Sometimes they'll pop a door open and the smell of cat urine is so strong people jump back from the doorway.  No thanks!  Those lockers usually have a bunch of ruined stuff and you know that any furniture in that locker is more than likely toast!

The single best locker I've ever had I paid $1000 for and sold the contents for over $7000, and kept a few things out of it. 

I've had two that I paid right at $400 for and sold the contents for right at $4400. 

Those are the best......I've never had a 10k or more locker....but I'd like to try it once!

Update:
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019168747_sedropot16m.html

The city is refusing to let a storage facility rent to growers. But, all is not lost, they are revisiting their decision - LOL!

 

I've bought lockers at that facility before.....usually kinda crappy overall.  But......maybe my big score is coming up soon!

I can see the new vehicular laws now:

DWI=Driving While Intoxicated
DWT=Driving While Toking

We have a DUI law.....Driving Under the Influence, that basically covers alcohol and drugs. 

One of the contentious points of the law was how they determined the standards for a DUI based on a blood test.  If you like to toke it up a lot, you may go over the limit, even though you aren't high. 

Article here explains it:

tokeofthetown.com/2012/11/how_to_avoid_a_marijuana_dui_charge_under_was_i-50.php

I've sold washer and dryer sets, mattresses, some furniture, etc......just so I didn't have to move it.  Other than that, I don't usually sell much until I've researched it.  I like to take my time and go through it myself before I let anybody else have a crack at it.

I have done a bit of picking from other auction buyers.  I have a couple that have "buying fever".  They buy and buy and buy, then they stockpile the stuff and run out of money and space, so then they sell cheap so they can get out and buy more.  I've made some really good deals with them. 

I always trade up my tool collection.  Had a Makita worm drive for years, but bought a locker with a like new Bosch worm drive....kept the Bosch and sold the Makita. 

Bought a locker that belonged to a guy that had a lot of nice cooking stuff.  There was a beautiful set of eight JA Henkels steak knives in a nice wood box......I use those any time I have a hunk of meat!

Got a nice Kitchenaid mixer with bunch of accessories a few years ago, and with the holidays coming, it will be getting a workout soon!

Also found a very nice Cuisanart food processor (a nice heavy duty one, not the junk ones I usually find) with all kinds of accessories, and it still get's used frequently.

I have traded up my dining room table a couple of times and have a really nice set now.  My entire bedroom set (the nicest furniture I've ever had in my life!) came out of a locker.....a complete set of Drexel Heritage, Queen bed frame and dressers.  Very nice stuff!

I'm always grabbing paintings I like......pretty much only original oils and I have to like the picture.  I have them hanging all over the house.  At this point, when I find a new one I like, I have to sell off an old one. 

There's more, I find decent clothes from time to time, and of course lot's of little hand tools, wrenches, specialty tools, tool boxes, etc.  And then the stuff you need all the time.....cleaning supplies, paper towels, garbage bags, etc. 

But, having said that, at this point in my life, I have pretty much everything I need and after years of digging through other peoples stuff (the name of my business by the way....Other Peoples Stuff....LOL), I don't WANT anything anymore......it's just a bunch of things!  I refuse to pay storage on personal items....I will never pay for personal storage again.  If something strange were to happen and I was booted out of my house tomorrow, I would sell everything on CL or ebay before I paid to put it in storage.  I have seen over and over again, all these people put $500 worth of items in a storage locker, and then pay thousands and thousands of dollars in fees to store it for years!  And by then of course, it's dirty and outdated, and it probably wasn't that nice to begin with! 

I try to use at much USPS flat rate, media mail, and priority mail when I can.  But, once you get into some of the bigger items, a lot of times UPS will be significantly cheaper.  For me, post office and UPS store are about 600 yards apart, so I'm going with cheaper!

I for one have been going to many fewer auctions than I used to.  It has turned into mostly a waste of time, between facilities holding on to the the better units, people not putting their best stuff in the units anymore, and the large crowds of hi-rolling gamblers!  I still get a locker here and there, but the deals are few and far between.

Just a note about auctions in general.  Not only have the shows messed up the storage auction business, but it has affected most other types of auctions also.  I go to a lot of commercial type auctions and the attendance at these auctions is way up, along with a corresponding uptick in pricing!  I went to one on Tuesday (didn't put it in the "auction scene" because it wasn't a storage auction) and prices and crowds were unbelievable!  

I had researched a bunch of the inventory over the last couple of evenings and made a list of some of the things I was interested in and prices I was willing to pay, and what the values were.  I have also purchased many of these items in the past (commercial restaurant equipment for those taking notes).  Anyway, get to the auction, and prices were totally amazing.  Some kitchen equipment was selling for more than you could buy it BRAND NEW at the restaurant supply store!  Items I have purchased before for $45-$75 were selling for $200-$375!  An item that usually will sell for $700-$800 (that I was willing to go to a grand on) sold for 3K!  Plus, on top of these prices, they have a 10% buyers premium and tax!  There were many more items like that, everything from espresso machines to coolers to deli counters, and everything was priced out of sight!

Sorry, guess I got a little off topic.  Just to sum it up, I think the reason we're seeing fewer posts is that the members on here probably are not buying as much as they did earlier in the year. We haven't been seeing as many "treasures" or hearing as many stories overall.  How many times can we write "I went to an auction, too many people, prices sucked, didn't get anything"?!   At least that's my excuse.