I just figured all facilities made you put down a cleaning deposit. Every facility in my area requires a deposit. This particular place I am talking about is one that I have become very good friends with the manager. She did let me pick the units that were left and I got a few good things out of them. She also has a unit of her own she is trying to pear down that she let me pick out of. I really don't think she would charge me or a few of the other regulars extra as she knows we do this as our job and we don't want to be banned. 

Electronics are the only thing I will return. I usually give a week as well. I have only ever had one return. It was a dryer and there was nothing wrong with it. It was for use with natural gas and not propane. I resold it to someone that was on natural gas. I do usually test electronics to make sure they work.

There is a lady here that shows up once in a while here that cant keep her very loud mouth shut. I am glad that she is not a regular. She drives me nuts and drives up prices. Part of the advantage is seeing something that others may have not spotted. When she stands there in everyones way and shouts out what she sees I just want to knock her over.

Seems high for a 10 X 10 but around here one that is nicely packed full of boxes goes for that. I still can't figure out what the lure of a unit completely full of boxes with nothing else showing is. There are two regulars that go at it all the time over them. One payed $650 for a 5 X 6 one time that was packed about waist high and the only thing showing was a comforter from Sears. I quit trying to figure out what others are thinking.

For me this whole thing started at the auction house. I remember as a young kid sitting and watching every Wednesday night at all of the crazy prices people would pay for things and all of the fantastic deals that could be had. My dad buys a lot of tools for his business at auction. He is also an avid gun collector and has bought to many of them as well.

My home is furnished from the auction. Furniture, lighting, tools. The prices can be great if you are there at the right time. I have found that things are cheaper in the summer as people don't attend as much. Avoid a rainy day always. Stay to the very end if you are looking for the best deals. Most people leave before it is over. Know your local auction houses and their reputations.

I have two here. One goes big on the advertisement just like their prices. One relies on their post cards and website. The latter is the one that does storage auctions. Since they started doing storage auctions I have seen their attendance at the barn go up quite a bit. Still there are good deals to be had.

With out the local auction house I would have never gotten into this crazy business. 

The door rolls up. You get that breathless heart racing feeling. What is it that is behind that door?

For me it is a really great furniture piece. Mid century modern or antique. Preferably a hutch or buffet.

I have yet to find a unit where the sky is the limit. I usually have the money with me to buy what ever I want but I tend to be very cautious.

   

Was at an auction last week talking to the manager. I have been trying to get in good with her because they have some of the best units around. Anyway two newbies bought 10 X 30 units at the last auction. One couple worked for 3 days and cleaned out only half of the unit. The other couple worked for 5 days and only got a third out. The units were stuffed and those of us that are regulars knew that we either couldn't or didn't want to handle this much stuff. She banned them both from her auction. One couple had the nerve to show up and she kicked them out. I did buy a unit this time and she let me pick both of the units from the last auction. I got some good stuff out of each unit. This is a chain facility and the same owner has 8 facilities so they are banned from all of them. Don't piss off a manager if you want to make this a business.

Halloween is the big holiday for me. Last year I scored a unit with a lot of great costumes. I added some stuff that could be used to make a costume and people were coming in from miles away. Who knew. This year I have three times as much stuff in the loft ready to come out and haunt. The unit I bought this week has a lot of Halloween decorations new in the boxes so I will see how they do.

Christmas decorations hardly moved at all last year. I have only been saving the very best new items I find.

Two facility sale today. Around 45 bidders total with a potential of 23 units. Most of the regulars were there and after the news report last week I was surprised to not see a lot of newbies. 3 units at the first facility left. Two were not really great (went for $120 and $225) and one was not bad. I put a $350 dollar limit on it and it went for $550. Not enough profit in that for me.

Second facility had 7 units available. They went like this... Crap $175, empty $000, Crap NoSale, Furniture not bad $500 (not that good) Owner paid as we were looking at unit, Really? Crap $20.00, Dryer and blue plastic 55 drum $5.00.

Wasn't all bad, depending on how you look at it, as I bought the $20.00 crap unit. There is truly a lot of crap in it but have already made $200.00 on a set of tree climbers. Should pay for my costs. Found three cases of some kind of trading game cards brand new in box. My son did some research and says I should be able to get $10.00 per set. Here is my math.   3 cases X 6 displays in each cases X 8 boxes of cards in each display X $10.00 = $1440.00.  Should be ok on this one even if there is nothing else in it worth money.