Storage Auctions
The Storage Locker => The "Other" Job => Topic started by: Ironman on December 26, 2010, 06:18:12 PM
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I am a national sales director for a telecom company. Have been in the high tech business all my life and am burned out on technology. Besides that the industry has changed and diminished so significantly over the last five years it's a difficult place to be. What I am hoping to do is to turn what is now a sideline hobby into a full fledged business I can take into my retirement. Is anyone really making a supportable living at this?
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Glad you asked the question...I would like to get some
input on that also. :)
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I've noticed no one including moderators have answered this question. Is anyone really making a decent living doing this full time? If So, what dollar ranges? If so, how long did it take you to get there? If so, what do you do about health insurance? It appears to me that there aren't that many members on here that it would make a difference if these questions got true answers. Realizing that this is someones livelihood (supposedly anyway) and you certainly don't want to adversely affect that revenue stream it is somewhat understandable that there would be some reluctance to answer up........That said.......................
Aside from the TV shows hype, those of us that are truly looking at this as a business venture and not just a passing fad or hobby would like to know..........and we also view those shows as entertainment not reality. At least I do. I have bought a dozen or so units and have done fairly well. I'm to the positive side even after all expenses. Biggest slow down is finding the downline to sell the stuff into besides the standard CL/EBAY/ etc. For me, I take less money on any one particular item in order to keep product turning over and cash flowing... Thoughts anyone??
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I'm a firefighter/paramedic in southwest florida. Just trying to take this up as a hobby. Kinda have this vision that it could be a fun "treasure hunting" activity with my kids as they grow up.
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I am self employed, i own a company in Europe that build and sell power generator sets. We also sell steel buildings.
I own a company here in the USA that are into real estate end steel buildings.
Storage auctions for me is a hobby, or a side business, and i hope with time to open up a "new & used outlet store"
So far i have spent about 1500 dollars in total buying storage lockers. I have sold for about $3400 And that is only th last 2 months.
So yes you can make money on this, and good money.
But it is like any other business, it takes time.
Remember you have to build up an inventory, then you have to create a downline or network of buyers, this is not done over night.
But if you have some ice in your gut and have a long term goal, i think that you could turn both a 5 figure and a 6 figure profit on annual basis.
There are people who makes nothing from this, and they ***** and complain, but what do they do to make it happend? are they dedicated? are they at all trying? one thing is to go to auctions and buy lockers, but if you don't sell it it later on, what is the point then?
Then you have people who have made millions over several years, they do it because they have a goal, they know what to look for, they know how to sell it, and they create a network around them.
In all kinds of business and life it self i belive in the law of attraction, you attract into your life the things and reasults you think about and feel about. The book and the video called "the secret" provides good information about this.
So if you want to make money on buying storage lockers and selling your finds, then just go out and do it, and believe that you can. And be positive about it. And never give up!!!!! Never doubt your self or what you are doing!!!!
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I have always just done auctions on the side. So I can't quite answer this question. I would have liked to just jump all in but my wife likes the stability of regular income. The most I have profited in a month doing it on the side was 2400. So I could see someone making a living of this if they get all their ducks on a row.
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I clean residential foreclosures part time. In this business it's about who you know in order to get any contracts. Most times it can be dirty work but always profitable because you get paid by the asset mgnt company or a real estate agent or by the bank. The other part to profiting from this is to come across a property that still have stuff inside. First you scout the property for scrap metal and take it to the scrap yard and the rest if salvageable you can sell on craigslist, flea market, yard sale or however you want with it. The downside to getting paid is it usually takes 30 days before you see a check, also you should have several others working with you or you will get burned out quickly.
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Insight, where are you? I do foreclosure sales for a living.
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I flip houses as a part of my living. Maybe alot of us in here have more in commen then we know.
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I guess I need to clarify what I wrote....I work on the legal side of foreclosure sales. I deal with alot of investors who flip houses.
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I work in sales but have a pretty flexible schedule so I can usually hit up a few auctions during the week even during my workday. I also get a weekday or two off every week or ten days so usually hit up an auction then. Plus I'll occasionally take a vacation day if there's a lot of auctions, normally wont take a day off just fora one off auction normally only for the caravan auctions wehre there's like 12 facilities in a day.
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I'm a computer geek, work out of my house, but my hours are set, 8-5 every day. Need to figure out how to get those days with 4+ auctions during the week off, I am guessing that is where the money can be made (less people, lots of boxes).
Orlando
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I am a project manager for a mold remediation company
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I am the head HVAC mechanic at my company. The economy may be bad, but we are busy
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I am a the Director of Business Development for a loca ambulance provider. My postion affords me the flexibility to go to auctions.
I am hoping to develop this into a full-time gig eventually. Having owned an ambulance service in the past, I got kinda used to making my own hours.
I don't take orders well...
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I am a Loan Counselor for a mortgage servicer....I assist homeowners in avoiding foreclosure.
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i am a finance director for a large auto dealership....which doesnt give me alot of extra auction time....mainly a weekend thing
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It's interesting, I've seen a lot of "commercial" trucks at auctions. Ones that have a route like a lawn fertilizer truck where the tech has a route and he decided to do an auction while on that route.......Wouldn't want to be them when their bosses found out.........add to the unemployment rate.
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I made a decent living buying and reselling things that I purchased at auctions for quite some time. It was my full time job and I was a volume buyer. I was putting in 80-90 hours a week though. I didn't get rich but I was able to pay my bills and have a little left over to play with.
I have not been to an auction since January 15th. I created Houston Texas Storage Auctions (http://auctionstx.com/houston-storage-auctions/) and it has consumed most of my time ever since. The business is getting easier to manage now that we have our systems in place. I am looking forward to attending auctions again in the next month or so but this time I will be buying for fun instead of necessity.
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I am the Lieutenant of Operations for a small West Michigan based security firm. It's fun, I work with great people and would never leave it to pursue buying storage units, well at least not until I buy a unit that contains a $250,000 rare coin collection and that provides the funds to do it right.
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I am the Service Manager for a local Vinyl Window Manufacture heading into my 24th year of service for this Company.
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I am the Service Manager, Project Manager, & Estimator for a heating & air company in the Metro Atlanta area. I've been doing HVAC for about 21 years now. I have a pretty flexible schedule, that has allowed me to explore my new hobby somewhat.
Wouldn't mind going full time with the auctions eventually. No stranger to long hours and hard work. Thinking that the auctions could possibly allow me to make a modest living, while letting me set my own schedule.
Also, my wife and I enjoy doing this together.
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Amen heatman. I'm in Marietta and looking to this as extra retirement income and BTW my wife loves the treasure hunt too!!
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Let's see. My other job USED to be a bail agent for a large corporation. Got fired almost 1 year ago. Took some time off...then when it was time to get back to work, the only jobs that were readily available were Car Sales jobs....been there, done that. Not again.
I used to buy and sell watches on Ebay. Went to estate auctions and bought and sold stuff from there as well. I am always buying and selling things.
My girlfriend that I live with has a real job and affords me the "prep" time to ramp up in this storage auction endeavor. She is very supportive and has seen me in action buying and selling and watching me sell a broken lawnmower sitting in her take to trash pile really helped things so the confidence is there.
Mr Andersen...my girlfriend also has the book "The Secret" on the dresser and has hinted for me to read it. I have pushed it aside but will now read it to see what the hoopla is all about.
Im in the process of moving closer to Sacramento so I wont be doing this full time until June and I'm getting anxious. Its giving me a chance to build my bankroll and also to secure all the tools to be successful.
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I've noticed no one including moderators have answered this question. Is anyone really making a decent living doing this full time? If So, what dollar ranges? If so, how long did it take you to get there? If so, what do you do about health insurance? It appears to me that there aren't that many members on here that it would make a difference if these questions got true answers. Realizing that this is someones livelihood (supposedly anyway) and you certainly don't want to adversely affect that revenue stream it is somewhat understandable that there would be some reluctance to answer up........That said.......................
Aside from the TV shows hype, those of us that are truly looking at this as a business venture and not just a passing fad or hobby would like to know..........and we also view those shows as entertainment not reality. At least I do. I have bought a dozen or so units and have done fairly well. I'm to the positive side even after all expenses. Biggest slow down is finding the downline to sell the stuff into besides the standard CL/EBAY/ etc. For me, I take less money on any one particular item in order to keep product turning over and cash flowing... Thoughts anyone??
This could be a decent job buying lockers but when everyone is starting to do the same thing there is too much supply and not enough demand.
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I have worked for the US Postal Service as a clerk for 12 years (no jokes please, I've heard them all ;)). Currently I work 2-10 AM sorting packages. Worked this shift for 10 years until my job maintaining and operating high speed letter sorting machines was eliminated. Took 2 years to get a chance to bid back. This shift works for family and auction hunting. I have a BS degree in biology but went to work with the Post Office to quit traveling when children came into the picture. Live a mile from my office and never looked back. Not a fan of union workplaces so I live in constant conflict. Auction hunting scratches my capitalistic itch.
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One good thing about the Post Office -- it's over 200 years old and yet it's never been hindered by progress. 8)
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One good thing about the Post Office -- it's over 200 years old and yet it's never been hindered by progress. 8)
or by being a failure in general. Free market ftw. how many companies do you know that can run in the red every year and continue to operate.
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In reguard to the USPS , try pricing the postage AND day in and day out reliabilty of any other postal service in the world. I'm not saying their 100% but they do better on average than anyone else.
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In reguard to the USPS , try pricing the postage AND day in and day out reliabilty of any other postal service in the world. I'm not saying their 100% but they do better on average than anyone else.
Pricing the postage?? they were 53,000,000,000 in the red last year. They are giving it away. Not a very good business plan, then again its a government entity....
UPS and Fedex would be much cheaper as well if they could simply print the money that they need.
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Chefj you've been sniffing to many fumes in the kitchen. ::) First, the P.O. lost approx. 8 billion in fiscal year 2010. Second, the P.O. does not use 1 dollar of taxpayer money ( Postal Reorganization Act of 1970). Third, the P.O. kills UPS and Fed Ex in shipping costs on small items (1st class), Priority and media mail. Fourth, privatization of the P.O. will end universal service to every box every day as many areas will not be profitable. This would have a major negative impact to our online businesses. The P.O. has many problems no doubt, but lets get some facts in the conversation.
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Either way its hemorrhaging money left and right. It was set up to be revenue neutral and obviously its not. Its also setup as a monop[oly which is and was foolish. To many unions running around controlling their govt. goons. RIP Ronald Reagan, but I wish we had someone with your juevos running the show.
Hey Drew, any possibility of setting up a politics/current events forum?
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No hard feelings ChefJ. I don't care for unions either, especially in govt. Ronaldus Maximus is also a hero of mine, miss him greatly.
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My full time job is Direct Care Work(fancy and PC name for Adult mentally challenged babysitter). Only am staying at this job because I need health insurance and for me to go independent health insurance on a startup business would not be cheap. My hope is that I am bringing in enough cash in by next year that I can get health insurance and drop down to part time at this company.
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Programmer / Analyst for a healthcare billing company for last 15+ years. So I have some flexability to take long lunches for those 11am auctions close by. Got into estate auctions with father when we needed various equipment, supplies, etc. for the house. Now we are getting into storage auctions since he has retired for the second time.
Don't think many people do this full-time unless their spouse has a full-time job. Everyone that I know needs that medical insurance.
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I was laid off last September. I worked in benefits consulting and administration for 25 years. I'm trying to retire as I can't imagine ever working a 9-5 (or, in reality, 7-6) job again. Looking to build a small, ongoing business in storage lockers to supplement my retirement income.
I'm working most aggressively now on finding the best mix of outlets for selling goods. I've got a booth at a multi-dealer shop connected to a flea market (primarily for small stuff), Craigslist and a local consignment shop for furniture and eBay for good quality clothes and collectibles. I've also started using a local live auction house for collectibles, especially those that I can assemble into lots. I think they'll be a good, steady source of income.
One thing I'd like to cultivate in the coming months is a network of individuals who will buy items from me to recondition and resell (or just resell in general). The pure dollar value of each sale will be lower but there'll be less time invested in making the sale. And, no fees paid to eBay, the consignment shop or the auction house.
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I was laid off last September. I worked in benefits consulting and administration for 25 years. I'm trying to retire as I can't imagine ever working a 9-5 (or, in reality, 7-6) job again. Looking to build a small, ongoing business in storage lockers to supplement my retirement income.
I'm working most aggressively now on finding the best mix of outlets for selling goods. I've got a booth at a multi-dealer shop connected to a flea market (primarily for small stuff), Craigslist and a local consignment shop for furniture and eBay for good quality clothes and collectibles. I've also started using a local live auction house for collectibles, especially those that I can assemble into lots. I think they'll be a good, steady source of income.
One thing I'd like to cultivate in the coming months is a network of individuals who will buy items from me to recondition and resell (or just resell in general). The pure dollar value of each sale will be lower but there'll be less time invested in making the sale. And, no fees paid to eBay, the consignment shop or the auction house.
What state are you in
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Jross - Massachusetts, about 20 miles west of Boston. We chatting on another thread about your desire to move to New Bedford in a few years.
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Jross - Massachusetts, about 20 miles west of Boston. We chatting on another thread about your desire to move to New Bedford in a few years.
lol, sorry, sometimes I get bad memory with names. Well when I do make the move up there, I would buy from you, as long as the price is right, for wooden furniture that needed work. As well as a few other things.
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I clean residential foreclosures part time. In this business it's about who you know in order to get any contracts. Most times it can be dirty work but always profitable because you get paid by the asset mgnt company or a real estate agent or by the bank. The other part to profiting from this is to come across a property that still have stuff inside. First you scout the property for scrap metal and take it to the scrap yard and the rest if salvageable you can sell on craigslist, flea market, yard sale or however you want with it. The downside to getting paid is it usually takes 30 days before you see a check, also you should have several others working with you or you will get burned out quickly.
Would love to learn how to expand into that business, Insight. I'm an appraiser in Georgia, and that could be a good supplement to my income.
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Drywall contractor in ATL business is picking up I have been
slamed the whole month of Dec with work
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Vice President - Operations/Sales. Went to first "locker" auctions today. The one main difference I saw was pricing was stupidly high!?!?!?! No clue what people were buying. The items we could identify would sell for half what was paid at an estate auction. Apparently I need to buy a couple to see what all the money being spent is for?
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Jross - Massachusetts, about 20 miles west of Boston. We chatting on another thread about your desire to move to New Bedford in a few years.
I know it doesnt have much to do with anything, but Ive been to that Bob's Tires in New Bedford a few times...first time I went, I ended up going up one of the one way streets the wrong way..lmao...nice little town, but not for tractor trailers.
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Cranky, not sure of you are still following this, but I must live very close to you, as I am almost 20 miles west of Boston. Let me know if you end up with any fairly new (new within last three years) computer/technology equipment. I am always looking to buy at the right price to resell to my small business clients.
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We own a chimney repair/cleaning business. I sell on eBay to supplement income during slow season and for Christmas money. I love garage sales and resale stores. We bought our first locker yesterday (nice already having a truck and enclosed trailer). We will see how it goes.
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I worked as a printing press operator for 35 years. I have done offset printing and also printing boxes. About 3 years ago I had a work related injury and unable to do that type of work. At this time I am not working.
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I work for CSX Railroad in the track maintenance department. Best part of my job is, I'm outside every day. Worse part of my job is, I'm outside every day.
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I was with Amtrak. Tho I was on-board. Railroad is a life style few can ever understand...
Hats off to you guys in the yard. Thats brutal work.
My biggest problem (besides 5 20hr shifts in a row every other week) was I could never remember where I was! Sleep deprivation and 3000mile runs really F with ur head!
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I work for the government, I'm here to help you. More specifically I work as a contractor for the Federal Aviation Administration. I enjoy it a lot more than my old job, working in the computer department at one of the Casino's in Atlantic City. It has it perks too, I flash my FAA badge at any airport and bypass the long line at the security checkpoint (but I still get screened like everyone else), also get a small discount from the airport venders.
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Currently I work 2-10 AM sorting packages. Worked this shift for 10 years until my job maintaining and operating high speed letter sorting machines was eliminated. ...
I did two years of Grave shift at a casino, I know how it is. You can't understand why the stores are not open 3am in the morning when your awake. Took me a good 8 years to get a normal 9-5 schedule job at the casino, that was until some investment company brought the company and forced me back to shift work. I hope they ROT in hell, but I'm not bitter. :P Leaving there was the best career move for me.
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Let bring this one back to life. There is more than 52 members on this forum.
I am a Dispatcher manager for an airport transportation company near Orlando, FL. I also own a small thrift store on the side. I pick and get donations for my stock and stock was getting low. So here I am a brand new storage auction buyer with all the time in the world. Except for the 50 hrs a week I put in, in order to keep health insurance and steady income. :o
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That is awesome StorMe. I don't know if i could retire. Something about idle hands makes me wanna go overboard with booze/women/gambling/fighting you know all the fun stuff that's supposed to be a sin. Maybe when i do retire I'll move to California and get a MMJ card to calm me down.
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Being retired doesn't mean that you have to sit around and do nothing.
BTW, my "other job" is being a self-employed electrician.
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I think in all fairness, I should explain to you exactly what it is that I do. For instance tomorrow morning I'll get up nice and early, take a walk down over to the bank and... walk in and see and, uh... if you don't have my money for me, I'll... crack your f*ckn' head wide-open in front of everybody in the bank. And just about the time that I'm comin' out of jail, hopefully, you'll be coming out of your coma. And guess what? I'll split your f*ckn' head open again. 'Cause I'm f*ckn' stupid. I don't give a f*ck about jail. That's my business. That's what I do.
;D two in one day! ;D
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Your right.
What I meant was he had Pesci correct but switched movie qoutes from Casino to Goodfella's......
One movie I can qoute is goodfellas. I own on VHS, original DVD (where you have to flip DVD over half way thru), DVD collectors edition, blueray and even on laser disk. LOL
I actually know (or knew, he died) Henry Hill. Kind of a dick but fun to hang with as long as he was sober. And a great cook. Got a bunch of Goodfella's crap from him.
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Going to bring this back to life.
Currently the other full time job is Kmart seasonal help. ::)
Working today (Thanksgiving) and for a part time job getting close to 40 hrs this week. So working in retail. Sure like selling used better, Oh and I want be in a picket line protesting working on the holiday. ;)
Have a great holiday everyone.
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How is the Kmart gig?
I think I'd go nuts. When I was 16 I worked holiday at Fred Meyers. Toy section!
It was horrible!
The next year I worked their Xmas tree lot. That was actually better even tho the store manager mde us stay in uniform! Dress shoes, dress pants, white dress shirt and tie! Totally destroyed several sets of clothes and a pair of shoes. 35 degrees and heavy rain. All for $7/hr. But better then dealing with the crowds.
After that I gave up on retail and went into resturant work thru school.
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K-Mart has been busy. I don't think money wise just people. Working in jewellery department so not to bad with the customers. At my interview they asked out of all the departments which one would I like the least and I said this time of year the TOY DEPARTMENT... LOL
I will finally get some down time getting like 20 hours this week. Have been almost full time since I started. I am really good at retail... HATE the hours.
Could add on the missing in action thread same Uncle went horse back riding got thrown and broke 10 ribs and his collar bone. So I have been a nurse, and had to take care of his 9 houses, 2 dogs, and the chickens. On top of working till midnight at K-Mart. He finally got a helper so I don't have to do it any more. So going to take some down time and breath.
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Yeah my Uncle is to stubborn or (stupid ) to let this get him down. He is up at 7 Am telling his new helper what to do and that he is doing it wrong.
I have taken today to do nothing (which of course means do chores around the house)
We have 4 chickens. We can let them roam around all day and only lock them up at night. so not a lot of work, Get three eggs a day.
Can't wait to get things back to semi normal. Clear out some inventory and just general clean up. Then get back into at least part time storage buying / Selling. With the hours at K-mart should be able to get to a few auctions.