Dwindling interest in auctions and in talking about them ?

Very interesting topic movieman. I know I myself have been much less active in these forums in the past few months in addition to not going to many auctions either. I think this is for a variety of reasons.

1. There's only so much you can talk about with storage auctions. Sure you can discuss recent trends and new things goinng on in the auction scene such as people changing cleaning deposit rules, crowds, etc but really there's only so many tips and tricks type posts that people can make. I think we have kinda hashed out most topics on this site so the only worthwhile discussions that are left are more recent events or changes in the auction scene type posts.

2. The height of the storage auction craze is over. Sure the tv shows are still on but you don't have the crazy crowds and allthese new people interested. I think a lot of hte peoplegoing to auctions and on sites were newbies who quickly got burnt out or realized the business wasn't for them.

3. Even among the veterans and even though crowds have gone down the storage auction scene isn't what it used to be. I used to pick units up for $300 that I would turn around and make 3k-5k on pretty easily. That just doesn't happen anymore. Even with crowds down that $300 unit is now going to go for $1500 and though there's still money to be made storage auctions and reselling is hard work and to some of us it's just not worth it for the smaller profit margins.

Currently I'm doing the whole ecommerce thing have a few online stores and also doing the ebay powerseller thing reselling goods I buy rather than getting them at storage auctions. It's much easier and less time consuming than storage auctions and the profits are better. I wake up to orders or get them while I'm at work and all I have to do at the end of the day is go home pack up a few priority mail envelopes and swing by the post office on my way to work the next day.

I've been meaning to get back into going to auctions on a regular basis but have just been to busy lately

Have been thinking of doing the ecommerce thing. I have not researched it yet but am wondering does the side have a web builder or do i need to but website then use ecommerce to launch the site?

In light of this thread I thought I would add a story that only storage auction pros would appreciate and I didn't think it was worth it's own thread...

So this weekend I decide it was time to go through all the plastic storage totes in my garage and match totes with lids, discard lids without totes, and totes without lids, and just plain nasty, broken totes. As I am doing this in the yard I notice a dead bird lying on the ground, don't think much of it just kick it in the bushes, then I find an empty tote full the feathers and poop. I guess sometime over winter/spring this poor fella got into my garage, fell into the bottom of a storage tote and couldn't fly out and thus starved or dehydrated. Sad I know. 

The funny thing is I never noticed the smell of a decaying bird in my garage! 

I guess that is one of the advantages I have doing storage auctions is I have a poor sense of smell so mold, mildew, rat feces, cat piss, garbage, rotting food, general human B.O. that come from units doesn't bother me.

I guess your hearing is a little off too. Did not hear the thing screaming?  Sad story, but sure when I go to do the same will find the same. 

Very un-scientific feeling is that over the last month or so there have been 5 to 10 posts a day.

This could bode well for our business though it has always been true that of the over 2000 members only 10 to 25 have posted with any regularity and even those who are frequent contributors often bail after about 3 months or so.

I am just at the point where I have nothing to write about. The lockers in my area are always at the end of the month. 2 "pod" auctions this week, and then next week is loaded. I'll be back in the swing of things next week.

Very un-scientific feeling is that over the last month or so there have been 5 to 10 posts a day.

This could bode well for our business though it has always been true that of the over 2000 members only 10 to 25 have posted with any regularity and even those who are frequent contributors often bail after about 3 months or so.

Have you seen this video- Over 500,000 views. There are some swear words as this video was sent to me this morning.

Have you seen this video- Over 500,000 views. There are some swear words as this video was sent to me this morning.

The SW episode in which the boxes are unopened (then opened) was talked about in several threads maybe a year or more ago.

The video clip you show in the link is a great example of the vulgarity used by an unfortunate number of people, most of which are younger (and/or) just uneducated in the "rules" of simple civility.

Very un-scientific feeling is that over the last month or so there have been 5 to 10 posts a day.

This could bode well for our business though it has always been true that of the over 2000 members only 10 to 25 have posted with any regularity and even those who are frequent contributors often bail after about 3 months or so.

I too have little to contribute.
Close auctions are every other month now. And very few units. So many facilities aren't at capacity and are working with delinquent locker owners.
 Branch out and to hit a lot it's an easy $100/wk in gas.  Then I can only bid on specific locker cause of injury......

I've been sticking to estate sales.  Seems a lot of people die in my area.  Always 5-6 with in 10 mile radius every weekend.  Been doing $150-200/wk in sales (profit) with no lifting, dirt, dump runs....very little gas.

Have been thinking of doing the ecommerce thing. I have not researched it yet but am wondering does the side have a web builder or do i need to but website then use ecommerce to launch the site?

there's a number of ways to do the ecommerce thing some though maybe not the most professional or cleanest looking are surprisingly cheap and easy. one way of starting an online store with zero web knowledge is through a blog. blogs are generally point and click paypal buttons can usually be entered through the html code paypal provides. if you can put together a word document you can basically start an online store.

if you want a more finished look and more professional setup with inventory tools and stuff godaddy has a website builder tahts basically templates and you can implement a godaddy shopping cart and take paypal or tehy'll even set u up with a merchant account however fees are almost same as paypal and then you have to buy an ssl certificate too for $64 a year.

the hard part is driving traffic to ur store. you can have the best products and prices but if nobody knows about them you aren't going to sell them. feel free to pm me or ask a question fro follow up info

@ MovieMan you have too much time on your hands.  .

Think it is summer time and people are playing in stead of working.  My .02

@ Cobia my payback for commenting on your dead bird story.

Was I went over to the storage trailer the other day, have not been over there in about two weeks (weather and other commitments) Open the door and the power is off (thrown breaker ). Rotten Freezer that was packed. Had bait in there for blue crab and fishing. Think about the grossest thing I have ever had to clean up. Not sure I will get the smell out.

@ MovieMan you have too much time on your hands.  .

Yep….

Haven’t been to an auction since my May 9, 2012 10 x 30 that is still paying off.

And…I would rather spend time analyzing something than doing the work I should do !

1)   create spread sheet….3 minutes
2)   see number of entries on forum and enter in spreadsheet…10 seconds
3)   do screen print of spreadsheet …3 seconds
4)   paste spread sheet in “paint” and save  …..7 seconds
5)   upload “paint” image to photo storage area…10 seconds
6)   publish spreadsheet image to this thread….10 seconds

Total time (for first time construction)….3 minutes 40 seconds
Total time (each update)…...40 seconds.

Probably more like 1 minute for each update….took me longer to figure out how long it takes to do it than to actually do it.

But mostly, it’s just fun to take my head and my hands through this multi-step process, or in short…I HAVE TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS !

LOL Movieman - I'm starting to think you do have too much time on your hands

Or you do like me and have a number of so/so or blah jobs that you need to do but keep putting off.

Or you do like me and have a number of so/so or blah jobs that you need to do but keep putting off.

Look up procrastination in the dictionary and you will likely see a picture of me as a prime practictioner.

Today I packaged and delivered 2 items to UPS store and that's the sum total of "productivity" from 8 a.m. to the current 2:30 pm Pacific time frame.

Just can't get motivated today.

LOL MovieMan . We have a word for that kind of thinking.   

 BRAIN****ING  (over thinking stuff) which we have to stop ourselves and say enough BRAIN****ING this thing. LOL

Look up procrastination in the dictionary and you will likely see a picture of me as a prime practictioner.

Sure my husband would be right beside you.