GETTTING SERIOUS NOW

I've been flipping goods for years.  Never bought a locker...  but last year I bought a "tool shed" off a woman on Craigslist.  She was moving and had an ad for $250.  I showed up and asked if she wanted me to clear it out for $250.  It was a mixed unit with an electrician/cable, mechanic, and carpenter trades.  The shed ended up doing VERY well.  And I have tons of tools left over that I just kept. 

I love the TV shows... entertaining.  And I know people find awesome scores in these lockers... even if you think the TV shows are fake i am willing to bet many are REAL.  My buddy works at a surf shop and next to it is a facility.. I've been twice now but haven't found anything worth bidding on.  The crowds are LARGE but the bids were not so bad. 

I work during the week, all the auctions are weekdays so I can only hit the local ones in my area.  I have found out how to locate the auctions by legal notice and have started a data base to record them.  I have a truck and a storage facility at my work to store anything i find.  I plan on selling on Craigslist to start if I buy a locker. 

Few Questions: 
Do you have to empty the locker?  What happens if you just leave crap in it?  In theory if you just take some of the stuff will they just "re-auction" the unit again?  Or is it agreed that you have to empty it completely... meaning to the dump.

Anyways... wish me luck.. I love the idea of finding treasure and reselling is kind of a rush.  I'm also a public works contract estimator.. meaning LOW BID wins!! not HIGH BID

Must be totally, 100%, emptied out. And swept.
Some even require any sort of paint spills, oil, ect. all cleaned up.

Don't and you don't get back security deposit, can charge you rent  and may ban you from future auctions.

And the "scores" are a matter of opinion.
Friend got a locker for $150. In it was a brand new John Deer mower. Retails for $2000.
Awsome score, right?!

Then you take into account the 3 14hr days of back breaking labor to remove the construction material that was worthless. Locker was filthy.
Add in cost of locker, dump fee's (lots of HazMat stuff to dispose of too), cleaning materials, gas.....
He made a profit of $600.

Not much of a "score" when you take a look at the work involved......

If you haven't already I really suggest you spend the next few hours reading.  You will find many "good locker results" in post but you will also find some of the loser post.  I suspect many of us break even +/- $100 more often then not as a noobie.  I know I did.  You may win in your first locker but the odds are against you.  It's like the couple that started back in Nov in my local area.  He ran up during an auction and joined (saw all the cars).  He did well on a unit or two and then started to buy units like crazy.  I've not seen him since Feb.  Suspect he crapped out in the long run.

You can find that "wow factor" in around 1 in 50 or more units.  If you think you are going to buy a unit that looks like trash and find a 18th centry ink well worth $4k -- think again.

Good luck.

Crap, my 18th Century ink well was only worth $2K......dammit! 

Crap, my 18th Century ink well was only worth $2K......dammit! 

Sold a Gold filled (only the nib and a small section was) antique pen today...I thought $30 max....sold for $225...blew me away

I have a large quantity of vintage quil pens and other things I hve yet to fully research, but many are trimmed in gold.  My siss looked some up and they were selling for $100-400.   Maybe I will make a couple of hundred from them.   

I paid $10 for the unit no one else wanted the unit and it had a chest of drawers and a natural gas heater.