Storage Auctions
The Storage Locker => New to Storage Auctions? => Topic started by: Magickalmoon01 on January 17, 2012, 05:34:25 PM
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Hi Everyone. My husband and I are going to our first auction this coming weekend. I have kind of a stupid question....but....when you go to a storage unit, are they opened before hand? I got a few notices for upcoming auctions where the units were opened and pictures were taken. What are the chances that someone has already gone threw the stuff? Would you bid? The one we are going to, though, says units have not been opened and description is what the people put down when renting the units.
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Welcome....
I'm sure one of the members here will answer your question, but in the meantime, let me suggest using the SEARCH button toward the top of the screen for quick answers to many questions. Typing in something like "dump runs" will pop up many threads and posts about that subject or any other you are curious about.
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Well MovieMan got to ya first :)
I'll be the member he was talking about. The answer to your question is it depends on the facility, any state/local laws, etc. In my area all the places cut the locks the night before the auction. Most take a picture of the unit for their records. Some list descriptions, some don't. It is all different.
As for bidding - unless you see suspectful stuff you should be ok. Normally it's the tenant that has gone in and grabbed stuff they want and left everything else. Is rare to find gold in units anymore as when the price hit $1800 - most people cashed in.
If you have not done so I would spend most of tonight reading these boards. You will find most answers to any question.
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Thanks for the info guys! I did a lot of searches and reading posts on here (awesome forum, BTW) but couldn't find any real answers as far as opened lockers. We are not expecting to get rich (although it would be nice) but basically something to carry over the winter until the garage sales, etc start up again. I tried to do as much research on the lkr owners as I could find. Don't want to just jump in with my eyes shut and have high expectations. (facebook and our local court access works wonders!). Hoping the cold, snowy weather will turn a few folks away:) Thanks again!!!
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Thanks for the info guys! I did a lot of searches and reading posts on here (awesome forum, BTW) but couldn't find any real answers as far as opened lockers.
Try typing "lock cuts" in the search area. One thread 6 or 7 down would be a good one to read...or read them all !
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Good luck at your 1st auction.Enjoy.
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Don't expect the weather to keep people away. I've seen large crowds in the rain, in 100+ degree heat, etc.
Good Luck
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It is hard to say. In my area some locks are cut the night before and some are cut as they open the locker. Does anyone go threw the lockers ? You just never really know. The owner of the locker could show up 5 mins. before the auction and pay-up. If something was missing someone might have some explaining to do.
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That I agree with. I'm pretty anxious about attending this weekend, although I should be here getting the stuff I got on eBay. I have been having pretty good luck at the thrift stores though. Here's a question for everyone....what are you looking for when you are looking for resale stuff? Personally I go for seasonal decorations and toys. They seem to make the most money for me. The only downfall I have is buying lets say Christmas stuff now, I have to sit on it until next fall to make a good profit.
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Unless it is clear totes many times it's the luck of the draw what you get in boxes / totes. That said - you start to get a feeling what is in lockers based on past expierence / finds.
For myself I look for CDs, DVDs, kitchen stuff as it all sells well at the flea. Lots of cloths are a turn off, but shoes in boxes are good. Money can be made with furniture if you know what you are doing and have the space to store / sell it. Once you start to buy a number of lockers you can sort out "seasonal" stuff to pull out when the time is right.
Like me from the Monday locker. Normally 98% of the stuff animals I find either hit the trash pile or the Goodwill pile. However, with Easter coming up I pulled out all of the nice looking large rabbits to sell at the flea.
Things that go straight to the dump:
2005 or older TVS
Matress / Boxspring
Pillows
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..what are you looking for when you are looking for resale stuff?
Anything you know you can sell. Us furniture. With the lockers and misc. stuff you learn what sells. Us Kids clothes.
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Things that go straight to the dump:
2005 or older TVS
Matress / Boxspring
Pillows
Ewww on the pillows. I hate those! We did sell a mattress & box spring that I thought was icky, but it was a tempurpedic and it flew outta here. Actually wish I had asked more.
Now older tv's~we can sell all day long (but dirt cheap) as they head 60 miles south to the border. I don't think we've pulled a newer than '05 tv out of a locker yet~
Anything you know you can sell. Us furniture. With the lockers and misc. stuff you learn what sells. Us Kids clothes.
I love me some tools! I can sell those all day long and small appliances. Dang you can't keep a microwave on a table at our favorite swap meet.
I think the next time I see framed art in a unit, I'm going to simply run away! >:(
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Ewww on the pillows. I hate those! We did sell a mattress & box spring that I thought was icky, but it was a tempurpedic and it flew outta here. Actually wish I had asked more.
Now older tv's~we can sell all day long (but dirt cheap) as they head 60 miles south to the border. I don't think we've pulled a newer than '05 tv out of a locker yet~
I love me some tools! I can sell those all day long and small appliances. Dang you can't keep a microwave on a table at our favorite swap meet.
I think the next time I see framed art in a unit, I'm going to simply run away! >:(
I wonder if there is a way I can save up all those old console TVs and microwaves I get and ship them down to you to sell? Maybe fill a Uhaul truck and drive it down? Cause around here them things go straight to the dump! (TVs & small appliances, some microwaves can be sold) Where I live you can put relatively good shape George Forman grilles and other like small kitchen appliances on the tables at the flea for $1-$2 and they will still sit for weeks before they sell.
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Sell the heck out of the older TV' s too. Husband avoids them but they do sell. $20 to $50 for them.
Ours don't go south of the boarder think they go for the lower income families around here. Attach DVD player and babysitter. :P
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I wonder if there is a way I can save up all those old console TVs and microwaves I get and ship them down to you to sell? Maybe fill a Uhaul truck and drive it down? Cause around here them things go straight to the dump! (TVs & small appliances, some microwaves can be sold) Where I live you can put relatively good shape George Forman grilles and other like small kitchen appliances on the tables at the flea for $1-$2 and they will still sit for weeks before they sell.
Your George Foreman grills are my breadmakers. Can't give those suckers away. I actually bought a bread mix the other day for my breadmaker......ouch! Can see why they don't sell. But boy howdy that bread tasted good! :D
Can get a minimum of $5 for a GF grill. What amazes me are the box fans. You can buy one new for $8 at Walmart and every time we get one, Don says $5. I say 'your nuts'. And the next thing I know.....the fan's sold for $5. Weird what folks will pay almost retail for.
Like I said......most of our stuff like that heads to Mexico~
And NO! to the tv's being hauled down to me. While they sell.......I hate moving them! They weigh a flippin' ton!
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I have a couple of more questions....first auction is tomorrow with 5 units. 2 are by the same owner, 1 being sold with conditions. Upon calling the storage facility today, all units are a go and he didn't foresee any of the owners doing a last minute pay. The conditions on the one unit is that she relinquished the unit for auction, but asked that she be able to get photographs and an item given to her by her mother. Now this is the one with both lockers? (both are 10x10) Do we try to get both units? We do have a limit set of what we are willing to spend. I did research and found all but one owner. All units are described with household items (4 out 5 lockers are tenants who have multiple evictions). If we do get the "conditioned" locker, we could just take the items back to the storage facility for the owner to pick up? I don't think I would want them knowing who got the locker.
This auction is about 45 min away from us. This is going to seem like a stupid question, but do people notice what you pull up in? We are currently in a snow storm, so tomorrow we will need the 4x4 truck. We do have an enclosed trailer, but I don't think its a good idea to show up with it, do you? The storage facility does allow for us to rent the unit as long as we would need to.
Any last minute advice???
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Well think you are spending more time than necessary on the tenants of the lockers.
Most of ours have been from people with evictions.
On the condition unit. Do you know what item she wants back? So you are not adding it in with your assessment of value.
Most of the same owner units have things split. Cushions to sofa in one sofa in the other.
One of our lockers was obvious had two lockers, must have gotten the other one out. It had no sofa, chairs, beds. Had one bed, two dressers, dinning table, tv's and all the clothes. Husband, wife and 4 kids. and only one bed. ???
People do pay attention to what you pull up in. With this being your first auction I would just take the truck, because you may surprised at the prices. We have gone with and with out the trailer. Without you spend more gas if you buy and less money if you don't.
We have a whale we have learned if he comes without help and his trailer he want buy as much. ;D
Wishing you luck
We went to 4 or 5 auctions before we bought one.
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Any last minute advice???
Be prepared for a reality check. I know the first time I went to one I was shocked at just how different it is from 'as seen on tv'~ :D
Odds are slim you'll land a locker your first time out, so I would not worry about the trailer. As money mentioned, we went to numerous auctions before we won a locker. Thought we had a good idea of how it worked.....boy howdy were we wrong! Of course, our first unit was a 10X20 full to the brim.
We never know about the former tenants. Guess we do things differently here in the wild west as maybe one out of 20 auctions is 'advertised' in the paper. And even then......just how much can you 'learn' about the contents?
Facilities usually list 'household items' as that is what most units are, but occasionally you'll get a tool or office one.
I say this to everyone about to attend their first auction: Keep your eyes and ears open and your mouth shut (unless of course you're bidding~), you'll learn so much that way.
When the doors rolls up on that first locker, scan quick, step back and figure what you think it will go for. This helps you gauge what you are seeing and what the crowd is seeing.
Have fun and let us know how it goes~
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I would leave the trailer at home if this is your first time out. You may be very surprised at the units quality, # of people there, and prices.
As for the "condition" unit - that is really up for the facility to decide. Once you pay for the unit you don't have to give anything back. It is common courtsy, and in some of the facility rules you sign - to give back personal info. So pictures, tax returns, check books, etc. should be given back.
That gold ring that her late husband gave her you can keep or "sell back" to her at a cheaper price.
General speaking - if a person has multiple units it is best to try and get both if you get one. Or you better be very friendly with who ever wins the other unit. Many times you have items in your unit that they could need for a set and vice versa. This is when you are dealing with furniture mostly.
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Well, went to our first auction. It was 11 below, but sunny and the roads weren't too bad considering the major snow yesterday. About 20-30 people there...mostly couples though. 5 units, 2 locations. We bid on the 2nd locker (10x10) and got it for $425. It was the unit with conditions: she relinquished unit in return for family photos and a ceramic xmas tree given to her by her mother. No big deal. Full unit, lots and lots of boxes. There is a large anitique dining table with claw feet (that caught my eye, along with an old sled, boxes marked Halloween). She has been renting the unit since 2002 and hasn't been in it in at least 2 years (talked to the owner before the sale). We haven't cleaned it out yet, only brought a few boxes, etc that would fit inside the truck. The units weren't outrageous, ours was the highest and had the most interest with different bidders. I think one other unit went for over $300, full, but things marked with rummage stickers, and about 4 mattresses and clothes. Last unit was pretty much cleaned out except for a/c units, old couch, pallets, etc. Most of us walked away so I don't even know if it sold. I wanted to take pictures before we went into it, but it was an inside unit and was not light enough :( I honestly think we will at least break even (albums, vintage crystal set with box, the table, lawn jarts, few boxes of good canning jars with lids, singer sewing machine with case...and that's just what we looked through. Way too cold at that point to do any more!
Thank you to everyone who gave me advice. It was appreciated and very helpful!!!
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So much for us doubting you would get one. Oh just leave the trailer at home.. :D :D
Congratulations !!!!!
We have not spent that much on a locker yet, close $390, last month still selling out of it. ;D
Sounds like you should do ok. Keep us posted.
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I hope it turns out great for you.