Really depends. There's always risk involved in these lockers.  If you only bid on what is actually visible, you're going to have people outbid you on them, because they see the same things usually.  There is a touch of blind bidding that has to be done, based on what you can see.  Obviously you don't see $500.00 worth of stuff and bid $2,000.  But you are going to take risks in this. 
   It's the nature of the beast.  One thing you're doing right:  You're not buying just for the sake of it.  If your seed money is all you can spare, and you can't waste it, then don't piss it away just to buy a unit.
   Watch the auctions, see what is going on, but remember that these things are like playing baseball.  A base hit is what you're after, not the 'home run'.
   Take your time on it.  Some of the more experienced storage warriors will be in with their advice.  I'm new myself. But, while I'll take some risk with units, I am not interested in throwing all my money down a hole and hope I find Al Capone's lost money.

Don't tempt me to take you up on THAT offer, but please give me an idea of what you would charge for these at a flea or on Craigslist. They are both nice, but I just don't know if the market is there for them in my area at more than the $30 to $40 I indicated. I would guess the mahogony would have sold for $125 or so (maybe more) at somewhere like Pier One or World Imports; I'll check there for something similar.

Truthfully, I think you're about right on the prices, Movie.  (I'd get that Beatles album appraised separately.  Then, think about sitting on it until a Beatle dies).
   30-50 sounds reasonable.  And please, break my heart and take me up on my offer.  Those two old trunks just look cool.  The lighter one should bring you the same.
    The other two?  Tell me how much for shipping and handling and what you want for them.  I would seriously make an offer, as they just look cool, and wife would love them. 

Congrats Ironman!!!  Now I'm going to have to make a run to Kennesaw in a month or two to just see what you have set up.

Yes, those are given factors. Generating gold sellers to come to YOU over the others doing it is the real problem that needs to be solved IMHO.

For me, just finding the occasional gold in a lkr or buying a piece from some unknowing flea seller is what works....though that is quite seldom.

Realistically, it comes down to who is paying the most for the gold, and if they are pleasant to deal with.  It will remain profitable until A&E comes out with 'Gold Buyers', showing after Storage Wars, when everyone and there brother will decide to start buying and selling it.
   If the market in someone's area isn't saturated with buyers, there is potential, but it is, as you've stated, risk/reward ratios that must be calculated into the formula as well.

3500-4000 is a homerun in my eyes.

Oh, I agree.  he made his money back by a factor of ten.  It doesn't get much better than that.

I don't mind lookey loos as much as i do newb bidders that just want to buy something regardless of the cost.  Those people are dangerous.

The newbs will either learn or go broke.  What pisses me off about the lookers is when there's a ton of them and they want to gawk at the locker's contents, when they're not even going to be risking their money, and then they seem to want to just stand around in front of the locker.
   Let the bidders get the look to see.  They're the ones buying it.
   Especially when (as the last auction I was at) there were over sixty people at the unit auctions, and less than ten of us were bidding.  It took several minutes to even get a glimpse into the locker.

No No man, I wasn't saying drive away bidders, bidders(even bad ones) will pay cash to bid, lookey loos, well I'd imagine thats a different story.

I wasn't meaning it would drive away bidders unless they had some ridiculous fee for it.  Personally, I wish they'd charge ten bucks (depending on number of units) just so the lookers would go watch a ****ing movie instead.
   I'd shuck out ten bucks, and every serious bidder out there would, but the ones that wanted to 'watch storage wars live', would go home or go to the theater.