Author - T.C. Lane

eBay is an online auction site where anyone can post nearly anything for sale. Since its inception in 1995, eBay has been one of the most well-known shopping destinations on the Internet.

In addition to its basic auction format, eBay offers several options to buyers and sellers including a fixed-priced store front. Its companion sites like Kijiji and StubHub offer other goods like online classifieds and event tickets, and eBay also owns PayPal.

If you’re not already familiar with eBay, you’re missing out on a great opportunity to make some extra money by selling items to collectors all over the world.

While Craigslist can help you connect with local buyers, eBay reaches a massive audiences of would-be consumers. With so many people buying and selling things through the site, there’s a lot of demand for even strange or generally hard-to-sell items.

You might not be able to sell everything immediately through eBay, but you can certainly increase your chances of turning a profit on items that might otherwise sit unused in your house or garage.

For auction hunters, eBay provides an especially valuable service. If you sell goods through the site, you don’t need to worry about maintaining a regular store-front.

As long as you have a place to store your merchandise, a digital camera and a little bit of time, you can run a successful online store through eBay.

Ebay Store: Basics for Beginners

The basic format if eBay is pretty simple. Buyers list items for sale and state whether they’ll be sold via auction or by a straight “buy now” price, or the item can be put up with both bids and a buy-out price.

Buyers search for items by name or category and can find auctions alphabetically, by price or by the date that the auction is set to end.

Before you can list any items on eBay, you’ll need to create an account. Take some time to create a good username and fill out your profile with relevant information.

Buyers will scope out your account before bidding on items, and you’ll want to appear as professional and trustworthy as possible. You’ll also want to build a bit of a reputation on the site by getting buyer and seller feedback.

Basically, every time you buy or sell an item, the other person involved can leave feedback over how trustworthy you are. Many people are unwilling to buy items from sellers without any positive feedback, so you’ll need to build this up before you can start really making sales.

The easiest way to build up your feedback is to make a few small purchases on the site and pay swiftly. The seller will generally leave positive feedback and help build your overall rating. In the long run, this will make you more attractive to buyers.

Once you have an account set up, it’s a good idea to do a bit of research before putting up your first items for sale. You’ll want to have a good idea of both how much the item is worth and how much others are selling it for.

If you overprice your item, you won’t get any takers; however, if you under-price your item, it will sell quickly but you’ll lose profits.

You’ll also need to decide on a way to accept payments. The easiest may be to use PayPal, but you can also take payments by bank deposit or even checks and money orders.

When you list an item for sale, you’ll need to upload a few photographs and write a description of the item.
You’ll also need to set the starting bid, bid increment, buy-now price and auction duration.
You can also set a reserve on the auction if you wish.
Once the item is posted, people on the site can see it and make bids.
In most cases, auctions won’t start to get active until the auction is winding to a close as more people will bid at the last second than early on since they’ll all be wanting a good deal.

Once someone makes a winning bid or buys your item outright, eBay will alert you. It’s then your responsibility to make sure that the item gets shipped or delivered appropriately.

The faster you get the items sent and the better condition they’re in when they arrive, the better your reputation will become among buyers. You can also choose to sell an item to local buyers only to arrange delivery or pickup in town. Just be sure you specify this when you list the item to prevent faraway bidders.

Tips for Selling on eBay

Although using the site is very straightforward and intuitive, getting the most out of your eBay business takes some time and strategy. Here are a few tips for making more money on eBay:

Take high-quality pictures of your merchandise and write up engaging descriptions. You’ll want to entice people to buy the items you post, and nothing will achieve that faster than a great description and photo. Try to infuse your listings with a little bit of personality while providing all of the information a buyer needs to know about the item’s condition, use and value.
Comparison shop among other people selling similar products to you. See what prices they’re asking for, and decide whether you can undercut them and still make a profit. See if you can highlight any benefits that your product has over what they’re selling.
Consider offering items on a certain theme through your shop. While you can certainly make your eBay shop a grab-bag of miscellaneous items, picking a cohesive theme can help make your shop a frequent destination of people looking for specific items.
Recognize that some things are better suited to being sold on eBay than others. For example, extremely heavy or bulky items can be prohibitively expensive to ship, so you may want to put them in a local-buyers-only listing or find a different venue to sell them through.
Check eBay for items that are under priced. You may be able to buy these and resell them for a profit, which can increase your overall profits and also take more of your competition off the market.
Bear in mind that just because something is listed on eBay doesn’t mean it will necessarily sell. When looking at other people’s items, be sure to check how many bids they’ve gotten, not just the asking price. Someone might put a worthless item for sale at a high price, but it’s only worth something if it actually gets bids.

These are just a few strategies that can be used to make money off of eBay. The website itself has several other step-by-step guides that will enable you to get started.

You may want to sign up with an account and do some buying on the site first to get a feel for how it works. Once you’ve become more comfortable with buying on eBay, you can begin making sales.

Please leave your creative comments in the box below.

Storage Wars Texas: What Happened to Lesa Lewis?

September 5, 2012

Entertainment

97 Comments

You’ve probably heard the news by now. Lesa Lewis and Jerry Simpson won’t be returning to this season of Storage Wars: Texas.

In their place, two new bidders are joining the show: Jenny Grumbles and Mary Padian. Since the announcement was made, fans have been speculating about the change, and plenty of rumors are circulating about what really happened to Lesa Lewis.

One of the most persistent rumors is that a scandal from Jerry’s past has resurfaced thanks to an issue of National Enquirer, and A&E had to cancel his involvement to neutralize the damage. There are a couple of problems with this rumor, though.

First, there’s no record of the article being run. Although National Enquirer archives all of its articles on its site, a site-wide search for “Jerry Simpson” brings up no matches. If the tabloid were really running something juicy enough to get Jerry fired, you would assume the magazine would mention it on its site.

Of course, National Enquirer isn’t the only tabloid, and a little bit of digging does turn up an April 2012 article from Reality Weekly, a tabloid dedicated to reality TV. The article does reference Jerry’s criminal history, and also says that he’s been clean for years, while his “friends give Lesa a lot of the credit for his recovery.”

This article is quoted in several recent interviews about the two of them, and it doesn’t seem that Jerry’s criminal history has been a problem for fans. If anything, it’s made him and Lesa an even more irresistible duo, because people love a tale of friendship and redemption.

A&E is remaining tight-lipped about its change. The cast bios for the new members went up on the site without explanation, even though a photograph of Lesa and Jerry still graces the network’s page. Lesa’s own website, www.lesalewis.net, makes no reference to the change either. Perhaps after the premiere, Lesa will explain the situation on her own site and put fans across the country at ease.

In the meanwhile, all we can do is speculate. While it’s certainly possible than Jerry Simpson’s legal history caused this sudden change in lineup, there are plenty of other possibilities.

Reality television is, after all, based entirely on ratings, and it doesn’t seem like coincidence that the two newest cast members are attractive young women. It’s very possible that A&E simply decided that the show needed to be spiced up a little, and the new cast members were the best way to do it.

No matter why Lesa Lewis is leaving the show, fans don’t need to be too worried about her. Recent estimates suggest that her celebrity net worth is an impressive $2.5 million, and her popularity from the show has helped her launch a successful website to help bring more business to her thrift store.

She and Jerry probably won’t suffer too much from the change, and you never know: There might be another spin-off series in the works.

So how do you feel about Lesa & Jerry leaving the show? What do you think happened to them? Leave your interesting and creative responses in the comments section below.

Update 09/29/12 – Lesa Lewis & Jerry Simpson are back! A&E just announced that Lisa and Jerry will be returning for “a surprise visit.” It is currently unclear as to whether they will be returning to the show full time or whether this is just a cameo appearance. Only time will tell.

Update 03/19/13 – What really happened to Lesa Lewis & Jerry Simpson from Storage Wars: Texas? Lesa contacted us and let us know that she left Storage Wars: Texas due to a dispute over her salary. She let us know that the dispute has been resolved and that she will be returning to the show next season.

How to Sell Storage Auction Items on Craigslist

August 31, 2012

Craigslist has become one of the most popular websites for people looking to buy, sell or trade items.

Providing everything from wanted ads to job postings, Craigslist postings are specific to the area where the seller is located.

This makes it easy to deliver your goods and reduces the competition for items, making it a less intimidating place to buy and sell than eBay.

For the rookie auction hunter, selling items on Craigslist is a great way to get your toes in the water and see if you’d be interested in a larger resale business.

Craigslist itself is very easy to use. Anyone can post an ad online, and you don’t need to sign up in advance or pay for a membership.

Depending on where you live, there may be a small fee associated with posting an ad. Larger cities tend to have bigger fees to help keep the boards from getting inundated. You can usually post for free to nearby suburbs if you want to avoid the fee, however.

Here are a few tips for getting the best result from your Craigslist ad:

Take a photograph of your items. Ads without pictures don’t get nearly as much attention. For best results, use a decent camera (not a cell phone) and stage the photo in a clean, uncluttered area. Natural light, such as sunlight, makes for the best photos as indoor lighting can cause colors of the item to look strange.

Write a concise description. Make sure to use good spelling and grammar, since typos can turn off buyers. Explain what the item is, what condition it’s in, and how much you’re looking to get it for. Keep it simple, but include all of the necessary information.

Provide a link in your ad to a place where the item can be bought new. If you do decide to link to Amazon or some other store, be sure that you’re selling your item more cheaply than the retailer is.

Choose the option to keep your email address private. This allows people to email you about the ad and prevents you from getting targeted by spammers.

Keep your phone number off the advertisement. Unless, of course, you’re willing to handle a lot of phone calls. You also never know where your number might end up. Instead, direct buyers to email you, and provide phone numbers only after people contact you.

Don’t post too many ads. If you do, you might get flagged and have your ads removed. People who are routinely flagged may even get blocked from posting ads in the future. If you have multiple items to sell, consider making a single post and provide details for all of your items. Otherwise, just be sure to space out your ads over a period of a few days or weeks.

Some items sell better on Craigslist than others. If you’re selling things that are constantly in high demand, like electronics or appliances, you should be able to find lots of interested buyers on the site. Other things, like antiques, may not sell as well.

Selling items on Craigslist you may not always sell everything right away, but you can sometimes find a buyer quickly and have cash money in your hand that same day.

Even better, Craigslist allows you to connect with local buyers and collectors who may be interested in your items later. Be sure nurture these relationships so you can turn your later finds into steady profits.

Please leave your insightful thoughts in the comment box below.

Personal Documents Found in a Storage Unit

August 21, 2012

22 Comments

Thanks to the popularity of shows like Auction Hunters and Storage Wars, more people are interested in storage auctions as a way to make money.

As novices flock to auctions, it’s important to understand exactly what they’re getting into.

While it’s certainly possible to find some real treasures in an abandoned storage unit, it’s more likely that you’ll find a lot of units filled with household items, trash and personal memorabilia with no real value.

Once a unit has been sold, it’s the winning bidder’s responsibility to clean out the unit within 24 to 48 hours.

All items inside the unit must be moved and stored or disposed of within that time frame.

While this may not be an issue for expensive goods that you can resell, it can pose a problem when you run across personal items from the previous tenant.

Items such as:

Tax documents
Passports
Identification Cards
Vehicle Titles
Social Security Cards
Credit Cards
Birth Certificates
Marriage Certificates
Marriage Licenses
Divorce Papers
Diplomas
Checkbooks
Urns containing the ashes of deceased pets or relatives
Photographs, Scrapbooks, and other Personal Memorabilia
Letters and Correspondence

People may not realize that they won’t necessarily get these items back if they fall behind on their storage payments. They may not even realize that these items have been stored.

A move can be strenuous and stressful, and it’s easy to forget what items are packed in which boxes.

Because memorabilia and personal documents are rarely used, a person could keep them in storage for years before realizing they were gone.

As a treasure hunter, these items are worthless. They may mean a lot to the previous tenant, however, and so auction hunters are faced with the option of what to do with the personal contents of a person’s abandoned storage unit. There are generally three main options:

Attempt to find the previous owner. Their information may be easily obtained from the storage unit’s owner or the documents themselves. You can contact the tenant and explain the situation and offer to give back the sensitive items. Most people will be relieved to get back Grandma’s ashes or their high school yearbook. This can go badly, however, if the person gets angry at you for buying their other belongings. You’ll need to tread carefully when approaching this situation to avoid potential altercations.
Leave the items with the storage company’s manager. You can leave the items at the front office for the tenant to pick up later. Not all managers will be willing to hold items for previous tenants, but it can help prevent unpleasant interactions. This may be the best option if you’re unable or unwilling to get in contact with the tenant.
Discard the items. For some auction hunters, tracking down previous tenants is too time consuming. You’re under no legal or moral obligation to return items to their owners, so you can throw away anything you have no use for. If you do dispose of these items, however, do the previous tenant a courtesy and do it properly. For example, try to shred or burn personal documents rather than throwing them in the trash where an identity thief could come across it.

Reuniting items with their proper owners isn’t your responsibility, but it may help you feel better to know that these personal items are back in their owner’s hands.

No matter what you choose to do with the items in your storage unit, it’s worth having a game plan in mind in advance so that you can move swiftly to resolve these types of issues.

Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.

Storage Wars Texas: Interview with Walt Cade

July 2, 2012

Celebrity Interviews

3 Comments

We recently had the chance to interview Walt Cade, the auctioneer from Storage Wars Texas. Although his schedule is busier than ever, Walt took some time to answer some questions that will help us get to know him better. If any of you would like to ask Walt a specific question, please post your interesting and creative responses in the comments section below. Once we receive enough questions, I will be glad to forward them to him. Enjoy!

Q. Have you seen an increase in attendance at your auctions since Storage Wars Texas premiered?

A. Of course, business is good and the exposure has been fantastic.

Q. Do you get treated any differently in public now? Do you catch people staring?

A. Maybe, but I’m still just another ordinary guy with a love of people, so if I have something that interests them, I’m ready to share. But most importantly, I get to meet a lot of new people. When I am noticed, I try to NOT be distanced. A smile lets them know I am certainly approachable.

Q. Do you get a lot of people asking you how they can get on the show? If so, what do you tell them?

A. I’m always glad to take a card or note from them and pass it along. Of course, I’m not the person that makes those decisions. The show is pretty good at making selections as they know what they want.

Q. I noticed your email address begins with “Taxman.” Are you a former accountant or is there a hidden meaning in that?

A. I retired from the tax business after 30 years. My youngest son took it over and is doing great. I no longer have any ownership or partnership in the practice. I’m absolutely and totally retired from it.

Q. People refer to you as the Colonel. Were you in the military?

A. Licensed auctioneers are referred to as “Colonel.” The term dates back to the early war days, where only a Colonel or higher in the military was allowed to sell off possessions. I do not have any military history in my background. For the most part, calling an auctioneer Colonel is simply a great respect for the profession, but we certainly should never forget true military respect for the term.

Q. What do you enjoy the most about auctioneering?

A. I enjoy meeting people, and love watching them make a good deal and gain a great unforeseen bargain!

Q. All good things eventually come to an end. What are your plans for when the show is no longer on television?

A. Well, truthfully, I love helping people. I hope to use any show background to continue to raise money for causes that I am passionate about.

Q. Do you have a favorite member of the cast or crew and if so, why?

A. No, I do not. Victor, Lesa and Jerry were bidders of mine that followed me to auctions prior to the show. I’m really proud for them, but all the others on the show are awesome too, so no, I do not have any favorites.

Q. What do you like to do when you’re not auctioneering? Do you have any hobbies?

A. I have a small ranch with my lovely wife Cheryl, who you can get a glimpse of, often next to me on each episode. I raise Christmas trees and I raise catfish. My only other hobby is the auction business that turned out to be a full-time job (laughs), but I love it.

Q. Have you ever personally bought a storage unit at auction?

A. I do not buy, I only sell. People want an auctioneer that can provide merchandise, not compete with them.

Q. I think we can all agree that the original Storage Wars and Auction Hunters changed the storage auction business as we knew it. Do you think things will ever get back to the way they used to be?

A. Of course, I cannot comment on the other auction shows, but what has happened will only change for the better. Way back when units were lower in price, facility managers and owners wouldn’t have auctions often as they wouldn’t bring much, so it was not worth their time to auction them off.

Also, they still had vacancies, so they let them sit longer. The renter would eventually pick thru them over time until there was little worth, thus the $5 units. Now, what has happened is, the units are in demand and management needs the space. They can now auction them and make a better percentage of their loss back, so it is now more worth while.

You’re not seeing a price increase for the junk, you are now seeing a quality increase in the merchandise in them and thus an increase in interest and an increase in bidder action.

Q. Since the show premiered, have you had an increase in storage facilities that want you to conduct their auction?

A. Yes.

Q. We see you out there working up a sweat. Do you wear your cowboy shirts all year round? By the way, the joke you made, “The guy that said, ‘never let them see you sweat,’ must not have lived in Texas”, was pretty funny.

A. We had some 110°F degree temperatures last summer. I do have to stand near the units during the auction and often get really hot while the bidders can stand in the shade. After the auction, those same bidders have to climb in the units, which is the real heat, often reaching temperatures in them of 125°F+. So, I’m not complaining, the heat I feel is nothing in comparison to theirs later in the day!

Q. When you’re filming, is the attendance better or worse than when you’re not?

A. Not necessarily, it depends on if they are trying to get some face time on the show or just there to seriously buy units.

Q. Being on one of the most popular shows on television has to be exciting, do you ever pinch yourself to make sure it’s real?

A. I am humbled by the experience, and yes, I guess it’s still hard to believe at times.

Q. Being famous changes a lot of people, how do you stay so grounded?

A. Well, I’m certainly not what I would call famous, by any means. I put my pants on just like anybody else. We should all remember where we come from. I am a normal person and I hope to stay that way. I have a love for people, and most importantly, I want all my friends to say, “Glad that show did not change you!”

If you like the article that you just read, recommend it to other readers by clicking the share buttons. Do you have a question or would you like to add something to this article? Feel free to leave your interesting and creative responses in the comments section below.

Can You Become a Full-Time Auction Hunter?

June 29, 2012

Storage auctions have been going on for as long as self-storage facilities have existed, but they’ve only come into public knowledge within the last few years.

Thanks to the popularity of shows like Storage Wars and Auction Hunters, people all over the country are learning about the industry.

While the attention is great in some regards, it’s also left a lot of newcomers with some unrealistic expectations about what they can get out of this type of business.

Here’s the reality:

Storage auctions won’t make you instant riches.
You’ll get dirty and sore from cleaning out storage units.
You’ll make slim profits or even lose money on the majority of the lots you bid on.
Your chance of finding a rare treasure hidden in the unit is much lower than it seems on TV.

Now that you’ve got a more realistic idea of what the job is like, you might be wondering if it’s really possible to make this a full-time job; and the answer is absolutely. You just need to approach it with the right attitude.

Here are some tips:

You’re running a business, not winning the lottery. Don’t hold out hope for a great hidden treasure or rare item. That sort of discovery does happen, and it makes for great TV, but it’s not how you grow your business. Instead, focus on picking items that you know you can sell for a profit, even if the profit margins are narrow.
Use your findings to feed a larger business plan. Even if you find something really great in the unit, you’re not going to be able to convert it into money unless you know how to sell it. Whether you’re going to use eBay or stock your own booth at the flea market; know before you bid how and where you’ll sell your new inventory.
You’ll need money to make money. Bidding on any kind of auction is a gamble, and you might hit a bad streak where your investments don’t pay off. You need to have enough money to cover your operating expenses if your last few units turn out to be a bust.
Bring someone with you. There’s a reason that most of the auction shows have a duo, and it’s not just because it makes the show more exciting. Having someone with you at the auction can help keep you grounded and stop you from making unwise investments. It’s also nice to have an extra set of hands when you’re cleaning out the unit.
Don’t quit your day job. As tempting as it might be to put in your notice at your 9-5 job to become a full-time treasure hunter, it’s not nearly as luxurious as it sounds. Beyond the risks inherent to auction hunting, you need to deal with the other issues of self-employment such as paying taxes and buying health insurance. It’s much less stressful to go to auctions as a lucrative hobby, especially in the beginning.

You’re doing your research, which means you’re already ahead of the game.

Learn as much as you can about the industry before you place your first bid, you can ensure that you’re set up for success.

Please leave your insightful thoughts in the comment box below.

How to Clean Out a Storage Auction Unit

May 30, 2012

1 Comment

We have all seen the storage auction reality shows which make buying storage lockers look so exciting and profitable; but there are aspects of the storage auction business that they don’t show on television that aren’t quite so glamorous.

Sure, you have seen every cast member of the reality shows digging through storage units and making amazing discoveries, but when the cameras are turned off, the real work begins.

What they don’t show you on TV is one of the most time consuming and difficult parts of being a storage auction buyer.

After you purchase a storage unit, you typically have 48 hours to remove the contents and sweep out the unit. 48 hours may seem like plenty of time, but when you’re purchasing several units per week, attending auctions and marketing your merchandise, it can be difficult to meet this deadline.

Cleaning out a storage unit may require a lot of heavy lifting and physical activity.

Some storage units can contain heavy items like furniture and appliances which can be quite difficult to move. If you’re unable to move heavy items or work continuously for several hours, you should plan on recruiting some help or hiring some labor. This can actually be a plus because it allows you to search for valuables while others are loading the merchandise.

You’re going to get dirty.

Your clothing will definitely be soiled so don’t wear anything you care about. Some storage units contain dirty or greasy items like lawn equipment or auto parts and others have been sitting for years and have accumulated a lot of dust. If you have allergies, avoid units like these.

Undisturbed dust is usually a good sign that there may be something valuable in the unit because this means that the tenant has paid to store these things for years.

However, when you clean out units like these, it can be a real mess. When all is said and done, you may come out of the unit looking like a chimney sweep.

Sometimes, the weather will cause problems. You should plan on being uncomfortable if you buy an outdoor unit at the wrong time of the year. I don’t know what’s worse, being cold & wet or or sweating from the summer heat and humidity.

During the summer, the temperature inside a storage unit is usually a lot higher than the outside temperature. It can feel like an oven especially since there is little to no air movement.

Some older facilities even have inside units with poorly operating ventilation or no ventilation at all. Combine extreme temperatures with heavy lifting and it doesn’t take long before you wish you were somewhere else.

Some units contain unwanted surprises: bugs, spiders, rat feces, spoiled food, illegal drugs, pornographic material, sexual devices, bed bugs, meth labs, and other hazardous materials.

Some people even sleep in these units and where do you think they relieve themselves? Here is a tip: Always be careful when opening coffee cans. Also be careful when removing items from the unit. Items that are not properly stacked can fall on you causing serious injury.

Cleaning out a storage unit is quite time consuming. Once you decide what you’re going to keep, you’ll need to load your merchandise into your vehicle. Some units will contain a lot of trash and unsellable merchandise.

It is still your responsibility to remove everything from the unit, regardless of whether you want it or not. Most storage facilities will not allow you to use their dumpster so plan on making a trip to the dump every now and then.

If you fail to remove everything from the unit, you will lose your security deposit and you can get barred from attending future auctions.

After reading this article, I’m sure the “reality” of this business is starting to set in. This business requires a lot of work, sometimes in dangerous, uncomfortable and disgusting conditions. So why do people do this you ask?

The answer is because it is exciting, you can make a decent living at it and you never know what you’re going to find in the next box you open.

Please leave your creative comments in the box below.

How to Move Merchandise from Storage Auctions

March 13, 2012

Before you purchase a storage unit at auction, you should examine the contents and ask yourself, “How am I going to move this?”

Most storage facilities and auctioneers require the contents of the unit to be moved out within 48 hours of purchase.

Some storage units contain heavy items like furniture, appliances, & large boxes.

This being said, it is a good idea to have a plan to move the contents of your next purchase.

Let’s take a look at your options.

When I first started in the storage auction business, I moved everything myself. After spending 40-50 hours a week at the auctions, marketing the items I had for sale online and having to load and unload everything by myself, I was overwhelmed. It didn’t take long to realize that the heavy lifting, sometimes in extreme temperatures, wasn’t for me.

I began hiring 3-4 workers every Friday and Saturday to lighten my burden. Now, that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t there working, I just decided make better use of my time.

I would be inside the unit looking for unique and valuable items and assessing what I had purchased. After I had looked through each box, my crew would load it onto the truck. We worked at a very fast pace and it became a fairly efficient process for moving 5-9 units in a single day.

The advantage to buying several storage units per week is that if you buy a unit or two that aren’t profitable, it tends to even out in the wash. Now, there is a draw back to buying several units per week.

You have to shell out a ton of cash to pay your labor and moving expenses. On average, I was paying around a thousand dollars a week to rent two twenty six foot U-Haul trucks, and rent a commercial location to have my garage sale as well as to pay 3-4 workers on Friday & Saturday.

Although I never had the chance to find out, I often wondered if purchasing on such a large scale was all in vain. If I had only focused on 1-2 quality storage units per week and moved everything myself, I probably could have made the same amount of money.

If you don’t own a truck & trailer or a box truck, you may want to consider renting a U-Haul truck to move the storage units that you purchase. I’m just going to be blunt; U-Haul is the cheapest of all the truck rental companies and the rates don’t fluctuate often.

At first, I used Penske truck rental. However, I noticed that their rates fluctuated by the day. One week, it might cost me $60 dollars per truck and the following week it would be well over $100.

With U-Haul, I knew what to expect. Each twenty six foot truck cost me $39.99 per day plus mileage. U-Haul even offers a special that includes two days and 100 miles for around $120 per truck. Since I used the trucks on Friday and Saturday and usually used between 60-100 miles, this plan was the most economical.

Here are some tips if you plan to rent a U-Haul truck:

Always ask for a newer model truck. U-Haul has some excellent GMC trucks with lots of power and a comfortable interior. These trucks are also much more fuel efficient. If you don’t specifically ask for a newer truck when making the reservation, they will stick you in older truck, with high mileage, low fuel efficiency and the ride will be rough. The quality of the ride makes a huge difference when you are moving nice furniture or breakables.

Always check the mileage and gas level and compare them to the levels on your contract. If there is a discrepancy, notify the manager immediately.

Make sure to inspect the truck for damage. Mark down every scratch and dent. Just a tiny scrape could cost you hundreds of dollars if you don’t notify them before you leave.

If there is a dolly, check to see if the seal is broken. If the seal is broken, have the attendant place a new tag on it. Otherwise, they will assume that you used the dolly and charge you a $7 fee.

Also, be aware that these trucks get 10 miles per gallon at best and the fuel & mileage costs can really add up quickly.

If you would prefer to buy a box truck, there are plenty available at a reasonable price. On the low end, you could get an 80’s model, 26 foot moving truck for around $3500.

If you would prefer something a little more reliable, you can find some pretty nice moving trucks in the $7,500 -$15,000 range. You can contact the truck rental companies directly to find out how to purchase retired vehicles from their fleet. Another valuable resource is CommercialTruckTrader.com.

Here are some of the things you will need for your move.

Moving blankets
Boxes or plastic storage containers
Packing tape
Box cutters
Rope
Latex gloves
Work gloves
Dolly
Tie down straps
Wide push broom
Dustpan
Drinks
Large contractor trash bags
Set of bolt cutters just in case to cut a lock

Most auctioneers will specify that the unit is to be completely emptied out and broom swept in 48 hours or less. Some storage facility managers will give you a little more time if you ask nicely.

The auctioneers will also tell you that you are not permitted to use the storage facility’s dumpster to dispose of the trash in the unit.

My final advise is to always leave the storage unit clean. Failure to do so could get you banned from attending auctions Please leave your creative comments in the box below.

How to Sell Merchandise from Storage Auctions

February 21, 2012