Who is the local whale in your area?

Who is the local whale in your area? Who is he/she and what makes them the top dog?

There's a Mexican guy that buys most of the household and construction units.  He has plenty of money and a good crew.  He has a store in Dallas and a couple in Mexico.  He even has a catchphrase "easy money"

A lot of buyers are intimated by him but he rarely strays from the stuff he knows.  Smart guy

My area is saturated with whales.  From the swap meet kings with 25+ tables to Rene from Storage Wars, there's no shortage of heavy hitters around these parts.  I've been at auctions where there has only been 10 people but 6 were whales.  I think what qualifies these buyers as such is the resources and capital to purchase multiple units and run a successful thrift shop/large swap meet operation on a consistent basis.  Dropping 4K+ on a unit is nothing to them.

Most of the buyers in my area are intimidated by this guy Frank. He buys a lot of lockers but he usually doesn't overpay so anyone with money in their pocket can compete. I just don't understand why some people are intimidated by whales.

They say "oh, you better watch out for that guy."      I laugh.

I guess if you're broke, buyers with money are intimidating.

Luckily, the local whale and I rarely clash. He's mainly looking for large quantities of smalls & clothing and I'm looking for medium to high end furniture, appliances and big ticket items. 

I don't understand the intimation factor either.  Most whales are pretty smart, that's how they become whales.  If you really think you can turn a unit just push it to your own limit. 

I think you are right, bankroll plays a huge part.

The whales in my area all collude on many lockers. They work together a lot more than I would expect.. One partnership is a furniture store/thrift store owner on one of the busiest roads connecting Raleigh and Durham. Another is a flea market guy. Another is a heck of a nice guy, but not really a whale. He just gets involved in all the other's business. I don't know that I've ever seen him buy a locker by himself..

That being said, it's fairly even across the board, and there is plenty of inventory to go around. Nobody is out to get the other guy. It's pretty cordial.

There is a female whale in our area as well. She's my nemesis. She overpays and doesn't care. She's looking for high end furniture as well but if the unit isn't packed full, she isn't interested.

Anyway, she's buddy buddy with Frank, our local whale. I think they might even be related somehow. The other day, Frank was playing with and holding her kids so obviously they know each other pretty well.

I've been watching them lately and when they are competing on a locker, they'll give each other a look and then one will bow out. They may not be working together but they aren't working against each other.

It all depends where I am at. I have been traveling out further for auctions so sometimes I AM the local whale. No I don't buy hundreds of units per month which might be a minimum qualification to be a Whale in some parts of the country, but I can win any unit and multiple units on any given day, without much sweat. I think when you get to the point where you can win the units you want and not just pick up the units that are left over or that you can "afford" that makes you a Whale or at least a heavy hitter.

Most of the other Whales I run across all seem to be winding down their operations and look like they are moving into retirement. One guy looks and buys like a Whale but I think he is a buyer for a silent investor, kind of like Charlie from Charlie's Angels or Robin Masters from Magnum P.I. we don't know who is really behind the money.

I AM the local whale.

Cobia, I know it's a little early, but congratulations on your 1000th post and your new "whale" status on the forum.

In my area there are a good six "whales" who can buy whatever they want. There used to be seven, but I am working on "white shark" status in the picking community....and I due to the nature of picking I don't run into a group of sharks like I run into whales at an auction ! 

Cobia, I know it's a little early, but congratulations on your 1000th post and your new "whale" status on the forum.

Yes, it's official! I am now a virtual storage auction Whale! Yea! 

Now I just gotta act like one in real life!

Champagne & Caviar at Movieman's house tomorrow 6PM, BE THERE!

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Champagne & Caviar at Movieman's house tomorrow 6PM, BE THERE!

And don't forget to bring the champagne and caviar !   Congrats Cobia; you are the "whale" of reason too !

Here are the next 16 candidates for "whale" status here on the forum.

Note the ones in red...doubt they are contenders and some of the others have a steep grade ahead.