Storage Auctions
The Storage Locker => Stories about Storage Auctions => Topic started by: MovieMan on July 30, 2011, 07:02:00 AM
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The dog days of summer just around the corner, meanwhile, it's 5 a.m. Saturday July 30 and putting off getting in the van to go to the flea market for a 100 degree day of selling.
Getting a jump-start on August; some auctions to go to August 2, 2011...been a while since I got one...maybe that will be the day! ;D
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Finally got a break from the heat today. Went to another silent bid auction in the pouring rain with 15 units. Missed on the 2 I bid on and got soaked, but at least I didn't sweat. I really hate silent auctions. There were 30 people, giant umbrellas and kids playing in puddles, but the best were the knee high weeds growing in the cracks in front of the units.
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Went to my first August, 2011 auctions today. Nothing special to report.
Crowds moderate (maybe 25 or so) and mostly newbies.
5 lkrs at each of two facilities. No dynamite lkrs. Prices about double what I would have bid, and I didn't bid at all as they all looked pretty junky to me. Prices were in the $200 to $350 range for everything from a 5 x 10 to a 10 x 10.
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Went to a small-town auction today, hardly any advertisement. 5 bidders, 5 lockers. First two went for $25 (I got the first one), third $200, fourth a 10 x 30 packed full of boxes; $500. Last one $65.
There's another auction in this town in a few days, cant wait!
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Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Went to 3 yesterday with nothing exceptional to report. Crowd moderate (25) prices still a little high and in one case way high for contents. A 10 x 15 about 2/3 full with nothing special showing...$695. I would have paid maybe $350 to $400.
Going to 2 more today and will report on them later.
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The 1st place today had 3 and a crowd of about 20; lks nothing to talk about. One was a 4x4x4. I bid $25 thinking I would get it but another regular went up to $50 against some newbies. I stopped at my first bid. Second lkr was a 10 by 10 with a few things showing but not great; went for $275 to a "new" regular who had been buying everything he saw a couple of weeks ago, but must have gotten stung as he has only bid on 1 out of 10 the last couple of days. I walked away from last lkr here and didn't ask later what it sold for.
The 2nd place today had 7 or so lkrs. Crowd of about 30 with only FIVE regulars ! MANY new faces. On the other hand the first 3 sold for just $20 each. If the auctioneer had exercised the usual time-frame between waiting for bids or asking for them he would have gotten at least a bit more, but he was in a hurry. I didn't bid on a one; what's the point of buying visible junk (and nothing else) even if you do get it for $20?
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Went to two different auctions today by the same auctioneer. First one had 12 lockers, and out of the 12, only one was even interesting. There were around 25 bidders, about 7 regulars and the rest noobies. Most of the lockers sold for around the $400 range. I didn't even bid, the one that was interesting in my mind went for a little over $500, and I wasn't interested for that price.
The second location ended up only having one locker left after three got paid up at the last moment. I did go up to $150 on that one, but it ended up selling for around $175. Prices are definitely down from the peak, but still too high for what I'm seeing being sold.
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Went to the local Legacy auction run yesterday on the north side of ATL. About 90 people at 3 locations. 10 or so bidders, and the amazing thing was the lockers didn't get bid up very high. All of the lockers were crap though. A guy showed up open carry a side arm. He wasn't a police officer so the auctioneer made him put it in his car. Kinda weird. Anyway, lots of lookie loos out here in GA.
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I was going to go to that Legacy auction. Glad I didn't waste my time. Last time I went there was way over a hundred people and the prices were ridiculous. I was hoping things had slowed down some, but I guess they haven't.
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Well looks like people are starting to pay up at storage units. Had a 5 unit auction next thursday lined up. It's down to 4 units already. Will call on the 17th to see if it's worth my lunch hour to hit the auction or not. Two different locations have auctions at the end of the month.
Just found an auction on Saturday. I expect it will be packed but going to plan to attend to watch and learn. Currently 13 units up for auction.
B029 Teeter-W/D, Outdoor Equipment, Tools
B046 Morris-Furn., Boxes, Ice Chest, Stuff Animals
C073 Foster-Boxes, Furniture, Baby Supplies
C077 Horsby-Boxes, Furniture
E165 Carpenter-Boxes, Furniture, Jewelry
F195 Corley-Furniture, Crafts, Books
F196 Thomas-Mattresses
F199 Callahan-Clothes, Boxes, Mis. Goods
F201 Stannford-Mattress, TV, Boxes, Storage Tub
G300 Tony-Boxes, Carpet, Suitcase
G309 Jones-Clothes, Chairs, Books
G315 Jones-Clothes, Furniture, Mis.
H368 Blake-Furniture, Microwave
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Good luck,let us know how you do!!
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Went on a caravan today and got a unit for 125.00, first location had 2 units and 40 people. Same number at second location with 7 units. I got the sixth one at this location. This was the largest non Saturday crowd I've seen. The usual weekday crowd is 10-20 people. I've noticed a funny trend with bidding very high on units with furniture and large items and most walking away from units loaded with boxes and totes. My unit had 8 full totes, 6 large boxes overflowing, several other boxes and 3 laundry baskets all full of stuff. Already found 2 computers, a lot of electronic items, a load of toys, a ton of sellable clothes and I've barely started. Only 2 other people bid on this. I love this unit!
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Nice catch Millertime, let us know any interesting finds you get. I myself am looking for units such as that for my first lkr to buy. I'm looking to test the waters this weekend but figure it will be a bust. The local radio station was talking about Storage Wars yesterday and today and I just groaned.....and I'm one of the newbies.
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Congrats millertime.
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Friday, August 12, 2011...
Went to 2 of 4 auctions today by the same auctioneer; here;s the count:
"Bidders".......60; 5 regulars, 55 newbies.
Lkrs.....8 at each location; nothing special. I didn't bid on one due to quality and prices; a couple I would have bid on and won 7 months ago....today prices were double what I would pay.
Here's a pic of the crowd; some are still coming out of hallway door to the left out of frame.
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12a.jpg)
Here are 3 pics of a pretty nice lkr with an "older" look; this one sold for $1,100 and plenty of us would have paid $500 or so for it.
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12b.jpg)
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12c.jpg)
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12d.jpg)
Maybe next time? Getting a little discouraged !
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Was the guy with the 2 chairs and camel pack a regular...he sure look prepared for a whole day of auctions. About what I would take for a 8+ hour estate auction but storage units???
I'd call that lkr the lunch room lady locker. Those apple boxes and a few other boxes I see come from the lunch rooms at schools. See an older chest under all the boxes and what looks to be solid wood furniture (furniture isn't my strong point). But what the heck is that one man band contraption???
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Was the guy with the 2 chairs and camel pack a regular...he sure look prepared for a whole day of auctions. About what I would take for a 8+ hour estate auction but storage units???
I'd never seen him before but he'll be easy to spot if he comes back.
I'd call that lkr the lunch room lady locker. Those apple boxes and a few other boxes I see come from the lunch rooms at schools. See an older chest under all the boxes and what looks to be solid wood furniture (furniture isn't my strong point). But what the heck is that one man band contraption???
The one man band was what attracted everyone of course and the thought was generally that there might be other odd but potentially profitable stuff in there. And there might have been, but at $1100 unless it's great, that's a bunch to go through before the profit shows. Don't know the newbie who got it.
The band outfit would almost have to be sold to a restaurant or somewhere that had that kind of eclectic stuff hanging around...and the space to hold it.
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The more I look at the room the more I think "elementary music teacher" then lunch room. I think that isn't really a one-band instrument like I thought at first but like a home-made percussion stand. It has the bells, blocks, and stuff to be hit with drum sticks. Also, looks like a conga drum (can't really tell) in the back behind the recliner. Was an interesting unit that is for sure. I'll have to remember to take my camera in the morning to try and snap a picture of the units and crowd.
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Greetings, all! Just found this forum.
The last auction I went to was on 8/5 in Massachusetts. It was at a moving company warehouse and the auctioneer's calendar noted 40 units up for auction. When we got there, there were actually 61 available. On a Friday morning, there were about 70 folks there. Before even going in, we knew this would be unusual: you could leave mattresses behind, if you found really junky stuff, you could break it up and add it to their dumpster and we'd have a month to get everything out.
We all trooped up the stairs to the 5th floor, where the first 20 units were. It was unbelievable. Every square inch of the place was jammed with furniture and boxes and pianos and mattresses. And it was junky looking. The "units" were marked off with yellow caution tape. I'd say a typical unit measured 15' x 30'. The only space to move around in was a tiny corridor with piles of furniture on either side.
The units were so crappy on that first floor and the setup was so creepy that it drove a lot of potential bidder away (yay!). Fortunately, on the lower floors, the quality of the stuff you could see improved quite a bit and we picked up a couple of units for decent money.
Because the warehouse only has one loading dock and freight elevator, we had to schedule a date and time to remove our goods. We have to wait until the 15th to actually get in there and take out all that stuff. I can't wait!
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Today was my first auction. I'll post a seperate thread with pictures if can in a few. Before the auction owner of the place said his last sale at a different location had 60 registered bidders but only 3 actual bidders. Today was 100+ people easy, I know 60+ registered bidders. Only about a dozen of us bid. I saw what I expect was 5 regulars. One of which purchased 6 units...including the one I was interesed in.
Eighteen units went up for auction. Value's seemed reasonable. Highest unit went for $310. Lowest was $1.
Another auction Thursday I'm going to try to attend during my lunch from main job.
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This past week I had two large corporate facility auctions and one small independent facility auction. As I suspected the corporate facilities were slammed with people, and hardly anybody at the independent facility.
The first corporate auction early in the week had about 70 people average per location. Many newbies bidding and running the prices up. The newbs won most of the lockers.
The second independent auction had 12 people and 8 bidders. I won two lockers there.
The third corporate auction later in the week had about 40-60 people average per location. Bidding was about half & half between newbies & regulars. Prices were down some, about 10% on average from the previous months auction. I think a lot of the last hoard of newbies got thier butts kicked on the lockers they won. I won one locker.
There were two other auctions scheduled, but they were both canceled due to all units being paid up.
I have noticed a significant change in the group. I would say about half of the people I considered regulars about 6 months ago, no longer are attending auctions.
All in all, I won 3 lockers, a 10 x 20 1/8 full, a 10 x 15 1/2 full, a 5 x 10 stack out. Spent $535 for all three, and these look like some of the best lockers I have won based on initial investment and the quality of the merchandise found inside.
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Friday, August 12, 2011...
Went to 2 of 4 auctions today by the same auctioneer; here;s the count:
"Bidders".......60; 5 regulars, 55 newbies.
Lkrs.....8 at each location; nothing special. I didn't bid on one due to quality and prices; a couple I would have bid on and won 7 months ago....today prices were double what I would pay.
Here's a pic of the crowd; some are still coming out of hallway door to the left out of frame.
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12a.jpg)
Here are 3 pics of a pretty nice lkr with an "older" look; this one sold for $1,100 and plenty of us would have paid $500 or so for it.
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12b.jpg)
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12c.jpg)
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12d.jpg)
Maybe next time? Getting a little discouraged !
500 is perfect and right on the mark of what I would of stopped at. why people are wanting to pay 1,100 is beyond me. I think it is they have to win regardless
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$ 1100. ? Evan if it want for $ 500. a few years ago that would of been a $ 150. locker if You took into account the dump runs and fees .
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$ 1100. ? Evan if it want for $ 500. a few years ago that would of been a $ 150. locker if You took into account the dump runs and fees .
And now you can see why my lkr purchases numbers have gone down from one a week to less than 3 a month. :(
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Went to an auction today and only two people showed up! I scored the only unit, a 12'x30 Commercial unit for only $300.00!!! Best unit I've had in 2-3 months! I have noticed that the crowds are thinning, but not quite this much.......I think because of how far away it was and only being one locker, a lot of bidders decided not to "waste" their time. I almost didn't go myself, but I'm damn glad I did now! I'll try to post some pics up in the Treasure Chest over the next few days if I get some time.
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That should prove to be an interesting locker. Please post pics so I can drool.
Have one auction going to hit at lunch tommorow with 4 units up. No pre-registration, no list of contents in paper or anything. So it should be interesting. Have a 3 facility auction run on Monday after work. Still not sure if they are going to caravan it or if each location is just going to do their own thing. They are not using an auctioneer and reserve right to refuse bids so we will see how it goes. Will post an update later.
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We'll due to work and all the lights my 10 mile drive to today's auction took me 25 mins. So I missed the auction as it was in progresses with the gates closed by time I got there. Was 4 units up for sale today. Was a grand total of 5 people there. So one of them was the guy selling the units and I think 3 bidders as the one lady and guy seemed to be together. So no crowd at all. Don't know if that is due to so few lockers, time of day, or what. Nothing like the saturday auction. Will have to see how next monday goes with the 3 different sales being at 4, 4:30, and 5.
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Went to an auction Wed 8/17, a what a dissapointment. 17 lockers, 40 registered bidders and 12 totally crap lockers that went for $60-$125. Spent nearly 3 hours in the sun to watch people throw their money away. Only 2 really good lockers that a regular snapped up. Went to this facility in April for about same # of lockers and there were 15 bidders. That's 2 consecutive 40+ at weekday auctions for me. Caravan in 10 days with 131 units in the listing, will report on the crowd.
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Small 3 facility caravan yesterday. Had a good dozen to two dozen people. Last facility had more then the first. I'd say 80% of the people there were regulars. Units went from $5 up to $550. Not a bad day. Will post details in a seperate thread.
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Back from a 10 day vacation in Portland, OR area and back to work...with a vengence !
Three auctioneers split the crowd today to three cities and five auctions all spaced just 30 to 45 minutes apart, so decision time. So far looks like I made the best choice.
With a crowd of only 12 and 5 of those regulars, I got a 10 x 25 for $350 and it's LOOKING GOOD ! I'll start a separate thread later today and post some pics and a link to it here.
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Funny story at this auction. Last month a guy bought one for $1800 on contingency and it got paid up by former owner.
It came up again today and only a little bit of stuff had been taken out and the same guy got it again for $900...HALF PRICE day !
More later.
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OK, here's the link to the lkr description and 16 pics...last 4 are special !
http://storageauctionforums.com/index.php?topic=1611.msg8360
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congrats!
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Went on a run today, about 45 people showed up. Bought the first locker at the first stop and glad I did! I had a friend along with me that nobody knew, and I told him to go up to 400 and I would just sit back in the crowd.........he got if for 385. Prices got stupider (word?) from there on out! One unit went for 1800 today, and lot's of 500-800 lockers. Dropped out with two facilities left and dug through the one I bought......so far some black and decker battery tools, dishes, a bunch of old models in the boxes, lot's of small tools, grinders, sanders, drills, etc. Still a lot I haven't looked at, but so far I think I'll at least get my money back, and hopefully a small profit. On the plus side, it doesn't look like I'll have much garbage!
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Its nice when most of the locker is of some value, ocngrats.
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A nice teacher - sounds like a good locker. I'd end up keeping most of the tools but that is one of the things I'm looking for personally.
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A nice teacher - sounds like a good locker. I'd end up keeping most of the tools but that is one of the things I'm looking for personally.
I'm constantly upgrading and adding to my tool collection! If I find something that is nicer than the one I currently have, I put it in my collection and sell the old one. I kept the 18volt Ridgid set (Drill, Impact Gun, Saw, and Light) I found last week and I'm going to sell my old 18 volt stuff. I sold my Makita worm drive saw when I found a Bosch worm drive in a unit! I've been doing this for years, and I have a pretty nice collection of tools, and I still have boxes and boxes worth for sale.
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Well the big spenders kept me out of the game this past week. I guess I took on the role of "runnin them up man". I had no intention to do this but they just would'nt quit and let me win any. I was willing to take some chances since my last batch of units was so profitable, so I bid pretty high above my comfort level on many units this past week. One guy "beat me" out of a 5 x 10 filled with totes for $500! *hand to face, shakes head*
A couple of observations about the newbies who have jumped in the last couple of months. Half of them are gone! Big spenders one month, vanish after that. The other half who have stuck around? Not bidding, hardly bidding, or spending small amounts on smaller units. I guess this verifies that me and the other regulars have not been missing anything by letting the newbs pay retail prices for units.
Old Newbies (been doing auctions last couple of months) Licking there wounds!
New Newbies (been doing auctions less than a month) Still think theres gold in them there hills!
When are the Old Newbies going to tell the New Newbies not to waste thier money?
Some of the old regulars are starting to come back! This is great because we all cut up, make jokes, laugh at newbies, and have a good time during the auctions. Some of them have taken to fighting off the newbies for units and winning them at all cost. I think they need more inventory for their stores. I am there too, I need more inventory.
That's it for August, let's hope September is even better!
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@copia
You know im one of thosr newbies that bid on alot of cheaper lkrs. I guess im a smart newb but from what ive seen on these forums theres a couple smart newbs in here that dont drop there whole payroll thinkin every lkr is full of gold bricks and jewels beyond imagining. Now we all know that theres lkrs out there that have gold and diamonds and many other jewels worth a pretty penny as we heard and seen from these forums. The way I see it is the cheaper lkrs are going to have all the more better items the ones newbs run up arent going to have much profit. Now ive bought 2 cheap lkrs spent a total of 190 and have tuns of great items and have a possibility of making at least 3-4times my money back on the first unit and around 10-15 times my money on the second unit.
All in all I guess its just what you know about business how to buy learning to sell and not thinking that every unit is gold and running yourself out of the business before you even start.
Thats just my 2cents worth this morning. More to come later when someone wants lol
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Went on a caravan in south central PA today. The first 2 locations were cancelled. The third location had 5 units. I figured it being a city, there would be a ton of people. Lately it has been around 175-200. It was only about 50-60 people with 5 or 6 bidders. I didnt get anything there. The prices seemed high on the first 2 lockers but the other 3 were alright. The last one had some really nice high end furniture, a double door fridge, and some glass cabinets and that went for $875.
The second location had 36 people (girlfriend didnt believe there was that many, so I counted). Only 1 unit. A really small one with 8 boxes and some cans of paint. I got it for $10. So far found some really nice clothes which I'll end up taking to the consignment store. Also a lot of paintings and pictures of lions and tigers.
After that I quit as the other locations were 2 hours away with 1 unit each. Surprising, but it seems that it slowing down a little bit here.
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Went to the first of a two facility auction at lunch. Was 6 lockers up for sale. Very disappointing lockers - most of them were pretty empty. As such prices were all under $100 except for the one locker with 4 matresses, tv, and some other furniture went for $150. Crowd was about 20 people with half being regulars. A few of the others may of been regulars that I'd just not seen before. Get a report from father on how the other facility did. Was four units there for sale.
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Well the big spenders kept me out of the game this past week. I guess I took on the role of "runnin them up man". I had no intention to do this but they just would'nt quit and let me win any. I was willing to take some chances since my last batch of units was so profitable, so I bid pretty high above my comfort level on many units this past week. One guy "beat me" out of a 5 x 10 filled with totes for $500! *hand to face, shakes head*
A couple of observations about the newbies who have jumped in the last couple of months. Half of them are gone! Big spenders one month, vanish after that. The other half who have stuck around? Not bidding, hardly bidding, or spending small amounts on smaller units. I guess this verifies that me and the other regulars have not been missing anything by letting the newbs pay retail prices for units.
Old Newbies (been doing auctions last couple of months) Licking there wounds!
New Newbies (been doing auctions less than a month) Still think theres gold in them there hills!
When are the Old Newbies going to tell the New Newbies not to waste thier money?
Some of the old regulars are starting to come back! This is great because we all cut up, make jokes, laugh at newbies, and have a good time during the auctions. Some of them have taken to fighting off the newbies for units and winning them at all cost. I think they need more inventory for their stores. I am there too, I need more inventory.
That's it for August, let's hope September is even better!
Well, then your "Regulars" better get to liking losing cash on units regularly then. Because the smart newbs(myself included) aren't willing to get a locker at all cost and really don't give a flying bleep if the "Regulars" are losing money because maybe, just maybe they will get the hint that not every newb is a complete DF. So if your in the group of winning at any cost, enjoy being hurt by legit new buyers.
Because people like me are in it for the long haul. Can't wait for the bad weather day auctions.
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acman, you need to learn a bit of terminology. Noob/Newb is a term used to describe a clueless individual who goes into something they are unfamiliar with, and have no clue about what they are doing. They can screw up a wet dream in short order.
New People, which I've seen the term on here, are people who are new to the storage auctions, but have at least a basic concept/grasp of what they are doing, and, while competing for the units, aren't retarded noob's that show up with a wad of cash and piss it away on everything that shines.
I'm new to it as well, and I'm not stupid enough to want to piss off people that have ten, twenty or thirty years in this business because I think I'm just that damn smart. You can smart yourself right into stupid, and I have no interest in doing that.
As my dad always said, 'everybody pisses in the fan once in a while. The retard does it while shouting about how he's making it rain'.
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Because people like me are in it for the long haul. Can't wait for the bad weather day auctions.
Each person is different of course and we have no way of knowing who truly will be in it for the long haul until time goes by...might be six months, a year and I would consider that someone is in it for better or worse. I can list easily on one hand the screen names of 5 people who were enthusiastic as little as 3 months ago here on the forum and are already gone. Not saying you are one of those, I don't know you but in 6 to 12 months I will know you better.
As to waiting for the bad weather....if you mean you'll be out in it while others will not, you might want to rethink that one. It's been a common thought that if the weather is too hot or too windy or too wet that people will stay away from the auctions...just the opposite happens as everyone thinks that and they all go !
Now "newbies" (however we might define them) WILL get a taste of working in 110 degree metal units after buying one, and THAT might discourage them.
Anyway, hope you enjoy and profit from auctions and stick it out.
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acman, you need to learn a bit of terminology. Noob/Newb is a term used to describe a clueless individual who goes into something they are unfamiliar with, and have no clue about what they are doing. They can screw up a wet dream in short order.
New People, which I've seen the term on here, are people who are new to the storage auctions, but have at least a basic concept/grasp of what they are doing, and, while competing for the units, aren't retarded noob's that show up with a wad of cash and piss it away on everything that shines.
I'm new to it as well, and I'm not stupid enough to want to piss off people that have ten, twenty or thirty years in this business because I think I'm just that damn smart. You can smart yourself right into stupid, and I have no interest in doing that.
As my dad always said, 'everybody pisses in the fan once in a while. The retard does it while shouting about how he's making it rain'.
I guess you and I have different definitions of newb/noob then. I sometimes get the feeling that anyone who isn't in the pre 2010 cliche is a noob/newb to them and is seen as poison, although that just my view.
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Each person is different of course and we have no way of knowing who truly will be in it for the long haul until time goes by...might be six months, a year and I would consider that someone is in it for better or worse. I can list easily on one hand the screen names of 5 people who were enthusiastic as little as 3 months ago here on the forum and are already gone. Not saying you are one of those, I don't know you but in 6 to 12 months I will know you better.
As to waiting for the bad weather....if you mean you'll be out in it while others will not, you might want to rethink that one. It's been a common thought that if the weather is too hot or too windy or too wet that people will stay away from the auctions...just the opposite happens as everyone thinks that and they all go !
Now "newbies" (however we might define them) WILL get a taste of working in 110 degree metal units after buying one, and THAT might discourage them.
Anyway, hope you enjoy and profit from auctions and stick it out.
I was just getting a general sense of hostility from that statement he made.
As for bad weather days, I'm talking about days when it is snowing/bitterly cold/etc. When people will stay home rather then go out.
And as for working in 110 degree units, already been there and done that when I work in hot environments. I bring a huge container of water with me to these things to stay hydrated and somewhat cool on summer days.
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I guess you and I have different definitions of newb/noob then. I sometimes get the feeling that anyone who isn't in the pre 2010 cliche is a noob/newb to them and is seen as poison, although that just my view.
You want to spend your time taking offense over piddly ass ****, that's your business. If they ain't personally directing the comment at me, then it ain't at me. I don't have time to get a chip on my shoulder.
Biting cold weather? You don't understand a lot of these people. About the only way you can keep the real unit buyers away is to have the freaking roads closed, and some of them will still try to make it.
You ain't the only cowboy that has heard that they now sell water in bottles. Some of even have these fancy things called coolers!! Work like a champ. Winter? We buy coats. And since I grew up off the Great Lakes, I can take a damn good bit of cold. I'm not going to think I'm the only one out there who can handle extremes in temperature.
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Easy now.
Anyways hitting up a single auction tomorrow with 6 units so far. Hopefully the crowds thin down for good around here. It just gets a little frustrating when it takes 20-25 minutes to look at a locker because people have to wheel their strollers in front of it. I'm sure your 4 month old son knows whats in those boxes.
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@acman
Calm down the only person you got to worry about stealing your lkrs,around here is me since were from the same area hehe.
The crowds ive seen around here have been 20ish only a couple that have had less than 10. Even in the big areas not many. Though here in mi. people dont have much money or maybe I just get lucky with less people good lkrs and cheap units idk. Got 4 auctions in the next 5days will keep yall posted on the good bad the dumb and the retarded.
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Another couple of auctions today.......got two more lockers! One has a washer and dryer in nice condition, a big stack of boxes that are all neatly stacked and taped shut, a tv, bed, two nice dressers, and a bunch of other stuff I haven't got to look at yet. Second one may be just mostly junk, but I got it cheap and figured it might be worth a shot.......had some interesting looking appliances and I knew I could get my money back out of those. There is lots of other stuff in there too.
I followed them to the next facility and just missed out on a really cool looking unit with an old radio from the 20's or 30's, some old kids cars and trucks, and some really old picture frames, along with a chest. It was a silent auction, and I missed it by 15 bucks! Dang!
Anyway, the crowd was awesome! It was pretty much all the old guys, just like old times! There was only one noobie, and he got a locker full of trash bags loaded with clothes for 80 bucks. He saw a box for a 32" vizio flat screen tv laying under some of the bags and got excited, but it was just an empty box and nothing but junk in the locker.....he was bummed, especially when the next closest bid was only 20 bucks!
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There was only one noobie, and he got a locker full of trash bags loaded with clothes for 80 bucks. He saw a box for a 32" vizio flat screen tv laying under some of the bags and got excited, but it was just an empty box and nothing but junk in the locker.....he was bummed, especially when the next closest bid was only 20 bucks!
And that my friend is JUSTICE !
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I was just getting a general sense of hostility from that statement he made.
As for bad weather days, I'm talking about days when it is snowing/bitterly cold/etc. When people will stay home rather then go out.
And as for working in 110 degree units, already been there and done that when I work in hot environments. I bring a huge container of water with me to these things to stay hydrated and somewhat cool on summer days.
Acman,
If you sense hostility in my statement, let me explain my position and experience.
When I got into storage auctions I intended it to be a hobby/investment strategy. Due to changes in my financial situation it has morphed into a full time business and I am dependent on the income it generates.
Regardless, when I first started I knew many of the "regulars" depended on the income generated from storage auctions for their livelyhood. I also knew some were hobbiest or retirees just having some fun. It was important to me to find out who the regulars were, why they were doing storage auctions, what type of units they bid on, and how much they were comfortable spending. Reason being is I don't "run up" the regulars, and they don't "run me up". I also don't bid against the guys how are obviously living "hand to mouth" and would be in big trouble if they can't make money on storage units. These are guys have been doing this for years and probably would have a hard time finding another way to take care of themselves.
When I first started going to auctions it was obviously a "working class" crowd. In the last several months it has turn into a carnival of yuppies. Upwardly mobile individuals with disposable money to burn. They come in without any care or concern about the people who do this for a living, bid units above what many regulars can afford to spend even if they want to win the unit, and get burned (because after a few big auctions they don't return).
Am I saying that wealthier people should not be going to auctions? No, and I am not supporting class warfare, I have nothing against wealthy people or the creation of wealth. I am just commenting on how this new crowd of newbies/noobies are making things bad for the regulars that depend on the inventory won in storage units for thier livelyhood, and they are making it bad on themselves by jumping into an industry so carelessly and wasting thier time and money.
Right now it is a lose-lose for all concerned.
I have nothing against "new" auction attendees who genuinely have spent some time researching the auctions and learning the business coming in. As legitimate "newbies" come in, "old timers" will leave for other ventures or retire, and a natural balance will be maintained. The issue I see right now in my area is somehow upper-middle class people have gotten the idea that storage auctions are like some kind of loose casino and are turning the auctions into an expensive hobby.
I, like the other regulars will have to ride out this storm, and I hope in the end the newbies who were smart and patient are here to stay.
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Well said, CopiaVIta. It has become a carnival of yuppies.
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Indeed. Well put!
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I love a well-crafted, thought-out and articulate post such as yours copiavita.
In my area the "yuppie" aspect of your post is not as evident as in your area, but I see your point.
I don't even mind that un-employed or even under-employed people are looking at the auctions for possible income, but what bothers me is that many of the new folks I see are just clueless as to the reality of the work, the contents, the possible profit (or lack thereof) and just the whole process in general.
There are so many of them sometimes that the time for the whole auction to take place is out of whack; and then of course there are the outrageous prices being paid. But all this has been said many times before, dating back to December, 2010 when this all started.
Anyway, good post copiavita.
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Friday, August 12, 2011...
Went to 2 of 4 auctions today by the same auctioneer; here;s the count:
"Bidders".......60; 5 regulars, 55 newbies.
Lkrs.....8 at each location; nothing special. I didn't bid on one due to quality and prices; a couple I would have bid on and won 7 months ago....today prices were double what I would pay.
Here's a pic of the crowd; some are still coming out of hallway door to the left out of frame.
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12a.jpg)
Here are 3 pics of a pretty nice lkr with an "older" look; this one sold for $1,100 and plenty of us would have paid $500 or so for it.
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12b.jpg)
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12c.jpg)
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/aug12d.jpg)
Maybe next time? Getting a little discouraged !
And they all want to pay retail!
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Excellent Observation Copia Vita , Right On , at least in my area , the Yuppies are spending like crazy and still buying more lockers , even after mentioning in casual conversation that they haven't been able to sell any of the " regular household stuff " they won last month , and asked us how to get rid of it ?
She didn't want to waste her time sitting around at a flea market all day ? ::)
I can't say if they are dropping out as We have cut back on going do to the INSANITY Lately , but have seen a lot of New faces at the ones We have gone too , and all they can talk about is the TV shows , and have any of us scored something valuable ? ( like we would tell them ) .
Bandit
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@ acman - don't take offense to anything on these boards. While you, myself, Chief, and others are new here we are all learning. Any of the "old timers" that complain about noobs, etc. isn't directed at you. For the most part it's directed at the people in their area at the auctions they are going to. While some of us are near to each other, many of us are 3+ hours or more from each other. This is just a place we can all vent our spleen in collective frustration.
Now - as for the regulars in your area and how they may treat you that is a different story. In my area they just try to make sure all the newbies know this isn't TV. If they are expecting to get rich they should just as well spend the $500 on lottery tickets then a unit. I myself have yet to meet anyone that wasn't friendly, open to jokes, etc. While I have bid against some of them, I didn't run up the bids just cuz. Once my limit is reached I'm done. Except for Mr. Chruch, and one guy that also owns a store, all of the regulars here are retired. They do this to keep busy and make a little money. So it's not as cut throat as other areas may be.
As for auctions - was going to hit one today at lunch but Mr. Murphy had to toss his hand into the equation. Boss asked for a ride to a meeting she had at 11 also. Not a smart idea to turn it down when we may have cuts so gave her a lift. Still had time (just barley) to make it the 5 miles to the auction. However, upon the 100+ traffic lights and the cardinal rule of when your in a hurry every slow poke granny gets in front of you I was 20 mins late. Counted 30 cars in the parking lot for 5 units so said forget it and got some lunch. So some of the crowds are still pretty large, while others are getting smaller.
Think auctions in my area that I know of are done till next tuesday. Will have to call around and check.
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I had an old timer get mad at me one time when I told him I would have bid higher on the unit he just won but the stuff in the unit was really heavy (plumbing fixtures and other large items) and I just didn't want to move it. He got mad and said then why did I bid him up. I told him I didn't. I bid to what it was worth to me factoring in the physical labor involved. Kinda of ticked me off but what can you do.
If you do plan to bid up a regular, you better be careful in 1) he doesn't stick you with it and 2) he probably has more money than you and can take some losses in order to pay you back.
One old guy at an auction I went to about 6 months ago was buying every unit. After the first 4, one of the newbies decided enough was enough and tried to run him up. He wound up getting stuck (in my opinion) paying at least twice what the unit was worth.
The old guy bought 8 of the 10 units at an average of $600 a unit. He didn't look like he had a dime to his name. I stayed to make sure he had the cash. And he did...and a lot more.
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Acman,
If you sense hostility in my statement, let me explain my position and experience.
When I got into storage auctions I intended it to be a hobby/investment strategy. Due to changes in my financial situation it has morphed into a full time business and I am dependent on the income it generates.
Regardless, when I first started I knew many of the "regulars" depended on the income generated from storage auctions for their livelyhood. I also knew some were hobbiest or retirees just having some fun. It was important to me to find out who the regulars were, why they were doing storage auctions, what type of units they bid on, and how much they were comfortable spending. Reason being is I don't "run up" the regulars, and they don't "run me up". I also don't bid against the guys how are obviously living "hand to mouth" and would be in big trouble if they can't make money on storage units. These are guys have been doing this for years and probably would have a hard time finding another way to take care of themselves.
When I first started going to auctions it was obviously a "working class" crowd. In the last several months it has turn into a carnival of yuppies. Upwardly mobile individuals with disposable money to burn. They come in without any care or concern about the people who do this for a living, bid units above what many regulars can afford to spend even if they want to win the unit, and get burned (because after a few big auctions they don't return).
Am I saying that wealthier people should not be going to auctions? No, and I am not supporting class warfare, I have nothing against wealthy people or the creation of wealth. I am just commenting on how this new crowd of newbies/noobies are making things bad for the regulars that depend on the inventory won in storage units for thier livelyhood, and they are making it bad on themselves by jumping into an industry so carelessly and wasting thier time and money.
Right now it is a lose-lose for all concerned.
I have nothing against "new" auction attendees who genuinely have spent some time researching the auctions and learning the business coming in. As legitimate "newbies" come in, "old timers" will leave for other ventures or retire, and a natural balance will be maintained. The issue I see right now in my area is somehow upper-middle class people have gotten the idea that storage auctions are like some kind of loose casino and are turning the auctions into an expensive hobby.
I, like the other regulars will have to ride out this storm, and I hope in the end the newbies who were smart and patient are here to stay.
Didn't mean to jump to conclusions, it's just the way I am wired sometimes.
Let me say your post now explain in excellent detail how you meant your original post to come off.
Also, I don't run up bidders either, I bid on what I see and guesstimate on the amount of time the item would be in my inventory while subtracting the cost of doing business(Dump runs, multiple storage visits, etc.). What has it got me so far, Nothing. I have gotten run up though. Mommy and Daddy were bank rolling little Johnny, I got the last laugh when He got a $1 locker for $23.
I'm just spending my time selling off Items in my place that I no longer need or want to grow my seed money while faithfully attending auctions and bidding when I see fit to make a profit. I have no room for error here myself, I am working class(Paycheck to Paycheck) and I have no one bankrolling me. This is intended to be my second job(Work won't give out Overtime and I pay dearly for Health Insurance).
Guess the way you have put it, all I can do as a responsible newbie and be patient like every other person in the biz.
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Went to an auction on Thursday. 4 units up for bid and only 1 location. About 40 people showd up with 21 registered bidders. The first unit was packed full of boxes, and from what I could see the ones up front were all newer biker magazines. This went for $250. The other 3 went for crazy prices. New faces got those. Saw 2 totes, 1 boot and a mattress sell for $70. I was going to go 10 just to see about the totes.
Also saw a newbie bid himself up twice. The facility owner was doing the auction and was doing a horrible job. The noob had the unit at $175, and bid himself up to $200. He had the highest bid at $300 and the auctioneer was looking for $325. So the noob raised his hand again and bid himself up. He ended up winning the unit at $500 I believe. I would have stuck at $250 IMO.
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$250 for a all box type unit isn't bad. Is normally what my max is depending on the size.
I do have to laugh at people that run themselves up. It's like they don't pay attention or something to what their bid is they just tossed out.
Let's hope this month is better.