No need to buy..........

In the storage auction business I have had alot of ironic episodes. For instance, when I first started out, I bought 3 locks. All took the same key, however these are long handled locks, so they dont fit every unit. I knew I needed to buy more, however my first locker I bought, guess what, I got 5 brand new locks with keys, these fit the lockers which I needed for my 3rd locker.

Second time, I needed to wash my truck, damn near filthy as hell. Anyway after I bought it, two days later I bought my second locker, and lookey lookey, the exact same spray nozzle I just bought to wash my truck I find in the unit still packaged, so I got my money back on that item. Also with the second unit I needed straps, lots of furniture. And what do we have here, straps, alot of straps in my second locker.

3rd time, my microwave just went out, and the 5th locker I bought I got me a brand new microwave, still in the box.

4th time this happened, was the locker I just bought, my 10th locker. I hurt my wrist by doing something really stupid, sprang it real bad. But guess what, there was a wrist stabelizer splint in this locker.

Just goes to show you, for the most part you dont need to buy things while in this business. Chances are you will find it in a locker.

Those were some great "connections" ! 

Here's another place to read about this kind of thing: 

http://storageauctionforums.com/index.php?topic=633.0

That is very true. It happens quite often. I got to a point where I wouldn't buy anything from a store except underwear, food and hygiene products. I told my wife, if we're just patient, eventually we will come across anything we need. My wife just had a baby a year and a half ago and to this day the only baby items we have paid retail for is diapers, wipes, food & hygiene products.

For some time i have had a plan about putting new outdoor lights on the house.
Well last week i got a unit for 120 bucks, have allready sold for 400 out of it, and still have stuff for about 150 to sell. But, in this unit there was a box with 3 outdoor lights, with automatic sensor. This was perfect, as i needed 3 of them. The good thing is that they are brand new, still in boxes from Lowes. I went to lowes and cheked them out, and the price on each lamp was 49.99 + tax.  So i saved 150 bucks on this.

I love it when i find stuff in the units that i need, to me that is just the same as selling stuff for a profit.
Money saved is money earned.

@ JROSS

Yea it's funny how that works out, I have not been as blessed as you with getting exactly what I needed out of a unit, but I have had similar experiences with needing or wanting something and instead of running to Wal-Mart to buy it, I just wait a couple of weeks and "there it is", in a storage unit (needed a new toaster recently and got a 4 slot toaster out of a unit, wow!). I have'nt won enough units to where I am at the point of just buying underwear and food from the store though. 

I tell friends and relatives to let me know if they are looking for something and I'll put it on a list, because sooner or later, I will find it!  

My mom needed a vacuum and I found her one.  A short time later, I found a nicer one and I traded her out for the first one and sold it instead.  My wife ended up with a vacuum too after I found a like new Dyson vacuum in a unit.  That wasn't planned, but worked out well.....those things are awesome, and I would never have bought her one of those at retail!

My friend had an engine hoist that was about 14 years old.  I got a brand new engine hoist that was heavier duty than his and he wanted it.  I was over at his house, so I took a picture of his hoist while I was there.  I went home and put his hoist up on CL with his phone number in the ad.  He called me the next day and some guy bought it for the full asking price, so he came and picked up his NEW hoist for the money he got out of his old one.  Got to upgrade to a brand new one and it didn't cost him a dime!

Another friend was looking for a welding buzz box.  I ended up with a Lincoln "tombstone" welder, 225 amp.  Exactly what he was looking for.   He was very happy.  Same friend was looking for a band saw, and I just got one of those for him too.  A like new Hitachi 13" band saw.  

Another friend wanted some nice top box tool boxes he could mount on his bench to store gun cleaning stuff and metal lathe accessories.  I found him two really nice boxes and a bunch of tools and gave him a really good deal.  

This kind of stuff happens all the time and I'm always "trading up" my tools and various stuff in my personal collection.  Plus all the common household stuff others have mentioned:  Toilet Paper, Windex, Cleaners, Small Kitchen Appliances, Pots and Pans, Dishes, Glasses, Calculators, Toilet Plungers, etc.  Stuff you use all the time, but now you don't actually have to go out and buy it.  My daughter starts college this fall, and I already have a bunch of new in the box kitchen stuff (came out of what I called the "Wedding Unit") and I will outfit her with any furniture, kitchen stuff, throw rugs, pictures and artwork, flat screen television, kitchen table, towels, etc. that she needs.  She may start out with a few things that aren't quite what she wants, but eventually I'll get her upgraded to all really nice stuff.  I've already helped another friend of mine with outfitting his 24 year old daughters apartment with sofa, love seat, chair and bed, along with a few other items.  

The possibilities are ENDLESS!!!