Archive - 2011

Storage Wars: Texas: Lethal Mustache

Moe-Pigroff-SWTX-1-4Storage Wars: Texas: Season 1, Episode 4: “Mo Money, Moe Prigoff.”

One word to describe this auction: CROWDED.

Victor tried not to let the crowd intimidate him. He planned to dump the bad units on the locals while he scooped up the good ones.

Since Lesa lived right down the street, she was familiar with the self-storage facility. She knew it always had good items.

After a 5 hour drive to get there; Ricky and Bubba were not planning to go back empty handed.

Ricky: My butt cheeks are welded together.

Moe made an entrance in his pink Chevy. He was ready to find hidden works of art.

1storageunitb_SWTX1-41st Storage Unit

Old furniture, old computers, and mold on the freezer.

Moe was tired of seeing Victor drive the bids up, so he decided to give him a dose of his own medicine. Victor thought he’d do the same to Moe. But Moe dropped the locker on the Russian at $475. Don’t mess with Doctor Mustache for his bids are lethal.

Victor:  Uh-oh.

Victor took a break from the crowd to dig through his stink bomb. He discovered a beautiful antique clock. Then another. Then another. Then another. Maybe it wasn’t such a stink bomb after all?1storageunit_CLOCK_SWTX1-4

According to an expert, one of the clocks was manufactured between 1905 and 1915. A real antique! All four clocks together were appraised at almost $4,000. About time, Victor!

2storageunit_SWTX1-42nd Storage Unit

Nice truck rims, furniture, and toys.

Victor stepped out of the bid. Weary since Moe dropped that locker on him.

Victor: I’m not taking a one-two punch from Dr. Mustache.

Moe won at $425. Moe pulled out the baby toys and truck rims. He then discovered two steel drums.

Which, uh… took him a while to figure out exactly what they were.

Moe: As the kids would say, “DUHHH.”

Moe took his drums to a bar where the hippies gather every weekend for a drum circle. One musician told him that his steel drums were made in the Caribbean. They were that distinct instrument used in all calypso music. Each letter on the drums face represented a musical note. Valued at $350 a piece.2storageunit_DRUMSb_SWTX1-4

Moe: These hippies really made my day.

Moe then went to Mary Padian’s store. She turned the truck rims into some nice looking mirrors and impressive chandeliers. Upscale to resale. Moe invited Mary to accompany him to his next auction.

3storageunit_SWTX1-43rd Storage Unit

Contractor’s treasure chest filled with tool boxes, a compressor,  and table saw.  Easy $$$.

Lesa made a play for it, but Bubba and Ricky grabbed it for $1,100.

Once again, Lesa and Jerry left empty-handed.

Lesa: Happy hour. Here – I – come.

Meanwhile, Ricky and Bubba dug through their locker. Loaded all the tools and heavy equipment into their truck. Got the Hell out of Dodge. Anticipated value of their collective haul valued at $3,400.3storageunit_TOOLS_SWTX1-4

Got to hand it to the country boys.

PROFIT SCORECARD:

Victor Rjesnjansky:  $3,425
Ricky & Bubba Smith: $2,300
Moe Prigoff: $2,155 – after he shared his profits with Mary Padian
Lesa Lewis: $0

What did you think of Mary’s upscale to the drum set?

Please leave your creative comments in the box below.

Storage Wars: Texas: Tycoon Locker

Storage Wars: Texas: Season 1, Episode 5: “The Good, the Bad, and the Hungry.”

Auction turned into a real barn burner. Yee-HAW!

jerry-simpson-lesa-lewis-SWTX-1-5Lesa worried that her previous strategies failed. Jerry told her she needed to learn to play chess.

Jerry: Miss Lesa needs to step up her game, ‘cause I’m still waiting on my last paycheck.

Victor worried everyone knew of the ‘Tycoon Unit.’  His strategy to get everyone to blow all their money early.

Ricky and Bubba were not worried not one wit.

Ricky: Best way to lose money, you just follow the crowd.

Moe worried not to score. His strategy to wear the most far-out crazy shoes. Competition to focus on his eccentricities that they may lose focus on him.

1storageunitC_SWTX1-51st Storage Unit

Locke packed, stacked, and all that. Kitty litter to toys to cedar boxes.

Victor drove the bid up immediately and Moe took the bait.

Victor:  Looks like Dr. Crazy Shoes wants himself a locker. Time to make him pay for it.

And pay Doc did at $675.

Moe anxiously dug out the cedar box to discover several MAD Magazine comics from the 1950s.1storageunit_MADMAG_SWTX1-5

According to an expert, most of the magazines were not in the best of shape. Uh, oh. But the whole collection still valued at $3,000. Crazy sneakers worked, Doc.

Moe: This is a real good day.

2storageunit_SWTX1-52nd Storage Unit

Retro furniture and household appliances.

Victor drove that bid up against Ricky and Bubba.

Bubba and Ricky however won locker for a mere $290.

Bubba pulled out the furniture. Not like Ricky has that manpower brute strength. Uncle and nephew found a mysterious kitchen antique. Marked 1814.

Bubba made mention it was around Ricky’s birth date.

Ricky: You know what they say about old wood: The older the wood, the stiffer the horn.

Off to appraise antique collectible at a restaurant called Burger Joint. Owner informed them antique was a mandoline used for slicing veggies. Unfortunately, no value.2storageunit_MANDOLIN_SWTX1-5

Ricky: That stings a little bit.

Take off the sting with a burger and beer.

Next auction…

Downtown Dallas to an area called Deep Ellum to bid on the high end ‘Tycoon Unit.’

On the way, Lesa and Jerry made a quick stop by the bank to grab extra cash.

Lesa: The money I pulled out for this high-end auction are my extra bullets.
Jerry: I hope Miss Lesa can shoot straight. Those ‘extra bullets’ are my pay checks.

3storageunit_SWTX1-53rd Storage Unit

Unframed paintings, mirrors, and several nicely packed boxes. Was this going to be the pot of gold everyone thought it was?

Victor talked down the locker but then confessed he really wanted it – Bad.

But so did Lesa. Things got ugly quick. Within 30 seconds the bid rose to $2,500. Lesa would not back down.

Victor:  Where did Lesa get all this money?!

Lesa won at $2,675. What is inside this ‘Tycoon Unit’ you ask? Several designer women’s clothes. One piece alone sported a $5,000 price tag.3storageunit_DRESS_SWTX1-5

Jerry: Looks like it’s payday.

PROFIT SCORECARD:

Lesa Lewis & Jerry Simpson: $6,248
Moe Prigoff: $2,335
Ricky & Bubba Smith: $465
Victor Rjesnjansky: $0

How much would you have paid for Lesa’s locker?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comments box below.

Storage Wars: Texas: Victor Keyless Clueless

Victor-SWTX-1-3

Storage Wars: Texas: Season 1, Episode 3: “Snake, Rattle and Roll.”

Jerry put pressure on Lesa to sell more items and to not keep items for herself.

Ricky and Bubba agreed to once again play the ‘dumb old country boys’ in order to grab the good deals. Moe was nowhere to be found. Perhaps the Smiths could pick up some antiques.

Ricky: These guys… they ain’t even gonna know what hit ‘em.

Victor was cocky about getting the best of the locals. He was eager to nab any kind of motorized transportation which might be tucked away in a locker.

1storageunitSWTX1-31st Storage Unit

Nice furniture, lamps and well preserved picture frames. Consensus?

Money.

Lesa expressed how she felt about Victor. It wasn’t pretty. She messed Victor’s head before bids began. The mind games allowed Bubba and Ricky to win at $475.

Bubba: When Lesa and Victor act like this, it just makes my job a whole lot easier.

Bubba and Ricky dug in. Discovered good furniture, stacks of framed religious pictures, and a small silver antique Zeppelin. Not sure what the Zeppelin was used for; Bubba believed it might be a fancy ash tray.1storageunit_ZEPPELIN_SWTX1-3

Ricky: We’ve already doubled our money on this unit, so anything we get for the Zeppelin is the gravy train.

Expert stated it was an inkwell. Valued at $7,000.

That’s a LOT of gravy.

2storageunitSWTX1-32nd Storage Unit

Inflatable pool, shiny new scooter, and a lot of junk. Nothing to write home about. Victor zeroed in on the shiny new scooter. Ricky watched Victor fixate on the scooter.

Time for Ricky and Bubba to play a little trick on Victor.

Bubba: I got my phone out, actin’ like I’m lookin’ up the bike. I’m checking my email.

With absolutely NO intention to buy; Ricky and Bubba drove the bid up then dropped the locker on Victor at $1,600.

Victor, Victor, Victor.

Tsk. Tsk. Oldest trick in the Auction Playbook, Russian.

Victor rolled out the scooter. Legendary motorcycle expert, Rick Fairless, took a look at the Chinese scooter. No key – No value. 2storageunitSCOOTER_SWTX1-3

Uh. Ouch.

Victor: Not only did I lose $1,500, but I looked like a complete a**hole in front of the Texas motorcycle guru.

3storageunitSWTX1-33rd Storage Unit

Nice dresser and a mystery box tucked away behind it. Hmmm…

Lesa really liked the dresser and won locker at $140.

Lesa: That dresser is so nice I may have to keep it.
Jerry: Don’t keep it.

Lesa dug through and found a nice mirror, rattlesnake belt buckle, pair of nice rattlesnake skin boots, and a rattlesnake hat band with a rattler’s head!

What kind of freakish cowboy was this tenant?!3storageunit_BOOTS_SWTX1-3

Lesa and Jerry took all the rattler gear over to a boot specialist. He appraised the items at $775. Jerry was glad they would be able to pay the store’s bills this month.

Where was Moe?

He was found digging around in a separate locker, pontificating about the wood furniture pieces he had discovered. A little late to the game, but happy with his purchase.

PROFIT SCORECARD:

Ricky & Bubba Smith: $7,630
Lesa Lewis & Jerry Simpson: $615
Victor Rjesnjansky: LOSS-$1,400

Victor learned NEVER to buy a scooter without a key.

Please leave your creative comments in the box below.

Storage Wars: Texas: Lesa Strikes Back

Lisa-Lewis-SWTX-1-2

Storage Wars: Texas: Season 1, Episode 2: “Bounty Hunter Bubba Fett.”

Victor needed more ‘middle of the rode’ priced items to please his Texas based customers. He got something unexpected.

Moe wanted wood collectibles, preferably teak, but walked away with a Fortune Teller’s best friends. Lesa and Jerry discussed a new strategy to get the upper hand on the competition.

Bubba and Ricky discussed their talent to decipher a storage unit’s worth in mere seconds. They don’t need five minutes. Uncle and nephew team got game.

Bubba: If you don’t have an eye for it, you’re screwed.

Also up for discussion – Lesa’s lack of appraisal skills.

1storageunitSWTX1-21st Storage Unit

Old toys, golf clubs, glass jugs, and nicely packed boxes labeled collectibles. Bawl alert! Bids rose fast and furious with Bubba and Lesa duking it out. Bubba ultimately grabbed the whole shebang for $925.

Bubba: Do I respect Lisa as a bidder? (pause) No.

Bubba and Ricky picked apart the items and quickly realized it was ‘Nerd Heaven.’ Cherry on top – pristine original 1980s Star Wars Boba Fett action figures. New and in original boxes.

1storageunit_BOBA_SWTX1-2Thank you, George Lucas.

Bubba: These aren’t worth a lot of money. These are worth a sh** load of money.

Bubba’s feelings about the locker proved Jedi worthy. He and Ricky made over $8,000 on just four Boba Fett action figures alone! The Force was truly with them.

2storageunitSWTX1-22nd Storage Unit

A gym bag, dirty old boxes, and stacks of ratty newspapers. Yikes.

Lesa: I wouldn’t even respect myself if I bought a unit like this.

The only one interested? Victor. Who grabbed the dump for $20.

Yippee.  He needed another $20 for rattraps.

2storageunit_SWISSKNIFE_SWTX1-2But Victor had the last laugh. He found a solid futon frame, nice leather jacket, and the mother of all Swiss army knives.

He cruised over to House of Blades where he cashed in the knife for a quick $500. Not bad for a $20 investment.

3storageunitSWTX1-23rd Storage Unit

Clothes, clothes, and more clothes. Thrift store central, baby.

Lesa and Moe went head to head for the unit’s contents. Lisa did her best to discourage Moe.

Lesa: Moe! You don’t want this sh**!

Moe closed the deal at $750.  Lesa stormed off. Yelled obscenities at Moe. She went home with nothing but a foul mouth and a bad mood. She did strike back with her words but not with her skills.

Jerry: She gave them something. A headache maybe?

Moe got down and dirty as he picked apart piles of clothes. He unearth a sewing machine, a crystal ball, and a full deck of antique French playing cards. Hmm…

3storageunit_CARDS_SWTX1-2Was the crystal ball the real deal. He hustled over to a fortune teller. She saw into the future (not really) and said in the present – crystal ball valued at $400. Antique cards valued at $350.

Moe: My wife will be happy. She thinks we have enough wood between us.

Lesa and Jerry got bupkis. Victor educated on how to deal with locals.

Ricky learned that a ‘Bubba Fett’ can indeed be a powerful ally.

PROFIT SCORE CARD:

Ricky & Bubba Smith: $8,225
Victor Rjesnjansky: $570
Moe Prigoff: $375
Lesa Lewis & Jerry Simpson: $0

With the new Star Wars movies in producton; would you sell the action figures or hold out a few more years?

Please leave your creative comments in the box below.

Storage Wars: Texas: 1st Episode Recap

Storage-WarsTexas-Cast-1-1

Storage Wars: Texas: Season 1, Episode 1: “Texas Sold ‘Em.”

Bubba and Ricky Smith came a long way from Lampass, Texas. Country boys plan to not leave empty handed.

New York transport, Victor Rjesnjansky, prides himself on being smarter and more refined than the locals. That could be his undoing.

Lesa Lewis opened her own thrift store. Her assistant Jerry Simpson does the grunge work. Morris ‘Moe’ Prigoff, self-described antiques aficionado, brought his A-game. Along with his sense of (cough, cough) uh, style.

Walt Cade: These ain’t your fancy ‘city-folk’ lockers.

Great Storage Stampede in Texas a battle of wits and egos from the word – Go!

1-storageunit-SWTX1-11st Storage Unit
Few nice lamps, sleigh bed, and a pair of hooker shoes.  Victor strong out of the gate. However Moe smelled money. He  sniped the locker at $525.

Doc found retro furniture. Definitely worth his investment.

SCORE!

He found a lithograph print from the 1950s by artist Alexander Calder. He then found another lithograph from famous artist Peter Max.

CHA-CHING!

Moe : I may never come out of this one!

Doc had the art work appraised. Valued at $14,000.

2-storageunit-SWTX1-12nd Storage Unit
Piles of thrift store clothes and a few old dressers.

Ricky Smith: Somebody threw this stuff in here and made like a sheepherder, and got the flock outta here.

Hardy-har.

Victor looked for clues to find value beyond what was apparant. Bid war with Lesa. He won at $250.

Victor: Those maple dressers, that’s a GOOD sign.

Victor picked apart the locker. He discovered a stash of women’s purses. Big whoop! Then his unique find. Antique gun and flack jacket.

Victor needed to get the gun appraised. He went to Sam who said the weapon did have value. Appraiser however had no clue. Smart move there, Russian.

3-storageunit-SWTX1-13rd Storage Unit
Hardware supplies and commcercial equipment.

Lesa and Moe thumbed their noses at the contents. Ricky and Victor however knew any commercial equipment was easy money. NY vs. Texas.

Victor: The North always beats the South. Don’t these guys remember the Alamo?

Not this time, Vic. Ricky and Bubba swiped the locker at $425.

Uncle and nephew picked dug through and guess what? Money-Money-Money. Commercial equipment will sell for big bucks. Bubba found an antique air compressor which sported the Michelin Man.

Their antique dealer friend gave them good news. Valued at $3,000.

Ricky: This sounds tre-bien to me.

Victor made a little cash on antique gun. Moe cashed in on his art. Ricky and Bubba cashed in on industrial equipment.

Lesa and Jerry went back to her new store with cash still in her pocket.

PROFIT SCORE CARD:

Moe Prigoff:   $14,215
Ricky & Bubba Smith:   $3,735
Victor Rjesnjansky:  $870
Lesa Lewis & Jerry Simpson: $0

Victor found a series of ‘questionable’ Polaroids – would you turn them over to the authorities?

Please leave your creative comments in the box below.

Storage Wars: Texas: Meet the Cast

Storage-Wars-Texas-Original-Cast

A&E’s Storage Wars: Texas spawns as the first spin-off of this very successful storage auctions reality TV franchise. New series set to debut December 6, 2011.

Premise: The show follows a group of storage auction buyers as they travel throughout the BIG Lone Star state.

Auctioneer Walt Cade

Graduate of the prestigious Texas Auction Academy, Walt conducts over 300 auctions per year in the Southern US and Caribbean. Known for his Texas style attire: cowboy hat, big belt buckle, boots, and customized shirts. His catch phrases: “Hammer Up!” and “Until next time, Hammer Down!”

Lesa Lewis – “The Boss”

Raspy voice with a sharp-edge personality, she began buying storage units in 2006. Lesa may not have deep pockets, but her catch phrase “Bring It!” makes it apparent she’s not afraid to play with the big boys. Lesa owns Again and Again Resale in Crockett, Texas. Her tough-as-nails exterior matches her Hell’s Angel inner soul; you do not want to get in her way.

Jerry Simpson

Employee and friend of Lesa since 2008. He keeps her grounded as she keeps him busy hauling merchandise out of the lockers. Jerry quick to complain about many things but he knows not to undermine Lesa’s authority.

Victor Rjesnjansky – “The Outsider”

Born and bred New Yorker left the Big Apple to relocate to Tyler, Texas. He owns a consignment store and holds estate sales. Victor talks a big game and dresses more cosmopolitan than casual. He’s charming, well-built, and not afraid to let you know he’s good-looking.

Ricky Smith & Clinton “Bubba” Smith – “The Rangers”

Ricky and Bubba (nephew of Ricky) own and operate a warehouse in Lampass, Texas. Ricky the veteran auction hunter with about 40 years of experience. He’s difficult to understand as he speaks backwoods country talk. But Ricky makes it perfectly clear when he’s up to buy a locker. Bubba under his tutelage helps with the grunt work as well as with his knowledge of electronics. Both are country boys with deep pockets.

Moe-Prigoff-StorageWarsTexasMorris “Moe” Prigoff – “The Doc”

Foot doctor turned auction hunter, but he’s not ready to give up his practice to hunt for treasures. Moe has been collecting modern furniture and antiques for over 30 years and owns an exclusive antique gallery. Don’t take him seriously, because he doesn’t. He’s an eccentric dresser and his sneakers are out of this world.

Will the spin-off capture the attention and ratings as the original Storage Wars? Time will tell but one thing is for sure, everything they do in Texas is BIG, so expect big lockers, big arguments, and big dramas!

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Auction Hunters: G.I. HAFF

AllenHaff-gun-AH-2-26Auction Hunters: Season 2, Episode 26: “Reel Money.”

Haff-Ton team drove to San Diego, California, for a container auction. Allen called it storage container heaven. Duo expected to find anything from brand new clothes to foreign auto parts.

Fact: The Port of San Diego imports up to 500,000 new vehicles every year.

Big time auctions draw big time crowds. Today, it drew mostly rookies. People were touching merchandise, moving and opening boxes; definitely first timers.

footlocker-unit-AH-2-26Foot Locker Unit

1950’s army locker, stroller, carpet steamer, weed whacker, tools, and boxes. Haff-Ton won the container for $325.

Duo opened the army locker and found a rifle scope.

Fact: Until the 80’s, only snipers were issued rifle scopes, due to the expense.

There was also a KA-BAR-like knife.

Fact: KA-BAR knife blades can pierce through ballistics vests and aircraft hulls.

Ton removed a large bag. He accidentally inflated an off-shore life raft. All aboard!

Haff-Ton team found a couple more military cases. The cases had military electronics called MILES. AlleMILES-AH-2-26n clueless as to what they were for. Ton recognized the electronics from the movie, Heartbreak Ridge.

Fact: 28,000 soldiers died in the Battle of Heartbreak Ridge during the Korean War.

It was a military laser tag system used for training purposes by both the marines and army.

Fact: Over 40 nations use the MILES combat system for military training.

Haff-Ton team took the MILES equipment to Craig, a former marine and military gear collector.

Fact: Coincidentally, “miles” is also Latin for “soldier”

The kit included an umpire gun. It could be used to bring people in the game back to life, or kill them. Craig said soldiers often called it,”The God Gun.”

Craig didn’t want to make an offer until he saw if all the vests still worked. Ton volunteered Allen. Sure, pick on the little guy. Haff put on the vest. Ton and Craig shot lasers at him.

Allen did not enjoy being target practice. However, he was glad the lasers and vests still worked.

Craig bought the equipment for $7,000.

Vintage-Collectible-Unit-AH-2-26Vintage Collectible Unit

Stabilizer bar, old 50’s suitcases, vintage tennis racquet, antique easel, and boxes. Duo won the locker for $475.

They found pieces to…something. It would have to be put together before they could tell what.

A fighting chair!
Uh, what chair?

Fact: Big game fisherman strap into fighting chairs to securely reel in their catch.

For fishing, that’s what. Chair was vintage, from the 1970’s.

It needed a little TLC before duo could sell it. But with a little paint and varnish; it was good as new. Well, almost.

Haff-Ton team took it to big game fisherman named Bob.fighting-chair-AH-2-26

Fact: The largest fish ever caught by rod was a 2669 pound great white shark.

Bob told them it was a custom chair, made by hand.

The fighting chair was the center piece of any big game fishing boat. Bob told them that reeling in a really big fish could take as long as 10 hours. (Holy Big Fish!)

Fact: The largest marlin ever caught was 17ft long and took three hours to reel in.

Bob bought the chair for $9,500.

Duo helped Bob install it on his boat. Time for the guys to go catch a big one!

Something H-U-G-E went for the bait.

Allen was target practice; only fair he would get to reel in a fish.

Fact: It took Allen 18 minutes to reel in this 25.1 lb Yellowtail amberjack.

It was THAT <———-> Big!

Grilled fish tonight.

Auction Total:

Paid $800
Sold: $18,940
Profit: $18,140

Please post your insightful and thoughtful opinions in the comment box below.

Auction Hunters: Allen Punches Dummy

AllenHaff-dummy-AH-2-25Auction Hunters: Season 2, Episode 25: “Early Bird Special.”

Haff-Ton team drove to Stanton, California very early in the morning. Ton fell asleep in the truck.

Rise and Shine!
Auction time!

Fact: Some mammals like lions and koalas sleep over 20 hours a day.

Bright side? There were doughnuts and coffee at the auction. Um, can I come too?

Fact: Stanton is a major auto and aerospace manufacturing center in Orange County.

Company-Unit-AH-2-25Company Unit

Popcorn maker, old milk cans, plastic containers, and boxes. Duo won the locker for $300.

They found an antique mantle with mirror. The guys also discovered a bike.

Ton lugged a ring toss game out of the unit.

Fact: Poor citizens in ancient Greece played ring toss with bent horseshoes.

Allen found boxes within boxes. Ton unpacked a leather shoulder holster. He also discovered a toy water gun. Shoot! No fun on the gun range with that.

Fact: Shoulder holsters gained popularity among Wild West gunmen in the mid 1800’s.

Allen found some real gun bags. But the guns inside were BB guns made to look like Thompson submachine guns.

Fact: 2.7 million Thompson submachine guns were produced for WWII

Haff-Ton team realized the guns were part of a vintage carnival shooting gallery. The rest of the shooting-range-AH-2-25pieces to the game where inside the unit.

They put the game together together, touched it up, and found a buyer.

Duo had to do some repair work before they put ad up online. The guys were soon contacted by Leamon, a collector.

Duo brought the game out to display. Leamon had a thick accent. Allen could barely make out a word he said. But one thing was clear; this shooting gallery could be worth a pretty penny if the guns still worked.

Fact: The 1893 Chicago World’s fair inspired the modern traveling carnival in the U.S.

Allen shot the BB guns at the targets. Guns worked but Allen missed by a mile.

He dared Ton to do better.
Bad move! This is TON we’re talking about here.
Ton hit the target right on the bull’s-eye.

Allen might not be a winner at target practice; but both of were winners when Leamon paid them $4,500 for the game.

Shrink-Wrap-Unit-AH-2-25Shrink Wrap Unit

Front end of a sports car, chairs, golf club case, boxes, and lots of items in shrink wrap. Duo took the unit for $500.

They found several pieces of “ground effect” car parts. Sides and exhaust cut out.

Fact: Some ground effects improve a car’s aerodynamics, while others are cosmetic.

Haff-Ton team also discovered an industrial cooking fan. Ton found a wooden dining set.

Ton unpacked fighting pads for MMA – mixed martial arts.dummy-AH-2-25

Fact: MMA contests were introduced to the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC.

Allen jumped like a scared little girl when he spotted a body in the back of the unit!

He’s not dead. Just a fighting dummy. Allen tried out a couple of his moves on it.

Fact: This dummy features a skeleton made of steel cable that can hold up to 4,100 lbs.

There was a ton of fighting gear in the unit, including a MMA training cage.

Duo took the cage and dummy to Ted, an owner of a mixed martial arts training facility.

Fact: It only takes 7 pounds of pressure to break an elbow joint.

Ted told them that MMA training cages were octagons. This cage definitely had missing pieces. It just wasn’t something Ted was interested in as-is.

The fighting dummy however, was a different story. That particular fighting dummy had originally been used by the military for bayonet training. It was very high quality and currently use for MMA training.

Ted bought the dummy and the pieces of the cage for $2,400.

The early birds caught the worm and made a healthy profit.

Auction Total:

Paid $800
Sold: $8,430
Profit: $7,630

Please post your insightful and thoughtful opinions in the comment box below.

Auction Hunters: Jaws of Life

TonJones-jaws-of-life-AH-2-24 copyAuction Hunters: Season 2, Episode 24: “Great American Cashtime.”

Haff-Ton team drove to San Diego, California. Tourism – HUGE! Duo prepared to find just about anything in the storage units.

Fact: In 1592, San Diego was the first site visited by Europeans in what is now California.

One of the bidders was none other than Rene Nezhoda, pre-Storage Wars. Weird! It felt wrong to watch him without Casey! He was cheerful and friendly, and managed to steal one unit away from the duo.

Organized-Unit-AH-2-24Organized Unit

Boat motor, Bosch case, desk, swivel chair, shelves, rubber containers, and boxes. Everything was very neat and organized. Haff-Ton team won the locker for $1,300.

Allen found vintage baseball bats. Box of books and bag of clothes. His sense of fashion was offended when he found a pleather purse.

Allen also found a vintage baseball cap collection.

Ton opened a big box. Surprise! More baseball stuff. It was a pitching machine from the 1950’s.batting-machine-AH-2-24

Fact: The world’s first pitching machine was designed in 1897 and powered by gunpowder.

Duo took the pitching machine to a batting cage owner, Cordell. He stated the machine was made by the Master Pitching Machine Company.

Fact: The founder of Master Pitching Machines’ first prototype was built in 1952.

It was the first and only machine to have an arm lever. The lever made the machine’s aim less precise, which meant it was more like a real pitcher.

Fact: A 105 mph heater thrown by Aroldis Chapman in 2010 is the fastest pitch in MLB history.

The machine was in great shape and had no dents. A newer machine would be worth $4,000! This one had historical value.

Pitch.
Swing.
Home run as the pitching machine was appraised at $8,000. Cordell offered to pay $4,500… IF it worked.

Flip the switch.
Arm worked like a pitcher.
Allen hit ball after ball.

SOLD!

loft-unit-AH-2-24Loft Unit

Aluminum ladders, racks, refrigerator, animal crates, and boxes. The locker had a loft, which piqued the duo’s interest. Haff-Ton won the locker for $900.

Ton found camping chairs, feed buckets, and a water trough. Ton found a hydraulic ram used in fire rescue situations.

Fact: Hydraulic rams use special heat resistant fluid to avoid explosion during fire rescues.

Allen climbed up to check the loft. He discovered a “Jaws of Life” up there. Ton was psyched.

Fact: The Jaws of Life is a hydraulic tool used to help free victims from wreckejaws-of-life-AH-2-24d vehicles.

Duo took the “Jaws of Life” to Ryan, a fire fighter and rescue gear collector.

Fact: The Jaws of Life was first used in 1963 as a tool to rescue race car drivers from crashes.

The machine was American made dated back to the 1980’s. Jaws could push a car door apart or pull back a roof.

Ton’s kind of machine!

Fact: The first Jaws of Life machine was so large it had to be transported by a pickup truck.

Ton said he had once been saved from a car crash with a Jaws of Life rescue.

If the rescue tool worked, it would be valued at $5,000. Ryan had a spare junk car and asked Ton to use rescue Jaws to take off the roof.

Pull off a car roof?
He didn’t have to ask Ton twice.

Fact: On average, extrication with the Jaws of Life takes 9 to 15 minutes.

Ton took the Jaws of Life to the car.

RIIIIIIIIIIIPPPPPP!

It’s now a convertible. (Not one I’d want to drive.)

Ryan was ready to deal, but Ton and Allen decided to donate the rescue tool to him. It was important that the Jaws of life be in the hands of someone who would use it to save lives.

Fact: Firefighters often use the Jaws of Life to extract victims from burning buildings.

Haff-Ton team selfless act may have saved a life.

Auction Total:

Paid $2200
Sold: $5,840
Profit: $3,640

Please post your insightful and thoughtful opinions in the comment box below.

Auction Hunters: Ton Chain Saw Massacre

TonJones-chainsaw-tree-AH-2-23Auction Hunters: Season 2, Episode 23: “Auction Hunters, Ink.”

Haff-Ton team drove back to Los Angeles, California. Home sweet home. They were glad to be back.

Duo attended an auction at a high-end facility; state of the art with climate control and solid security. It attracted businesses and wealthy individuals alike.

Fact: Cadillac coined the term “climate control” in 1966.

wooden-bear-unit-AH-2-23Wooden Bear Unit

Bikes, wooden bear statue, PA, face mask, gas cans, trash can, rubber bins, and boxes. Duo won the locker for $325.

Ton found a 600 volt flood light. Sometimes you just have to wonder how the original owners accumulated their “stuff.”

Haff-team then dug up several “hot saws”.

Fact: A “hot saw” is a high-performance, modified chainsaw, often used for competitions.

The saws were all heavy duty. One had a customized smoke stack attached.

Fact: Expansion chambers help enhance engine power by reusing the energy in burnt exhaust.

The wooden bear was obviously carved with one of the saws. Bear was missing a mouth, however. Allen decided it was time to get creative. He fired up the saw and carved. Luckily, Allen didn’t lose any fingers.

Haff-Ton team took the saws a chain collector, George. TonJones-chainsaw-AH-2-23 He was impressed with two of the saws. One was valued at $1,500-$2,200.

Fact: The hot saw world record is 3 cuts through a 19″ thick log in 5.085 seconds.

The second saw had a value of $2,500-$3,000 with 21 or 22 horsepower.

Fact: A riding lawnmower is generally 20 to 30 horsepower.

If however, the saws don’t work, they’re not worth a dime.  Need a volunteer.

TON!

Crank. Tree. VaVOOOOM! Mulch.

Saws worked perfectly. George paid $4,000 for the lot.

company-unit-AH-2-23Company Unit

Collectable posters, artwork from a tattoo parlor, suitcases, and cornucopia of boxes. Duo won the locker for $900.

Allen discovered some costume jewelry. Ton found comic books from the 1980’s.

Fact: A Superman comic book valued at $1 million was found in a storage unit in 2011.

They found a complete beginner’s tattoo kit. Ton unpacked some tattoo ink. In the mix were tattoo designs which were used to trace tattoos onto skin. Ton discovered custom-made tattoo tools. One had the name “Pike” engraved on it.

Fact: Renowned tattoo artist, Mike Pike, got his first tattoo when he was 7 years old.

A second machine was signed by Bob Shaw. He helped boom the popularity of tattoos in the US.tattoo-machines-AH-2-23

Fact: Bob Shaw began tattooing in 1941, at age 16.

Haff-Ton team took the designs and custom-made tools to Rick, an expert tattooist and collector.

Several of the tattoo designs were from the 1940’s made by Bob Shaw himself. Duo showed him Mike Pike “Teacup” machine.

Fact: The Mike Pike “Teacup” gets its name from the shape of the machine’s frame.

Rick was very impressed by the Bob Shaw “Swing Gate” tool. It was made of cast iron, which often broke, so they were very rare and hard to find.

Fact: Bob Shaw worked as a tattoo artist for over five decades until his death in 1993.

Rick was astonished the tool had been signed by Bob Shaw. Unsigned alone the tool was valued at $2,500. Signed, the Haff-Ton team learned the value was $10,000.

Ink-Me!

Fact: The world’s most tattooed man is 100% covered, including the inside of his mouth.

Rick paid $8,000 for the lot. He threw in a tattoo for Ton made with the Bob Saw tattoo machine.

Ton was stoked with his tattoo made by a Bob Shaw tool.

Auction Total:

Paid $1,225
Sold: $13,415
Profit: $12,190

Please post your insightful and thoughtful opinions in the comment box below.