Archive - March 2014

Storage Wars: Darrell Shocked Himself

March 29, 2014

Storage Wars: Season 5, Episode 4: “Operation: Intimidation.”

Ivy said today he was Mr. Un-Nice-Guy. Isn’t that everyday? It seemed no one wanted to play nice today as Darrell decided Brandon’s next lesson would be how to mess with Rene. Rene offered Brandon a job and called everyone amateurs.

Jarrod and Brandi’s day began with a mess when their truck driver hit a tree. Damage to the truck about $1,000. It looked as if this was going to be a very un-nice, messy day.

1^st Storage Unit

Electric wheel chair, clothes bag, stroller, table, wood furniture, totes, mattresses and boxes. Ivy won the unit for $350.

He found DVDs, vintage jewelry, desk and dresser, and a small, locked bank. Ivy hoped there might be silver and gold inside. Wishful thinker.

Ivy took the bank to a locksmith. The locksmith informed him it was an old children’s bank. He opened it in under two minutes. No gold, just coins.

Bright side? The bank itself was worth $2,000.

Ivy: It’s party time!

2^nd Storage Unit

Rack of clothes, old computer, keyboard, artwork, tripod, hard metal case, trash bags, and boxes.

Darrell and Rene bid war. Darrell outwitted the German and won at $1,200.

Darrell: I hope Brandon was taking notes, because that is how you mess with Rene.

Darrell found several containers full of surgical, stainless steel utensils. He also found a Louis Vuitton bag and a doctor’s bag full of papers and…Viagra.

Darrell: I don’t need Viagra. I already have a boner for this unit.

The less said about that the better.

Darrell opened up more boxes and found tools, CDs, photos, books, and Rolex watches. Duo then found a mystery medical box. Darrell guessed it might be a fancy marital aide. They took it a sexual therapy expert.

She told them it was Fluvita from the 20’s or 30’s. She valued it at between $300-$400. The mechanism sent electric shocks to stimulate pleasure to the body.

Darrell tried it on his foot. Yeah, he shocked himself. I think he burned some flesh too. Ew!

3^rd Storage Unit

Bed, vase, computer, fan, lamps, tool box, DVDs, folding table, fish tank and boxes. Everyone started bidding on this unit. Ivy tried to intimidate everyone but Brandi wasn’t phased. She won the unit for $3,400.

Brandi found an IKEA chair in an unopened box. Jarrod found a box of Disney princess collectables. The locker also had, a dresser, nightstand, washer, driver, and dining room chair.

Jarrod opened a box and saw brand new, expensive knives. He thought the blades would sell great at the Long Beach store.

Brandi: I don’t think you can actually sell knives in Long Beach, because you might be accessory to murder.

Oh, my!

Jarrod insisted on taking the fish tank to appraisal. Aquarium store just a stroll from their thrift shop. The fish tank was only worth $250. Jarrod took a stroll back to his thrift store with the fish tank and a very long face.

Profit Scorecard:

Darrell Sheets: $11,030
Ivy Calvin: $2,650
Rene & Casey Nezhoda: $0
Jarrod Schulz & Brandi Passante: LOSS $-460

What do you think Jarrod and Brandi’s strategy should be to get back on top?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Storage Wars: Jarrod Smokes Brandi

March 28, 2014

Naomi Luc

Storage Wars

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Storage Wars: Season 5, Episode 3: “Nerds of the Round Table.”

Jarrod said if they didn’t win a locker soon, they wouldn’t be in the game much longer. Brandi urged him to be smart, not reckless. That woman has brains and looks.

Ivy declared he was on a hot streak. Rene played mind games with Darrell via text. At the parking lot, Rene gave Darrell a hug. Not a bromance. “The Gambler” warned Rene one more touch – he’d punch. I’d watch out if I were you Rene.

1^st Storage Unit

Fan, trashcan, cooler, chair, audio equipment, furniture basketballs, sport shoes, golf clubs, boxes and mouth moisturizer. Really? Mouth moisturizer? Weird.

Darrell wanted Brandon to learn how to have warm fuzzy feelings for a good locker. Brandon took point on and bid war with Rene. The kid won at $500.

Darrell and Brandon found a Bissell vacuum, school supplies, and books. Darrell found a breastplate, helmet, and foam sword inside a rubber container. Darrell tried on the helmet and his hair was caught on the chain. He couldn’t get the helmet off.

Brandon: Just pull, you ain’t got that much hair left anyways.

Not very sympathetic, Brandon.

Darrell and Brandon took the armor to LARP (Live Action Role Playing) expert, Walter. He said the armor would be allowed for LARPing, however it’s costume armor. Not genuine medieval wear. Walter valued it at $400.

Darrell and Brandon decided to have some fun and joined the LARP game in progress. Darrell “Braveheart” won the battle.

2^nd Storage Unit

Chair, couch, step ladder, lamp, pool cue, microwave, Wii, DJ Hero 2, television, surround system and boxes. Everyone was interested in this unit. Jarrod and Brandi won it for $1,000.

Jarrod found a set of four patio chairs. Brandi discovered beer pong equipment.

Brandi: This definitely looks like a party locker, but if we don’t start making some money, the party’s over.

Jarrod found what looked like a flame thrower. A gas tank near which attached to the item. The “Young Guns” took the contraption to Ryan, an special effects expert. He informed them it was a portable fog gun with Co2 tank. It’s value at $1,000. Did it work? Just ask Brandi. Jarrod smoked her!

3^rd Storage Unit

Table saw, refrigerator, speakers, tires, old TV, pictures, bike, craftsmen tools, fishing rod, musical instruments, plastic bags and boxes. Darrell and Rene butted heads again. Darrell inflated the bid which forced Rene to pay $1,300.

Rene and Casey found a coat rack, chop saw, drill, helmet and pool table. Rene opened a plastic container and found laser device. He guessed it might be for forensic science.

The couple took the laser device to Don, a forensic science professor. He told them it was a light source that produced different colors of light for examination of evidence. Don valued it at $2,500.

Rene: Maybe I should mess with Darrell at every auction.

Profit Scorecard:

Rene & Casey Nezhoda: $3,700
Jarrod Schulz & Brandi Passante: $700
Darrell Sheets: $365
Ivy Calvin: $0

What did you think of Darrell and Brandon’s role playing act?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Sparefoot Blogs About OnlineStorageAuctions.com

March 25, 2014

T.C. Lane

Press

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New domain secured for online storage auction operator

Storage auction website operator TCL Media Group recently bought a new domain name designed to make it more competitive in the online auction industry.

The Dallas-based company now operates OnlineStorageAuctions.com and has merged VirtualStorageAuction.com and StorageAuctionForums.com into the new website.

“The domain itself was an incredible purchase,” said Travis Lane, principal of TCL Media Group. “We got a really good deal on it. It is such a crucial domain for the online storage auction niche.”

Lane declined to disclose the purchase price. The previous owner of the domain wasn’t operating a business through OnlineStorageAuctions.com.

“Somebody had been holding the domain for three or four years,” Lane said.

A hot property

Lane said he had inquired in the past about buying … Click here to read the full article at Sparefoot’s Storage Beat.

Barry’d Treasure: Million Dollar Jade

March 25, 2014

Naomi Luc

Barry'd Treasure

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Barry’d Treasure: Season 1, Episode 2: “Kentuckyana Jones and the Emperor’s Vessel.”

Barry drove to Kentucky to meet collector Michael. His nickname – Kentuckyana Jones. Barry brought sidekick JR to play his banjo along ride.

Barry sang, ” She’ll Be Coming ‘Round the Mountain.” Is there anything this man can’t do?

The Collector

Kentuckyana Jones owned a wax museum. He took Barry back into a secret room. Ooh, the intrigue! The piece he wanted to sell was an emperor’s vessel from the Han dynasty. It weighed thirty pounds and was made of white jade.

Barry: White jade? Oh the memories. Reminds me of a dancer I used to know. Talk about flexible.

It would have taken two men twenty to thirty years to carve that particular piece. Kentuckyana said it had been valued at 3.7-4.2 million dollars. So why does the guy dress so dirt poor?

The Hunt

Barry decided to take the white jade to a buyer in South Carolina. Kentuckyana went along for the ride. But first, he loaded the car with knickknacks to trade along the way. Barry couldn’t make sense of the nickle-and-dime peddling when there was a multi-million dollar collectible to sell.

A few miles out Kentuckyana stopped to at a used car lot for trade. What? Used car lot trades collectibles? Michael traded two vases and three emeralds for a pre-Columbian figurine. Barry wasn’t impressed with Kentuckyana’s bargaining skills.

Barry: The only time you see a used car salesman laughing this hard, is when he’s just sold you a lemon.

Barry’s next unexpected stop was at an antique store in North Carolina. Kentuckyana traded a pre-Columbian statue and a small topaz for an art deco mannequin. Barry still wasn’t impressed.

At a gas station, Kentuckyana left the briefcase containing the multi-million dollar jade on top of the car… yep you guessed it. Barry drove. Briefcase fell. Thankfully, nothing was broken.

Barry and his crew finally reached their destination. The buyer was Clark, a white jade collector, and he was filthy-stinking rich. His house was gorgeous and filled with $$$ collectibles. Kentuckyana tried to jump right into business after the handshake. How uncouth! Barry told Michael to take a minute.

Barry: Tact Jonesy, tact. You’ve got to ease into these things.

Clark showed them his collection, including a bronze ram worth $315,000.

The Sale

Kentuckyana wanted 2.5 million for the white jade.

Barry: That was a bonehead move. Jonesy opened up with his bottom number. He’s about to get lowballed and not in a good way.

Clark countered with 1.6 million, the best deal he could do. Time for Barry to use his negotiating skills and make this happen.

Barry pulled Kentuckyana aside. He proposed that he accept the 1.75 million and ask Clark to throw in the bronze ram.

Kentuckyana or Clark a tad reluctant but they both agreed to the deal.

Go Barry!

Work was done. Time to have fun. On the way out of town Barry spotted a ranch. They had CAMELS! You know Barry could not resist a ride.

What did you think of the bronze ram deal?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Storage Wars: Hit and Miss

March 21, 2014

Naomi Luc

Storage Wars

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Storage Wars: Season 5, Episode 2: “The Hills Have Buys.”

Ivy ranted about his hatred of mattresses. Umm…okay? Darrell decided it was time Brandon became a better buyer. Rene was concerned for his reputation and determined to beat Jarrod.

Jarrod had bigger worries on his mind as he and Brandi decided to bid conservatively to make some money for their failing store.

1^st Storage Unit

There were tools, lights, dishes, an old car part and lots of boxes. Brandon didn’t think it looked like a promising unit, but Darrell felt confident and went for it.

Darrell: Today Brandon’s learning from the master!

Rene and Ivy both bid on the unit as well, but Darrell won it for $1,250. He and Brandon dug through the unit and found an old spittoon. Ew!

Jackpot! They found two Rolex watches!

Darrell found a black powder gun which they took to Jason, a gun expert. The gun was made in Germany. Good news, it was in decent condition. Bad news, it was a replica valued only at about $100. What do father and sons do with guns? Go to a firing range.

Darrell and Brandon made a friendly little bet on who could shoot the target. Brandon shot the target right in the heart, while Darrel shot the ceiling. Guess who bought who lunch?

2^nd Storage Unit

Suitcases, an old bike, a stove, skate board, bed and stroller. Packed and stacked. Jarrod, Ivy and Rene all bid on the unit; but it was Ivy who won at $500.

He found an old water heater, a coke sign, and his favorite – a mattress!

Ivy: Unfortunately in this business you can’t get stuff without getting mattresses.

Seriously dude, that’s a lot of mattress-hate.

He found a marble topped dresser, fishing nets, golf clubs, and a bat house. Wait… what?

It was a wooden box with ‘Bat Conservation’ written across it. Ivy took the “bat cave” to Cindy Myers, an expert in bat rehabilitation.

She explained it was a five-chamber bat house that could fit up to 500 bats! Ivy was disappointed to learn it was valued only at $100.

3^rd Storage Unit

Sporting goods, a hideaway bed, snow boots, a couch, boxes, and plastic containers.

Jarrod and Brandi wanted it. Rene determined to take it. Jarrod and Brandi had set a $500 cap. Rene rose the bid to $750. Oh, well.

Rene and Casey sorted through lots of clothes and bed sheets. The couple were gleeful when they found a box marked “fragile.” Tupperware. Talk about false advertising!

The couple did find a heavy-duty hiking backpack and survival kit. Rene had creepy-fun when he found an axe in the unit.

Rene: Here’s Johnny!

They found a Lib Tech snowboard and Stiga snow sled. They took the items up to the slopes to be appraised. Both disappointed to learn the items were worth around $100. At least Rene got to have some fun on the sled downhill! It was like watching a grown man ride a tricycle. Next time, Casey should give it a go!

It was $100 appraisal items day for everyone.

Profit Scorecard:

Darrell Sheets: $3,230
Ivy Calvin: $440
Rene Nezhoda & Casey Nezhoda: $300
Jarrod Schulz & Brandi Passante: $0

Do you think Jarrod and Brandi were smart to play it conservatively?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Storage Wars: Jarrod Buys Everything but the Girl

March 19, 2014

Naomi Luc

Storage Wars

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Storage Wars: Season 5, Episode 1: “Flight of the Gambler.”

Jarrod did a little beard maintenance while an impatience Brandi waited to leave for the auction in Montebello. Ivy announced he needed tools. He was going to bid on any units with tools. Seriously, there’s got to be an easier way to get hold of some tools, man.

Rene counted his chickens before they hatched. He had hired a truck and mover. Darrell proclaimed himself, “King of Montebello.” All hail the king!

1^st Storage Unit

Chairs, tables, mattresses, bags of shocks, and a bed. Definitely a household unit, though how the creepy red mask came about wasn’t clear.

Jarrod jumped into ring to buy but Ivy threw all the other bidders for a loop when he won locker for $237.50.

He found matching chairs and table, scrap wood, an old computer, and blankets. Lots and lots of blankets. One blanket even had butterflies and flowers.

Ivy: If you can’t buy what you like, buy what you love, and I love butterflies.

He then found some very odd looking equipment. He was clueless, but once he found a pair of ice skates, he imagined it was sports training equipment. He took the pole to an ice skating expert named Brianna.

Brianna stated it was a harness to help teach kids how to jump on the ice and not fall. She demonstrated the pole/harness with one of her students. Valued it at $1,200.

2^nd Storage Unit

Stove, dishwasher, DVD player, fridge, grandfather clock and plastic containers. Darrell and Rene both wanted this unit. Darrell distracted by poking at Rene he lost the locker to Jarrod who bought it for $3,700.

Jarrod exploded into a spending spree.

He bought the next storage units without blinking an eye.

3rd Unit – $450
4th Unit – $425
5th Unit – $350

Brandi didn’t like the looks of the units and wasn’t happy. Jarrod assured her they needed more stuff to sell at the Long Beach store.

Jarrod: You can’t win if you don’t play.
Brandi: Don’t start giving me the, “More you know” after-school special line.

Brandi paid a visit to the new store later that day. She discovered it was fully stocked and not a single customer in sight.

After a heart-to-heart with Jarrod, he finally admitted the store had been losing money since it opened. He said he kept it from her so only one of them would lose sleep at night. Aw, sweet.

6^th Storage Unit

Industrial equipment, compressor, drill press, commercial tools, sawdust collector, refrigerator, electric keyboard, and a bed.

Darrell and Rene went head-to-head, but Rene finally dropped out. Darrell won the locker for $1,600.

Darrell: I can’t decide what makes me happier. Winning an awesome locker, or shutting Rene down.

Darrell and Brandon went through the unit. They found a commercial table saw and a sander.

It went from tools to toys when they found a huge R.C. airplane. They took it to an expert to have it valued. Like new, never used, worth around $2,000.

The expert tested the plane. It flew beautifully until around mid-flight Brandon took controls. Crash landing! That’s a $2K s-p-l-a-t. Oops! Next time, let the professionals fly.

Profit Scorecard:

Ivy Calvin: $1,132.50
Darrell Sheets: $650
ReneNezhoda & Casey Nezhoda: LOSS -$300
Jarrod Schulz & Brandi Passante: LOSS -$3750

What do you think Jarrod and Brandi should do about the store?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

TCL Media Group Launches Online Storage Auctions – Reuters

March 19, 2014

T.C. Lane

Press

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TCL Media Group, a leading developer of websites relating to self-storage auctions, recently acquired OnlineStorageAuctions.com, the premium exact-match domain for the online storage auction niche. As part of the acquisition, the company has merged 2 of its existing properties onto the new site to create a single authoritative reference about self-storage auctions.

Among the TCL Media Group properties are VirtualStorageAuction.com, which offers an online alternative to traditional storage auctions, and StorageAuctionForums.com, the web’s largest dedicated storage auction discussion site with more than 30,000 posts. These sites have been merged into OnlineStorageAuctions.com. Additionally, over 500 articles, 17 celebrity interviews and 1,000 comments have been imported from the active blog at AuctionsTX.com.

Barry’d Treasure: The Collector’s Show Begins

March 18, 2014

Naomi Luc

Barry'd Treasure

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Barry’d Treasure: Season 1, Episode 1: “The Candyman Can’t.”

Barry drove to eastern Pennsylvania to meet up with Carter Reese. Yes, that’s Reeses Candies himself. He has been a collector for fifty years who needed to thin his hoard of collectibles. Barry took his sidekick, Kenny “The Praline King” along for the ride. Barry wanted to deal Reeses’ collectibles. Kenny wanted to sell his pralines to Reese. Why is this not such a good idea?

Barry: Since I retired from the storage auction game, I’ve been caught up in a whole different racket. Acquiring rare things for strange birds.

The Collector

Carter collected salesmen samples. For those who are unfamiliar they are simply miniatures models of a product inside a store used by salesmen to push the product to distributors.

Carter had over 800 salesmen samples. Wow!

Barry picked out an early Sickle Mower sample. Made in the 1870’s. Carter valued it at between $6,000 and $8,000.

Barry also took a sample Compound Marine Engine worth $8,000 and a sample Recliner, which was valued at $200. Barry thought it would make a great opening piece for the deal.

All the pieces were fully functional, even the recliner; but Barry wasn’t quite done.

Barry: I’ll take the marine engine, the farm implement, the recliner, and one other piece which you’re not going to be happy about.

He also took a sample Barber’s Chair from 1910, worth a whopping $40,000. It was clearly one of Carter’s favorites. Not at all wanting to part with the item. Reluctantly, he agreed.

The Hunt

Barry and Kenny packed the items in the trunk and drove off. A few wrong turns later, and the two were lost in Amish country.

They stopped an Amish buggy and asked its driver Jake for directions to the highway. Barry took an instant liking to Jake and decided to take him along on their adventure.

“But don’t tell the Bishop!”

Barry asked $500 for the Recliner; $10,000 for the Sickle Mower; but once the store owner heard the $50,000 price tag for the Barber Chair, he was out.

Barry took the items to two more antique stores. Too expensive for their clientele.

Barry decided to take a break from work to give Jack a makeover. The trio went shopping for clothes. After, Barry then decided to introduce Jake to a non-Amish, tattoo-riddled gal. Barry had them share a root beer float. I think Jake blushed!

Barry: But let’s get one thing straight, nothing’s more valuable than a good time.

At their fourth antique store they were given then name of a guy named Kelly who lived in New Oxford. He might be interested in the items. New Oxford was right next to Jake’s farm, so the guys dropped him off and said their goodbyes. An Amish kid with a suit?

Barry and Kenny shouted back at Jake: “Don’t tell the Bishop!”

Kelly was very interested in the salesmen samples and didn’t bulk the prices. Barry offered him a volume discount if he wanted to buy in bulk, and took him up to meet Carter.

The Sale

Carter wanted $44,900 for everything and Kelly countered with $25,000.

Barry: Come on, you guys are pros. You know that the best deal that’s going to happen here, you’re probably not both going to love it.

Barry suggested the happy compromise of $35,000. Both men agreed.

Now it was time for Carter to show off his pralines to the Reese family. Carter loved them. However, his family has been out of the candy business for years. Whoops.

What did you think of Barry’s new show?

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Get More Barry on His New Show, “Barry’d Treasure”

March 3, 2014

Tiana Bodine

Barry'd Treasure, Entertainment

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For many fans, Barry Weiss’s departure from Storage Wars was a serious blow.

His larger-than-life personality and crazy antics added a level of entertainment to the show that nobody else could hope to match.

But there’s some good news: If you’ve been missing Barry, you don’t have to wait much longer to get your fix.

A new show, Barry’d Treasure, is set to air on 3/18/2014. The show will air at 10pm, right after the Storage Wars season 5 premiere.

This new program takes a detour from the usual storage auction format. Rather than attending auctions, Barry and his new crew are traveling the country in search of rare and intriguing collector items to add to his own eclectic collection.

To do it, he’ll have to interact with a colorful cast of characters from all over the country and haggle with them to hand over their prized belongings. In that respect, the show is more like American Pickers with a decidedly quirky spin.

The format is a good fit for Barry, whose personality – and wealth – always set him apart from the other Storage Wars cast members. As a collector with plenty of expendable money and little interest in resale, the former produce-company owner has wide interests and the charm to make those interests into engaging television.

It’s not clear how long the series is scheduled to run, but if it takes off in popularity it might just be around to stay.

What do you think of Barry and his new show Barry’d Treasure?

Leave your interesting and creative responses in the comments section below.