another noob question... go figure.

well as yall know by my previous posts i am a complete noob. but unlike most the other noobs out there starting out in this business i actually respect the veteran buyers and dont want to disrespect them and drive the prices up so not much profit to be made by me or other buyers.
   i guess what my question is is how does a noob bid successfully and not drive the prices up for a locker that looks good and could make a profit on without bidding to high?
   i actually got started doing these by watching auction hunters and i have actually studied there behind the scenes on how to bid and what to do and all that but wanted yalls take on this so i could actually gain the respect from the vets and be able to make a profit/living from these and some of yall do.
any advice would be helpful thanks.

I think rule of thumb,look at locker figure in your mind what you think you can make on the locker.If you can make 500.00 don't bid more that 250.00.You want to at least try to doble your money.Good luck!

Mmmmm, how to get a locker and not piss off your competitor, either noob crowds or vets. Near impossible. This is a double edged sword. To much or to little of either can make your competitors mad or rather not respect you. This is something that is earned over time.

@ jross i know its a bit of a double edged sword. also i know respect is earned over time. but i just dont want to bid on a unit and way pay way over what the unit should actually go for thanks to these new shows. cal me a bit old fashioned even though im probably one of the youngest members here.

Take your time. Get to know the regulars. Analyze & document buyer behavior (very important hint). Know how much YOU can make on a unit, don't bid based on others judgement (just because someone else can make or thinks they can make money on a $1000 unit does'nt mean you can!) Accept winning the low-end units in the beginning.

In my region, if you are new and start bidding on quality units right away, YOU WILL GET RUN UP!!

Mmmmm, how to get a locker and not piss off your competitor, either noob crowds or vets. Near impossible. This is a double edged sword. To much or to little of either can make your competitors mad or rather not respect you. This is something that is earned over time.

I'll tell you what, I can give a rat's arse what established bidders think of me.  So I didnt have the cash or space to get into this pre-storage wars, so what!  Everyone was new at one time or another, don't like it, tough luck!

Hey monkey business, I see you have the same rule of thumb I have, shoot for doubling your money not striking it rich! LOL  Yes, I do realize that most units will never pull in $5K like the shows like to lead you to believe!

I second what Acman said.

If you want respect, try to win the Nobel Prize. If you want to make money at an auction, you can't be afraid to step on peoples toes. Some of the veterans are just bitter old fools and they won't respect you no matter what you do.

I recommend setting a cap on what you will spend on a unit. If the bidding goes over your cap, let it go. You aren't running up the bids if you are interested in the unit.

In this business, it is better to be feared than respected.

I'll tell you what, I can give a rat's arse what established bidders think of me.  So I didnt have the cash or space to get into this pre-storage wars, so what!  Everyone was new at one time or another, don't like it, tough luck!

I think jrossjr & I in this same thread are trying advise new comers not to piss off the veterans. Unless you live in a market where there are so many bidders you can't stand out in the crowd, you are asking for trouble. Come in "guns blazing" and you are bound to get "run up" & "run out" very quickly. Remember, these are people protecting thier livelyhood from "TV show treasure hunters". Even a person with a lot of money who can survive being "run up" for several months gets tired of bleeding money. This business is too labor intensive to continually lose money week after week just so you can "win" units. Besides, even if you can handle paying the the higher prices for units you may accidentally set a new bar for yourself. Now not only will the veterans "run you up", all the other newbies who have been watching for several months will think you must know what you are doing and they will bid on everything YOU bid on too!

Yesterday I ran a guy up to $150 on a 5 x 5 with 5 boxes in it! All the veterans chime in here. Whats the chances of there being $300 worth of merchandise in 5 boxes? How about $150 in five boxes?

I second what Acman said.

If you want respect, try to win the Nobel Prize. If you want to make money at an auction, you can't be afraid to step on peoples toes. Some of the veterans are just bitter old fools and they won't respect you no matter what you do.

I disagree, I worked hard to gain the respect of the veterans in my area and it has payed off. I have not been "run up" by a veteran in a couple of months now. Newbies, thats another story, they are running me up, getting run up, running themselves up, running other newbies up, etc.

I'll tell you what, I can give a rat's arse what established bidders think of me.  So I didnt have the cash or space to get into this pre-storage wars, so what!  Everyone was new at one time or another, don't like it, tough luck!

Hey monkey business, I see you have the same rule of thumb I have, shoot for doubling your money not striking it rich! LOL  Yes, I do realize that most units will never pull in $5K like the shows like to lead you to believe!

Well, I think we all have to think about what other bidders think of us. A show of strength is certainly one thing that is valuable when well used in an auction setting; veterans (as an example) often give newcomers a lesson in ecomonics. I for one don't put down newcomers for being new (per se) but when they cop an attitude one way or another they might pay for it.

Running up a "cock-sure" newcomer is the norm in my area. If they can take the loss a few times then they might deserve to continue on and join the ranks. If they're smart enough not to buy stupid they might deserve to continue on and join the ranks, otherwise there are plenty of "wanna-be's" they can commisserate with. 

There are a fair number of  folks on these threads who make a "blaze" with "failure is not an option" comments, etc, and three months later you never hear from them again. Sure, maybe they're counting their profits, but more than likely they are licking their wounds.

The lookey-loo is different than the person who wants to become a regular and make a living at buying and selling through the storage auction process. The person who throws money at a locker just to win one is making a mistake no doubt and being cautious about how one spends is a good indicator of how long one will be around to keep spending.

Let me chime in again here. I was not saying you must go gain the respect of your other bidders, and not piss them off. I was answering the question the OP asked.

I for one dont care who is bidding on a unit. If it is something I want I am going for it till I reach my cap for that particular locker. I lose some, I win some. But at end of day Im not losing money. And that is where it is key for me. And I know I pissed off a few vests. Just like I know I impressed a few as well.

Those that I have pissed off, eventually got over it. The ones I impressed also have given me a few tips on various subjects in this business.

Well, I think we all have to think about what other bidders think of us. A show of strength is certainly one thing that is valuable when well used in an auction setting; veterans (as an example) often give newcomers a lesson in ecomonics. I for one don't put down newcomers for being new (per se) but when they cop an attitude one way or another they might pay for it.

Running up a "cock-sure" newcomer is the norm in my area. If they can take the loss a few times then they might deserve to continue on and join the ranks. If they're smart enough not to buy stupid they might deserve to continue on and join the ranks, otherwise there are plenty of "wanna-be's" they can commisserate with. 

There are a fair number of  folks on these threads who make a "blaze" with "failure is not an option" comments, etc, and three months later you never hear from them again. Sure, maybe they're counting their profits, but more than likely they are licking their wounds.

The lookey-loo is different than the person who wants to become a regular and make a living at buying and selling through the storage auction process. The person who throws money at a locker just to win one is making a mistake no doubt and being cautious about how one spends is a good indicator of how long one will be around to keep spending.

I agree.  I have been to 17 days of auctions now and all have been carivans.  I know all of the old boy regulars and have conversations with them constantly.  I have placed many many bids and have yet to get a locker.  I'm in no hurry to throw money out the window.

well thanks for the info guys. i am going to a caravan auction tomorrow but due to price of gas and driving a gas guzzler i am starting in the middle of the caravanc where the most number of units are. i will keep all yalls tips in mind and see what happens. heck if nothing else there are a couple auctions by me on saturday morning i can try my hand at. will let yall know what happens tomorrow at these auctions.