It's not really a storage auction though.  We also go to bankruptcy auctions. in this case it was a big electrical contractor that had gone under.  This auction overall was our best one ever.  The first, and fasted, good hit from it was the contents of a bunch of shelves in a conex container, bought for $75 (not the container though).  We are using the shelves in our warehouse, sold about $200 in scrap metal, another couple hundred in tools, and a tractor part that went for $100 minutes after buying the lot.  $75 into a little over $500 seemed great, but that wasn;t the best thing.

I also bought a cabinet full of stuff, normal aluminum cabinet you might find in an office, for $100 - mostly because I wanted the cabinet and figured I'd make a little on the contents..  It had a computer we kept, and a bunch of small items that went for about $200.  It also had these three gas detector things that I didn't know anything about at the time.  I little research and the right contact (and a little luck) and these NETTED us $1500 after being refurbished. 

$100 into about $1700.  Made up for the time I turned a $400 locker into two dump runs at $20 a piece and maybe $30 in sales.

Our first three units didn't do much for us, they came up a little less than even.  The few furniture items did OK, but clothes and kitchen stuff aren't going for much if at all around here.

Then we got a unit full of tools.  It had several power tools visible and some big locked cases.  Everything we opened had more power tools in it.  Even though we paid to much for it ($675) we sold the stuff for about a thousand over about three weeks.

Yesterday we bought two units, one for $150 that will easily double or triple - sports stuff, toys, barbeque, tools.  That one we even sold stuff on site to other bidders.  The other was $575 and is basically someones whole life.  Furniture, tools, electronics, golf clubs, exercise equipment, leather jackets and we still don't know what else. 

It's nice to be making money on units despite the high prices.  Hope we can keep it up.

We bough two lockers in the past two days. 

Yesterday we went to a bunch of auctions at a chain storage place, five or six locations.  We got a small one (5x8?) for $50, the guy was a mechanic, some tools including a decent cordless drill, and some parts (I think to a Honda of some sort based on some of the stuff that went to the dump).  There was also a lot of crap, a bunch of greasy mechanics clothes, a couple bags of actual trash, like fast food wrappers and such.  There was also a military flight suit in decent shape.  Depending on what I can find out about the parts there should be no problem making a little profit here.  There was also a great unit that went for $500 when I had decided on a limit of $500 for it.  Sucked to loose it over a small amount, but we are being firm about limits we set.

Today we went to an auction at one of those "pod" storage places.  We got one box out of a set of four for $450.  The first two went well over a grand, which was more than we had available, great stuff in them though.  Our box was full, and I think will make us some money,  The owner was a serious shopaholic, we got gobs of shoes and clothes, mainly from Nordstroms, mostly unused, and a couple dozen pair of shoes, also seemingly new.  Many of the clothes still have tags on them.  There was also a lot of kitchen stuff, mixer, bread maker, pressure cooker, pots and pans, all should be worth a bit.  Funny thing in this one was the lady that owned it was very into the motivational stuff like Anthony Robbins, unfortunately though it was all old, VHS and cassette tapes, which won't sell for much if they sell at all.

Anyway, at least we're fairly certain we won't loose money on these.  Another day of work getting it all sorted and then we start selling.