out there was a dispute over who had bid the $650 winning bid on the 10 x 10 MOUND. They started again at that price and it finally sold for $875.
My granny is turning over in her grave.
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Ouch Movieman - that just makes me cringe thinking about it. My 5x10 filled in a ramp fashion with tons of dirt/dust I snagged for $25. I couldn't see paying $450 or even $150 for it. I have seen some of what you described on/off in this part. So don't know if some of the excitement has died down, people ran out of money, or what. I'm going to try and hit one of the two auctions Thursday. Will let you know how it looks.
Rockin - very nice unit it sounds like. I sold my Atari games for $20+ in two different lots. Looking for more as there seems to be a decent market out there for them. I think you hit one of your upper limit lockers in this unit. Gratz.
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Daughter and I had a garage sale earlier this month. leftovers from my huge unit in Nov. Tons of clothes from that 1. ran to another unit and grabbed that, added to garage sale that day.
Found a new Flea site advertising Free set up until further notice... Now do we set up there or Hit the 2 diff auctions.
1st auction in a very small town 29 units 8 AM owner wants $500 clean up fee and be out by 7PM. the 500 and 7pm seems unreasonable to me in such a small town but it is what it is.
2nd auction is 10 am in my town AND not far from the new Flea. 4 units. private owner does the auction himself. no added fees no rush rush to get it clean.
Decisions decisions. :-\
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Next a 5 x 10 that was white garbage bags and a couple of night stands showing…a tapered pile from 3 feet in to about 5 feet high at back….NOT MUCH THERE…went for $450 to a newbie.
Next a 10 x 10 and this is the CRÈME OF THE CROP. I would have gladly paid about $600 or so even though it looked like this. On left and right only about 2 feet high from 3 feet in to the stack at the back which went to 7 feet and was left to right full. A U-shape but a shallow one.
A bright shiny upright Pachinko type machine and a race car style children’s plastic sit-in car were sitting atop two metal pickup truck tool boxes (contents unknown). In left rear corner some totes topped off with three nice musical instrument cases (trumpet to sax size).
SO, not much in there, but I would have gone $600 or so. Went for….wait for it….$1,800 to a regular buyer. Un-freakin-believable. All the regulars were aghast and several newbies fainted !
Next a 5 x 10 with one cheap wood shelf, 5 feet tall, two framed pics, some other small furn (2 pieces) and maybe two totes….$450.
GET OUT OF TOWN !
Finally a 10 x 10 MOUND of stuff that looked thrown in….you guessed it…$650. I would have risked $150 just for the fun of going through it.
Now you can see why granny was right….”TAKE ME OUT AND BURY ME DECENT !”
EDIT AND ADDITION:
6 HOURS after auction ended I went back over (1 mile from home) and found out there was a dispute over who had bid the $650 winning bid on the 10 x 10 MOUND. They started again at that price and it finally sold for $875.
My granny is turning over in her grave.
Movieman,
We are starting to see a small but noticable down tick in newbies coming to the auctions. Most of the December to February crowd is gone. Now the new newbies aren't any better at valueing units as the old newbies, so the $25-$100 units are still going for $200-$400, but I have seen a noticable decrease in units going in the $500-$1000 range. One thing I have noticed is the old regulars are starting to jump on any unit that looks really good. I am beginning to get the sense that if this is a permenent trend downward in newbies getting into the business, then all the old regulars are going to keep the prices releatively high on better units for a few months as they restock and try to rebuild their business model from whatever loses they suffered during the "Storage Wars fad". I have also moticed that the new crop of newbies for the most part do not bring flashlights with them. I remember 1-1/2 years ago EVERY newbie had a big A$$ spot light flashlight. I wonder if the information, tricks of the trade, whatever you want to call it is being lost on the new people looking to try storage auctions out.
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Well I didn't get to the auctions today. I was 10 mins from heading out the door for lunch when was "invited" to a meeting. I just wanted to scream, in the middle of lunch also.
We keep recycling most of our newbies I think Cobia. One of the regular newbies from Oct that I had thought quit came back for 1 auction previous saturday. Not seen him since again so think he is mostly done. Saw a bunch of new faces last week that I didn't know. Some of the old regulars knew them so they may be new, returned regulars, or something.
As for the regulars jumping on any decent units - for a few weeks here all the old regulars were fighing each other for units. I think between tax season sales, low # of units, etc. the inventory for many of them has gotten low.
Thank goodness the yard sales are back.
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Went to two auctions today. At first one there were 5 lkrs. I got one (10 x 15) for $825. Would have had it at $525 but a damn newbie jumped in and took a while to take him out.
A good locker. Saw a Harley Davidson lamp that was a clue as well as a Harley Helmet. Turned out a lot of Harley memorabilia in there including a lot of Harley Franklin Mint knives...$25 each adds up. Lot of other knives too including a couple of Kabars (non-military).
First tally looks like it will bring in about $1800 so a grand or so profit will work for me. More big stuff than I like, but they all seem to have some of that !
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Other fellow got a 10 x 20 for $1700. Showing 3 nice saddles, riding lawn mower, etc. He'll do well.
Third fellow got 2. One 10 x10 for $175 (a bargain) and a 10 x 20 about half full for $575...also a bargain.
*****
Next place had 5 lkrs. Three of them were same owner and the same buyer got all three at $900, $2700 and $900. It was a full household and he should do well, but a LOT of big furn and a nice looking 8 foot square spa sitting on its side.
*****
Cobia...your assesment above seems right to me. Hoping it is.
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Busy weekend ahead. Tomorrow morning we have a yardsale and there is also a 28 unit - 3 location auction tomorrow morning in a nearby town(20 minutes). It would be a shame to miss the auctions, but we attended auctions at this site before and never had any luck and weren't impressed with the quality/prices. We hope to get rid of a lot of items at the yardsale so it would be nice to reload inventory at the same time as we are getting rid of it. Maybe we find a way to do both.
What would you guys recommend?
There aren't many auctions the next 2 weeks, so it would be good to stock some inventory for that time period.
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If you have someone that can keep selling for ya PureVendue I would do that and hit the auction. Specially if your looking at a 2 week dry spell. That gives you 2 more weekends to sell stuff. One thing I hate is running out of inventory or low and not getting anything new. I have people that look for me now at the flea since they know if I'm out there I'll have a mix of old stuff they have seen and new stuff they have not seen.
Movieman - I'm glad you got a unit. Sounds like a really good one to me. Harley stuff sells like mad around my parts. The knives for me would be hit or miss. Have a dozen people that sell them at the flea.
Decided to take a long lunch and went over to my buddies store earlier. Wanted to see how they did yesterday since I didn't get to go. Crowds at both auctions was around 30. Only 3 "nice" units all day and they went for high prices. A few single item / trash style units sold for $10 each.
Will have to wait till next month to buy again for me it looks like.
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Wow~first time I've had some 'free' time since Don bought that huge locker. Update~run-down (I resemble that remark)~
We ended up renting a box truck as I didn't want to move two refrigerators in our small truck/trailer combo. Put the locker cost at just over $800.
Did about $300 at the flea (from just that unit with an additional $100 or so from other inventory) and sold the nicer fridge for $350 yesterday, so well on the way to being in the black with tons of inventory left.
We haven't even begun to work on the furniture yet as we've been sorting, cleaning and chuckin' other inventory. There is a hutch with matching dining set, but it's older and a bit rough. May sell it to one of our fellow auction buyers. A nice leather chair and some misc pieces.
We still have two fridges (one a dorm size) to 'prep'. Two gas dryers. The gas range which we will keep (and repay the auction $$). It's a very nice stainless steel & black one and mine is a piece o' pooh.
Lots of NFL (mostly Broncos) jerseys, hats and the like. Listed the jerseys on ebay and took advantage of their fixed price promo. I've got to bust my butt today listing numerous items on both ebay & craigslist.
There are oodles of cabling equipment. new in package universal remotes, wire connectors, cable ends (some good $$ there according to ebays completed listings). I've gone through two boxes and have another 4 to go through. We've got lots of scrap wire too. Oh~we've got a 500 ft roll of broadband cable. Can't find the exact match as far as figuring value~but know it's got to be worth a buck or two.
All in all a profitable unit (at least $600, but maybe double or more, depending on cabling items) but exhausting. I'm no spring chicken and Don's older than me! Our last two lockers were big, heavy guys lockers.
Goal for next unit~nice small ladies unit! ;)
Don will be hitting PS today while I list and organize. I'll take day one of Cubesmart tomorrow with Don finishing them up on Wednesday. Busy, busy week ahead!
Oh cripes~forgot the pool table. 3 piece slate Olhausen Champion Pro Series. Not terribly fancy, but a nice table. Of course selling that in this economy is gonna be as a big a pain as moving it was~
Complete with two racks, balls, cues, chalk, brushes and the like.
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Thanks for the reply craiglstauction! We ended up not attending that auction, so I can't pass along the crowd, prices, or any info on units won. We had a decent day with the yardsale. The biggest positive was our ability to better organize all our inventory and even trash/goodwill some of what we have been holding onto for a little while now.
One item we found in a unit and have been holding onto for a while is an autographed Sergei Fedorov jersey. The jersey has its original tags still on it also. Part of the reason we held onto it was to get it authenticated (which returned as being authentic) but also because we haven't found a serious buyer yet.
Anybody know anything about this market? What should this sell for? Where would you look for a buyer? Anyone interested in the autographed jersey? Being from PA there aren't many people interested in a Detriot Redwings jersey.
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Thanks for the reply craiglstauction! We ended up not attending that auction, so I can't pass along the crowd, prices, or any info on units won. We had a decent day with the yardsale. The biggest positive was our ability to better organize all our inventory and even trash/goodwill some of what we have been holding onto for a little while now.
One item we found in a unit and have been holding onto for a while is an autographed Sergei Fedorov jersey. The jersey has its original tags still on it also. Part of the reason we held onto it was to get it authenticated (which returned as being authentic) but also because we haven't found a serious buyer yet.
Anybody know anything about this market? What should this sell for? Where would you look for a buyer? Anyone interested in the autographed jersey? Being from PA there aren't many people interested in a Detriot Redwings jersey.
A few questions, as we've only found a few things to have 'authenticated'.
What did they charge you to authenticate it?
Did they provide a COA?
Just did a quick search (on ebay) for your jersey and the ones there sold anywhere from $79 to $167. I didn't check particulars, but simply scanned the completed listings.
Good luck to you~
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It was $30 to be authenticated and yes they sent us COA in return. Without the authentication the item isn't worth much, but its value increases with that little slip of paper!
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Sounds like a great locker Rockin. I think the "man" units always sell quicker and for more money than the lady lockers but I'm with you...my back is not what it once was. Luckily daughter's boyfriend likes to help and he works for lunch! ;)
Good luck with pool table.
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Three auctions over the weeked......
#1 on Friday - Paid up and CANCELLED!!
#2 on Saturday morn - Paid up and CANCELLED!!
#3 on Saturday afternoon - down to two at auction time - while we were all standing around waiting to start BOTH tenants drove in about 10 minutes apart and paid up!
Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are! What a brutal way to end the month...... :P :P :P
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A few questions, as we've only found a few things to have 'authenticated'.
What did they charge you to authenticate it?
Did they provide a COA?
Keep a sharp eye on eBay - anything with a COA or anything GRADED from a nationally-known company will normally sell for substantionally more - even the "common" cards. Depending on who it is, you might want to send certain memorabilia out to have this done. It could surprise you how it will raise the value - and avoid "fakes". Good Luck!