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Messages - rockin the retro

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181
Flea Markets / Re: First time out
« on: January 29, 2012, 08:12:37 AM »
glad you had a good experience Shmoopy!  Now keep adding to your $$$!  You'll be ready for auctions in no time!

The bad thing about hitting the fleas on Saturday is that is when most yard sales are up and running.  Try to hit those on Fridays and Sundays.  Often if you hit a yard sale on Sunday as they're getting ready to close down you can grab stuff at a bargain rate.....especially if you bundle.  Also keep an eye out for estate sales.  The professionally run ones will often advertise hours when things are 30 to 50% off.   That may not be the best option for you, but when I was doing the antique thing.....it could pay off~

Keep up the good work!

182
New to Storage Auctions? / Re: I hit the "wow" factor....
« on: January 27, 2012, 05:28:19 PM »
Post o' the year right here folks!!!

Let's add a few more shall we.....

Wow!  Old televisions sure are heavy!
Wow!  Did you see the size of that rat!
And speaking of size......just who wears a size 3XL policeman's stripper outfit?
Wow! :o

183
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Auction Scene #1...January, 2012
« on: January 26, 2012, 11:26:57 AM »
7 facility Public Storage auction caravan~Don drives 30 miles to the first and gets a call from a buddy saying "They just paid up here.  Meet ya at the next facility."  So he turns around, heads to the next location, talks for a bit with the 'gang' and the auctioneer comes out and says the remaining auctions are cancelled due to technical issues and will be held next month.....WTF?!

Looks like we're done until next week and Don will be outta town and it's a heavily publicized auction so.....better get back to listing on ebay~ ::)

184
eBay / What have I been waiting for?!?!
« on: January 25, 2012, 09:22:20 PM »
Well.....after much prodding from many friends/colleagues and yes....money4nothing, I went ahead and decided to list a couple items on Ebay.  I haven't sold on ebay since 2006.

I've been a bit under the weather and decided since I'm sittin' around dinkin' on the computer, I might as well list a couple things and see what happens.  One already has a bid on it plus one watcher and there's 6 days 16 hours left!  Funny thing is, it's an item I could maybe get $5 for at the local flea and it opened at $19.99.

So thanks to all my buddies (both close and virtual) who pushed me~Wow!  What a waste of 6 years eh?!


185
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Auction Scene #1...January, 2012
« on: January 25, 2012, 07:55:30 PM »
Quote from: Cobia on January 25, 2012, 08:22:11 AM
You seem to mention "art" in a lot of units you see. Are units full of artwork that common in your part of the country, or do you just naturally key in to spotting artwork in units? We don't tend to see much good artwork in units in my part of the country.

It seems to haunt me....kinda like the strippers units for the month of November.....sheesh.  And no "units full of artwork" aren't common.  The two significant pieces we've found were buried in units with visible vintage items.

Like I said~these appeared to be an art teachers units, as there were tons of canvas, framed pieces and the like.  What we could see many were different mediums and talent.  I did think about the first one, but when one of my buddies topped out at $600 and it kept going up.....let's just say the other two art units were not even looked at.

I really lucked out on our first unit with the Velarde, since then I've had numerous pieces worth very little.  The Lautrec litho is not going to be worth much at all, if anything.  At this point I'd take $50 just to get rid of it!  I talked (via email) with a gallery in the Pacific NW and he basically said they wouldn't be interested and perhaps I should try ebay or an antique mall......the kiss of death for art~

We do tend to look for units with vintage items, so perhaps we're finding more art (than average) that way than say those that buy furniture or tool units (although I'm getting to prefer those more).

186
Flea Markets / Re: Weather conditions
« on: January 25, 2012, 02:36:54 PM »
Quote from: Shmoopy on January 25, 2012, 02:17:06 PM
Thanks everyone. I'll definitely be setting up this weekend. I had no idea about other vendors trying to pick my stuff! I would have fell victim to that! Geez. Anything to make a buck, eh?

Hiya Shmoopy~don't freak out about that too much.  Happens everywhere and we sell to other vendors all the time!  Unlike MovieMan and Cobia, I'd rather turn and burn some inventory.  Now there are items I'll sit on for a while, but as a rule.......I'd rather make a buck today than two next Saturday.  It truly is different strokes and there is no right or wrong way to do this (well there is, but who has time for that lesson?).  You'll learn whatever works for you.....often the lesson is painful, like not taking $5 for that item and sitting on it for 3 weeks and finally selling it for $3 just to get rid of it, but learn you will!

Now I'm just venturing into ebaying again after a 6 year hiatus, so we'll see if perhaps my selling habits change, but for now......I love my fellow vendors!

187
Storage Auctions "In The News" / Re: Just like I said. Dave hester wants more money to be on the show
« on: January 24, 2012, 06:16:59 PM »
Quote from: MatchesMalone on January 24, 2012, 05:25:38 PM
You want to follow me around with an on-site producer, boom operator and cameraman and have me do interview segments on top of that, you better make it worth it for me.
At one of our auctions today some yahoo was videotaping (there's no tape, so perhaps filming....nope same problem~whatever it's called.....) via his cell phone.  I was torqued and popped off once (under my breath of course) that he ought not be photographing folks.  He did shut it down, but dang.....crap like that just irks me!  Unless of course it ends up on Youtube and the producers of the show see it and see how awesome we are here in Southern AZ and I get cast as a Brandi character....minus the heels of course......and make a small fortune while thinking back to the days of when we used to have to work for a living~ ;D

188
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Auction Scene #1...January, 2012
« on: January 24, 2012, 01:35:53 PM »
Well first time for this particular auctioneer.  Very large crowd, over 60 with maybe 20 regulars. two facilities and 16 units (combined). 
First facility~nothing but trash units.  Didn't even consider bidding on any.  A buddy of mine got one for $5.  Had a safe in it (yep....my first safe) that had the back cut out of it, some crap furniture, a lamp (his $5 investment was covered with that) and a few boxes.  He lives right around the corner so no issues with travel.  About the only thing of note was I found .70 on the ground~score!?!

Traveled about 20 miles to the next facility, where they had 9 units.  picked up another 15 or so.  This was an all indoor facility and it was crowded!  First unit was a 5X10 packed to the gills with tools, sports equipment and the like.  I loved this unit and bid it up to $600.  It went for $750.  After that the units got worse and the prices higher.  3 units all belonging to the same owner contained art (y'all know how much I love that!) and ended up going for $1200, $1800 and I have no idea on the last as we left.  Sad thing is somebody made the comment that it looked like possibly an art teachers unit.  You know what.....the more I think about it.....I think he may have been right.  Oh well.....wasn't my money.

All in all a bust of a day, but I did talk with our Dave Hester and he confided in me a bit, so that is a plus.  Keep your friends close kinda deal~

Big caravan on Thurs and this one isn't listed on Auctionzip or the like, so hopefully crowds will just be us regulars there.

 8)

189
South West / Re: Do you notice people seem bi-polar in 2012 at the auctions?
« on: January 23, 2012, 04:50:04 PM »
Whew~for a minute there I thought this was going to be a reflection on the Southwest region (southern AZ in particular ***insert twitching emoticon here***), but I'm assuming you just landed it in a wrong category~

I haven't found folks to be much different than they've always been.  Perhaps a bit more tight-lipped (I've become that way myself) as far more people are attending and crowding and overbidding.  I know I had a nice young lady who came up to me and asked where I found out about auctions and I simply told her that it takes a ton of time on google and the like.  I felt I might have been rude, but really.........if I let her know how I do it (which I discovered on my own) then she tells the next guy and so on and so forth.....

About the only real change in 'personalities' is regulars getting a bit more frustrated as more and more believe they're going to strike it rich simply because they saw it on TV~

190
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: # 6 locker update
« on: January 23, 2012, 02:16:38 PM »
Quote from: craiglstauction on January 23, 2012, 12:17:42 PM
Trying to figure out how to sell the kids jerseys and things I have.  Most of them are football which is about over.  So try and sell or hold till next fall? 

Take it from somebody who lives and breathes football~it's never over!!!  OK~I'm a Vikings fan so my season was officially over about week 3 of the regular season, but I'm still sporting my colors and buying new gear!  As a matter of fact, I used my Amazon gift card for a (Vikings) purple 2-cell maglite and an awesome Vikings umbrella!  Hey~we average more sun than any other city in the US, but by golly that one week when we hit 3 different caravans on 3 different days and it rained all 3........I wanted a decent umbrella!

Label them after season blowout sale!

Now~do you have any youth Vikings jerseys (that don't say Moss or Favre?!?!)? :D

Quote from: craiglstauction on January 23, 2012, 12:17:42 PM
Cold has made me lazy - keep trying to sort the cloths for Ebay lots and then find something else (almost anything else) to do :)

Like hanging out on this forum?......I know~I should be thinking about ebaying......but alas.....I don't want to. I don't want to! I don't want to!!!

191
Flea Markets / Re: Flea market prices
« on: January 22, 2012, 07:10:45 AM »
Quote from: craiglstauction on January 20, 2012, 07:27:23 PM
I know that is what they are doing and have no problem with that.  I'm mostly turning and burning inventory and don't want to sit on it for weeks on end till the right buyer comes by.
That's me to a T~ 
I'd rather move it and be done than to quibble over a buck or two.  There are I times I won't go lower and 90% of the time it's due to a customers attitude.  I had one guy argue the price of a car seat with me.  "It's $5"  'You'll take $2'  "No, I'll take $4" 'you'll take $2'  "now we're back to $5"  He finally left the booth and I sold it for $3 to a nice lady.  I'm going to have to work on a sign that says "Prices subject to change due to customers attitude!"

I had a young man call me yesterday about our 'junkers flea market' as he normally does the 'other one'.  I warned him upfront that they will try to get it for nothing, but if you just deal you can move a lot of inventory, especially first thing in the morning to fellow vendors.

We're headed out in an hour with some new & some old inventory.  We're going to get two booths today as we're taking out a bunch of vintage & collectible items and don't want them getting 'lost' in the junk stuff.  I've tried selling antiques there in the past without a lot of luck, but I'm going to deeply discount my old stock and hopefully move some of the new as well.

192
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Auction Scene #1...January, 2012
« on: January 21, 2012, 05:19:24 PM »
I remember one unit that a rumble started about a safe in the unit.  I went back and checked and it was a small all in one stereo system with a tuning dial.  I went back to the instigator (an old-timer regular) and told him what I believe I saw and he said "yeah.  I know.  I just love messing with folks!"  I gently punched him in the arm and told him to knock it off, as I wanted that unit.  Needless to say the price went far too high.

at an auction a couple weeks ago Don heard some guys talking about the 4 shotguns in the back.  They could see the barrels.  Don double-checked and they were curtain rods.  He just chuckled and let 'em go~

Funny how different eyes see different things~

193
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Auction Scene #1...January, 2012
« on: January 21, 2012, 04:44:33 PM »
Quote from: Shmoopy on January 21, 2012, 03:35:51 PM
I went to a place today where only 50 showed up. My second auction and it only had about half the people of my first, but still a sizable crowd... Anyway, it went from the 8 units advertised to 2 and they both went for over a grand. I'm not a phenomenal judge of antiques, but really, it was a bunch of furniture and it all looked kinda cheap. The other unit had about 4 refrigerators and some stuff wrapped up in those furniture blanket things. There was also a largeish toolbox on top of one of the 'fridges. There was a safe in this one, too and I tried to stay around to watch them break open, but they shunned me out. Oh well, probably empty or paperwork.
I've been picking a lot lately to get some payroll so I can start bidding, but weather prevented me from setting up at the flea market this weekend so I decided to go spectate this auction. Discouraging to say the least. But still only my second. Here's to hoping it gets better!

But you're doing it!  Hopefully you are learning each time.  And no matter how much you observe.....ain't nothin' like the first time you bid, win and start to dig!  We're now at 10 lockers and each time the anticipation is great!  Of course the actual cleaning out.....not so much, but that first time you lift the door after paying for the locker?????  Sky's the limit!

I've yet to find a safe, but with my crowds......if one is apparent......well let's just say, I don't have the capital to compete~ ::)

194
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Auction Scene #1...January, 2012
« on: January 20, 2012, 03:33:31 PM »
Quote from: MovieMan on January 20, 2012, 02:55:56 PM
When I asked if this was their first buy, she piped up right away..."Oh no, this is our second!" I stifled my laugh especially when she said the first one was just yesterday!   ;D

I love it!  Not sure I could have resisted the laughter.

Sounds like a good day MovieMan.  I'm hoping for a day of multiple buys, but with our crowds and soooo many struggling......I'm happy just for one locker.

I tell you what~I want just a 'normal' locker again.  Far too many questions with two of our last three, with the third being crap.  Oh we'll break even on it,  Maybe even cover the dump run, but dang that was NASTY!

195
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Auction Scene #1...January, 2012
« on: January 20, 2012, 02:29:35 PM »
3 facility caravan today, cut down to two due to paper work issues.  About 20 in attendance.  Mostly regulars with a couple newbies.  Prices stayed relatively normal until our Dave Hester went over the top of another regular and spent over $800 on a 10X10.  Can't say I recall anything making it worth that much, but I never get upset when he gets a unit I don't necessarily want.  Let him fill his sails.....leaves more air for the rest of us later on.

Second facility picked up a couple more.  Only thing of note was a couple newbie girls were bidding fast and furious at both facilities.  Think they landed a few and should lose their butts.  Hope to not see them again at any rate, as they threw money around senselessly. 

No locker for me.  Just as well, as we still have quite a bit of inventory.  Did notice that the first facility of the day prices are usually lower.  I know it's because as you draw to a close later on.....those that haven't bought feel the noose tightening.  Gotta get a unit....gotta get a unit.....gotta get a unit.....

eh.....next week brings a couple more caravans, then we're into the next month when things go crazy again!


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