Got one today, but have a question.

I got a unit today and have been wondering what some of you would have done. 2 units and 12 people there, the first was mine, a 5x10 with 13 totes w/lids, a dozen small avon boxes, 3 christmas trees in box ( 1 a nice fiber optic lighted), small filing cabinet, bissel vacuum, and 2 electric space heaters that looked new and unopened was visable from the door. The totes had labels like winter coats, sweaters etc. I opened with $10.00 and another guy bid and off we went in 5.00 increments as i hoped to get it as cheap as possible instead of jumping it to try to scare him off. The totes looked like mostly clothes and I knew it was a woman's unit. I got it for $105.00. The facility was 2 miles from the house and cleanout took an hour. I've already gone thru everthing and looks like I'll make about $150.00 off all the stuff I got as it's mostly good yardsale items. I really needed the totes and I love these types of units. My question is how many of you would grab a unit like this mainly for the totes and the unknown.

Those are the type of units I'm looking for.  I'll bid on a furniture unit but mostly get outbid as I set my max low.  I have some large barn/sheds but unless moved the furniture quick it would quickly get dusty and bugs/rats if in there for a few weeks.  So I'm looking for mostly tools, HAM radio, sports type units.  Also, units like you describe that I call my "gamble" units.

In the almost 8 years I have been doing this I have been close to two HAM RADIO units.

The first was about 2 years ago (6 years into my "career" in lkrs) and I saw this lkr full of boxes of teaching materials, a lot of paperwork. Also a couple of boxes of what looked like old, car-radio "pulls". I didn't bid on the lkr and a guy got if for about $250 I think. It was old teaching stuff, but apparently the guy was a HAM. The radios were all Yaeseu (sp?).

Then a couple of weeks ago one of my cronies who makes long haul buys (90 to 120 miles one-way) got a lkr for $900; he based it on the quantity of boxes he saw and nothing else. Turns out it was some preacher or something and all the boxes were clothes....except, those boxes in the back which contained about 9 pieces of higher end HAM gear. That was fortunate for him because that's what saved the lkr and maybe made him some bucks. A big trip like that eats gas like crazy (and the profits with it).

So, boxes (and totes) can be good or bad; some guys like a more balanced lkr (furn, tools, totes) but I've gambled on a tote filled lkr.

Best radios I've gotten were only better CB units in a trucker lkr.

A Ham radio unit is my dream unit, though I might keep too much stuff to make money off of it.  Being a ham myself I know the gear and where to sell it.  So far I've seen a few old CB radios, which are next to worthless, but no ham stuff.

Oh, and yeah, I'd go for a tote unit if it were cheap.

A Ham radio unit is my dream unit, though I might keep too much stuff to make money off of it.  Being a ham myself I know the gear and where to sell it.  So far I've seen a few old CB radios, which are next to worthless, but no ham stuff.

Oh, and yeah, I'd go for a tote unit if it were cheap.

I like lockers with totes in them. However I usually put a low max on them. Totes I can always use, but I have found out most tf the time its a bunch of personal and clothes.

Personally i go for antiques, games, and stuff

Find it hard to resist if there are neatly stacked totes.

Learned my lesson there. Wound up paying 500 for 8 plastic tubs full of holloween ****.

I got a unit today and have been wondering what some of you would have done. 2 units and 12 people there, the first was mine, a 5x10 with 13 totes w/lids, a dozen small avon boxes, 3 christmas trees in box ( 1 a nice fiber optic lighted), small filing cabinet, bissel vacuum, and 2 electric space heaters that looked new and unopened was visable from the door. The totes had labels like winter coats, sweaters etc. I opened with $10.00 and another guy bid and off we went in 5.00 increments as i hoped to get it as cheap as possible instead of jumping it to try to scare him off. The totes looked like mostly clothes and I knew it was a woman's unit. I got it for $105.00. The facility was 2 miles from the house and cleanout took an hour. I've already gone thru everthing and looks like I'll make about $150.00 off all the stuff I got as it's mostly good yardsale items. I really needed the totes and I love these types of units. My question is how many of you would grab a unit like this mainly for the totes and the unknown.

In my region, a nicely packed 5 x 10 with totes and new boxes of unopened merchandise would have gone for al least $200. But you can see why this business is so tough right now. You bought a really nice 5 x 10 and it looks like you will only make $150 off of it. I know many people in my region are jumping into this game and losing money big time! The new faces keep coming and making the same mistakes as the last wave. The way thing are right now you probably can't beat the price you got that unit for and all the knowledge and experience that comes with it, thats what you are really paying for.

Learned my lesson there. Wound up paying 500 for 8 plastic tubs full of holloween ****.

Ouch, you recoup any of the cash?

Oh ya well good thing was it was all new, many were plug in, or cermaic so at the end of it all i just took it all to a party store i know well an consigned it all to them. It was recent too so pretty close to holloween.

Oh ya well good thing was it was all new, many were plug in, or cermaic so at the end of it all i just took it all to a party store i know well an consigned it all to them. It was recent too so pretty close to holloween.

Thats a good thing then . Do you think you will recoup all your money or make a profit? I would be curious to know how well this does for you.

Thanks for all the replies. I should have added that where I am in Tennessee there are no fees to dump, and I live 5 miles from it, so if I can make any profit and get something I need that's ok with me. Doubling my money is always the goal, but couldn't let this one go. I had thrown all the bags/boxes of paperwork aside and wouldn't you know there were a Life, Collier's and McCall's magazines from the early 1940's hiding in there as well as about 40 new Avon eyeliners that my wife said will bring 1.00 each. Going to shop the magazines tomorrow to antique dealer I sell to. This unit took a turn for the better. Going to a big caravan Tues, 131 units in ad, then I'll pretty much be done buying till after yardsale in September. Smalls arn't so small when there are hundreds of them. Good luck to everyone to finish Aug with a good unit!

Thats a good thing then . Do you think you will recoup all your money or make a profit? I would be curious to know how well this does for you.

Ya im interested to know too . If i had a store couldve easily made 500+ retail so i told em just give me half of what they make on it im expecting at least 400 it would stock a whole wall at least

Learned my lesson there. Wound up paying 500 for 8 plastic tubs full of holloween ****.

Ouch - for 8 tubs I'd of maxed out at $100.  I like to gamble but I'm a cheap gambler 

Talking with a few of the guys from my first caravan that purchased the under $100 lockers they all think they will come out ahead.  So even the really junk lockers are doing well right now with hidden goodies.

Have two auctions tuesday that going to send father to and one wednesday that I can hit at lunch.  After that things go silent till after Labor Day.  Or I've missed more then a few auction post in the paper or something.