If the storage unit door won't open, do you bid?

Sometime storage units are packed so full, the door won't roll up. Some auctioneers sell these units as is. They're a total gamble, but sometimes they can really pay off. When a door won't open, do you bid on it? If so, how do you determine your max bid? Have you ever bought a unit unseen, and if so, how did it work out for you?

Main rule of mine is to only bid on what you can see. My price for units that won't open is at most $1.

That's my #1 rule as well, but I'll gamble a little on units like these. Might go $100 on a 5X10, $200 on a 10X10. $400-500 on a 10X20 or larger. After all, if there's so much stuff packed in a unit that the door won't open, surely you'll at least make your money back. 

if there's so much stuff packed in a unit that the door won't open,

The unit could be empty and the door is just broken, or the unit could be full of trash in which case you spend 2 days making dump runs after paying for that privilege.

The unit could be empty and the door is just broken, or the unit could be full of trash in which case you spend 2 days making dump runs after paying for that privilege.

True, but on the other hand, it could contain an entire household of items that would have sold for a lot more.

i've bought units like that for $200 or so. bidding only on what you can see is BS in my opinion. I bid on the local area, the facility, the contents and the clues.

How can they sell a unit that won't open? Don't they have to take a photo of the contents for legal purposes.

How can they sell a unit that won't open? Don't they have to take a photo of the contents for legal purposes.

No, but some states do require a description of the contents to be placed in the legal notice. Some operators satisfy this requirement with a general statement like: 

The property stored therein may include, but are not limited to general household items, appliances, boxes, bags, totes, tools, bedding, clothing, electronics, toys, books, files, furniture and miscellaneous items.

Never been in that situation, but as I generally follow the rule "Bid on only what you see" pretty strictly (with a few exceptions that might make me bid another $50-150; after all, if it's all alright on the front or the area's good, I may gamble)...

Well, I probably wouldn't be as adventurous as some. In a very good area, for a large unit, I may go up to $250. Beyond that, I can't justify the potential loss. But I'm quite the cheapwad, really.

I've seen it happen a few times. Bids went way above my comfort zone. Same thing happens around here when a unit full of neatly packed boxes comes up.