Auction Scene #7...July, 2012

Here we go again !

With a few of the regular contributors here commenting in June that the crowds at least were down, there is hope for the month of July.

Prices can still be high (at least on the BETTER units) but maybe the days of "newbies" buying up stock at ridiculous prices are coming to an end.  

My wife is going to head back out and check them around our area. We stopped going for a couple months because we were doing so much better picking and clearing out houses, but the thrill of the hunt is a hard habit to kick so if the crowds are down then we will be happy to rejoin the fray.

Bring on July!  High temps have been between 100-110, we haven't had rain for three weeks, there are burn bans and lawn water bans, AND some good auctions coming up.  Hope the trend of smaller crowds and lower prices continue.  Now if the quality of the merchandise would just improve. 

Good luck to everyone this month, and be sure to take along your sunblock!!

Did Cubesmart Tues with minimal crowds (and prices) but lockers were mostly trash.
Cubesmart day two was today, but we decided to hit a more 'popular' auctioneer as he is here every other month.  Last time out with him I landed my second pool table unit and the art unit.

Crowd was about 30 which is not terrible.  6 lockers.  Saw very few I even bothered to bid on.  Prices stayed low.  One unit that was a money maker was a 10X20 about 3/4 full and 3/4 of that was toys!  We're talkin' tons of toys.  It went for $200 and I know they'll make money.....we are just overrun with toys right now so we took a pass~

Decided to pass on the next facility due to distance.  Was told we missed some good ones, but we're always told that so......

Next facility had a couple lockers and nothing we were interested in.
Then on to a facility that had 14 lockers.  Saw a locker go for $25 that was full and a decent leather chair showing.  Didn't bid as I love the couple that won it.  A few more units then we got to one that 'intrigued' me.  a 5X5 with a few suitcases, a couple boxes and one Air Jordan white high top showing.  Told Don I was going on this one and set the cap at $100.

Bidding started and I bid once or twice and we were suddenly at my max.  My nemesis got the $100 bid and another lady bid $110.  I figured what the heck.....we can lose that in no time at the casino, so went to $120.  I got it and Don was shaking his head.............well............
Turns out it was a rapper type gangsta wannabe couple.  At last count:
12 pairs nice tennis shoes, with 80% being Air Jordans, two pair Lebron James
Several (over 20) pairs of jeans like Affliction, True Religion and the like
Numerous Oakland A's hats
A gucci hat we found online that retails for $265~was a used one that sold on ebay for like $80 and it was in about the same shape as ours so....
Coach tennies
Lots of dvd's (yes....they were actually in their cases....shock...), but unfortunately most are of a rap/hip-hop variety
Did find one small 10k chain with a heart pendant, but kinda questioning the purity of the pendant.  Test came back positive, but fearing a plating~

All in all this was a great unit that I'm thinking will make us some nice change.  Not too shabby and the best part was it was the easiest clean out we've ever had.  Loaded in 15 minutes!

The last week of June found Don buying 4 units and if I ever have 'free' time I'll update ya on those.  Nothing grand, but prices and crowds remain down.  Don't know if that is the trend or the temps~

Oh and for those that saw and remember the picture of our yard a couple months ago.....imagine that yard with 4 lockers worth of inventory and sheet flooding................ugh~

Still all is pretty good here in Southern AZ~

Nice job rockin - gotta love it when a plan comes together!!   

Good lkr rockin' !

Funny how the sight of one little thing CAN lead to good things overall.

I once got a little 5 x 5 only stacked about 3 feet high in a U-Shape...paid $110 for it and was
getting the biz from other buyers, but it came out well.  Didn't have as many pair of shoes as you got, but the ones
it did have did well as did the other stuff. Quality will sell.

Vacation the last part of June and first part of July. Came home to find an auction online. First online unit I have purchased but hope the locker is as good as it looked. Washer and dryer, stove, refridge, dresser, headboard, water cooler, lots of boxes $155.00. Should be able to make a nice profit if all of the appliances work.

Tomorrow morning brings 12 units. One of my favorite facilities and the best auctioneer. Will post how it went later.

Went to 2 of 3 auctions today...same auctioneer.  Crowd decent...maybe 25. Lockers not so good. I've gotten pickier about what I buy  though....most expensive ones were $300 or so. Both places had 5 or 6 each. Nothing special about any of them.

Liked seeing the crowd though...now if we could just up the quality of the lkrs.

Auction this morning wasn't to bad. 11 units and about 12 buyers. I wish the units were better. 2 didn't sell at all. (those scary mattresses) If I hadn't already bought the online unit I would have come home with one unit. (would have had to make a second 40 mile one way trip it get everything and didn't think it was worth it.)

Online unit was not a bad one. Nothing spectacular but it had quite a few nice large framed art picts of Elvis and Marilyn.
Those will be the profit as the appliances will cover the cost of the unit. Already sold the dryer for $50.00.

Went to U-haul friday.  I had to hussel as my boss ran the meeting over late and thus was late getting there.  Only 5 units up for auction which is low for them.  Missed the first unit.  Second unit had 6 boxes in it.  3 of them were the tall U-haul boxes to hold cloths.  I passed - unit sold for $180 or more to some new lady.  Think she was surprised when found a empty box, cloths in the other, etc.  I tried hard not to laugh.  3rd unit was best - packed room with some decent furniture showing, no mattress could see, totes, bins, etc.  It sold for $400 which was WAY to high.  Wasn't that big of a room.  Again to one of the newbies.  4th was mostly cloths in bags, upstiars (have to use a movable ladder to get to it).  Only thing I was interested in was the camo style bag.  After $100 and going I lost interest.  Last unit had 2 suitcases, trashbag, and some cloths hanging.  I opened at $10 and stayed in till $45.  One of the newer regulars bought it at $50.  I may of gotten it at $55 but unless some decent cloths in the suitcase I would of lost $25.  I hate cloths right now.

Crowd was smaller then past few months.  However, was mostly newbies/ 3mo newbies compared to regulars.  Even the local whale was missing.

Went to two auctions today; same auctioneer.

First place had a crowd of about 20 with only 5 or so regulars. Rest new faces. Had 12 or so lockers. Half of them were trash. Other half OK and prices pretty much OK. I didn't bid on anything.

The best one had a bright yellow Matco tool box about 4 feet wide 2 feet deep and 4 feet high. Maybe 10 drawers; a good looking tool box and aside from the yellow its most distinguishing feature was.....the black vinyl rails on the drawers were DUST COVERED.....BUT....there were two sets of disturbed dust on each grip...where you would put your left and right hands to open a wide drawer. Each drawer had this pattern.

The other notables in this locker were 3 hard case guitar cases, 3 amps, Fender and Marshall brands.

Go ahead and guess what this sold for...10 x 10 with a dismantled keyboard as well and maybe 6 totes.

*****

The next place had double the crowd but only the same regulars, so 50 people and 45 newbies.  Again 12 lockers and prices were OK but nothing special in content. I bid on one 5 x 5 because it  had a heavy duty plexiglass display case I could have used.  Started it at 100 or so and it quickly got to my 200 limit,  but I thought I owed an obiligation to the industry so I took the newbie up to $475 and let him have it. Alls fair in love, war and storage wars. Less cash for next time and might even be a lesson in being more cautious.

Go ahead and guess what this sold for...10 x 10 with a dismantled keyboard as well and maybe 6 totes.

I'm guessing around 2k to $2300!

I'm guessing around 2k to $2300!

Inviting other guesses before the reveal !

I'm guessing around 2k to $2300!

6 months ago, I would guess $2000, today I would guess $1250.

Only a couple minutes this morning as Don & I each landed a locker yesterday.
His is cleaned out and the former owner was a Native American school teacher.  We found gold, Indian jewelry, old Papago baskets and the like.  Will update when I have time.  He paid $225 and I believe the potential is 5X+.  Much will depend on the value of the old baskets and the like.

My unit is untouched as of right now as it took us all of yesterday to dig out the other.  I paid $130 after battling with a very green newbie.  It's a 10X20 and full of dust and junk.....have no idea right now.  There is a Hornets NBA jacket (really rough, but what got me bidding), a snow board, a torn apart gun (stock and barrel) and beyond that...........I have no idea.

Prices were not bad and crowd was minimal.  When Don did his he had 5 people and all were regulars (he didn't get a unit until he hooked up with ours).  My auction initially had about 20 folks with only two of us being 'regulars'.

Our Dave Hester is on vacation and the rest of us are living large while he's gone!

Will update with some photos in the next few days.....time permitting~