Hey MovieMan - I enjoy reading your posts. Some of the best entertainment for me during the time I was lurking here was because of you.

Thanks !  Since the tv shows came on I've had more time to spend here swapping "war stories".

Well yesterday totally sucked! 

And we can see why !  I'm sorry you had that experience and when you mentioned your heart wasn't in it to go on to other auctions we can totally relate.

Now you have to wait on the new responses from mgrs and then fool around with all the stuff too boot. Not going to be a pleasant feeling working in there, but your attitude will have to be to get as much out of the stuff as you can. Hopefully you'll be able to break even or get close to that anyway.

We'll be anxious to hear if they give you any relief, but I'm kind of doubting it. If nothing else, how about (if all else fails) getting them to give you say 3 months of free storage in either that locker or another (say a 10 x 15 or 10 x 20). That would make you feel a little better and give you some working room. That would be of course if it's a convenient distance to your home.

Anyway, feeling for your frustration. 

Those old metal lunches boxes can go for hundreds of dollars each,

....and they can go for $20. Last one I had got $18.00.

Now for new episode #2...

Auctioneer borrows the Dan Dotson “Are you ready to go?” (how original can you get?)

First one goes to…..Moe the schmo who is wearing a fur coat. Can we say Barry wanna-be?

Second one goes to….Lesa…take me out and shoot me; I can’t take one more “bring it” !

Starts to rain and auction is cancelled….tornado watch…rain drowns the “bring it” girl.

Victor didn’t even get to bid.

Ricky and Bubba drive two hours to a different auction. Bubba still fills 2/3s of my tv screen.

**
Lesa’s big unit ($1475) has a jewelry box with crap jewelry.  Big find (always is one) is a….wine cabinet with green glasses her partner thinks is dollar store stuff. Later the expert says it’s Uranium glass from the 1920s and worth maybe $100 total. THEN, a set of four …expert says $200.


Moe…worthless TV set (we get them all the time)…so far sees $500 worth of crap. But then he offers Lesa $500 for her wine cabinet.  She takes it.  He thinks he can get a grand for it. Expert later says….teak, circular wine bar worth $3400. Give me a friggin’ break, but does he buy it from Moe…no.

The big boys….find…a leather couch with no cushions (sound familiar ?).  Table…Bubba says it’s Mayan. Yeah, right. The table expert says….grinding mill base…in northwest India (far from the Mayans !). Expert says…50 years old and worth….$350. After gas money…they broke even.


Two more episodes next Tuesday, March 13, 2012.

MM - It is called "Mile High Marketplace"...  The link with info is:

http://milehighmarketplace.com/en/Flea_Market/

$70 per spot for Friday/Saturday/Sunday.  If it wasn't so far for me, I would think it would be a good choice for a weekend of sales to clear out my garage of inventory (~1,200sqft).

Sam

Thanks....I'll be going as a shopper...maybe I'll pick up a couple of items I can turn a profit on.

Went to website, downloaded pdf map of the vendors, mapped it on my laptop, put in iPad and car navigator and am taking a handheld eTrex as well to get me around the acreage !  Ready for some fun at a new flea !

Yep, the best return on investment (inluding time and physical effort) has been the buying/selling of individual items. This is true for the period covering the last three months or so when I have increased this type of activity.

It only took a couple of sales to pay off the iPad I bought specifically for that purpose.

Still buying lockers, but not as many as 15 months ago. Prices too high to guarantee the best profit.

One fellow I know has given up selling at the flea even...nothing but buying single items and putting them on eBay.
Since he doesn't buy a single auction unit he doesn't have to spend time or effort on getting rid of all the household, etc.

Another line I get tired of hearing:

"I saw that advertised new at less than your asking."

My respose: "Did you buy it?"  Invariably their answer is no.

*****

Yesterday I had two brand new moving dollies.... I was asking $10 each for them. I knew they were from Harbor Freight and I looked them up to see what the store price was. Normally it is $15 and they were at that moment on sale for $10.

In my area certain buyers can quote you 100 prices from Harbor Freight!  Anyway, I decided to ask $10 each, halfway planning to bait some of these characters.

Half a dozen people asked how much before one said "Harbor Freight has these on sale right now at $8.00." Well, he was close but off by $2.00. So I asked him if he planned driving over there that day to buy one or two. "No ?", Well you can buy them here, save the gas and no sales tax. "I'll think about it", he said.

He came back later and I pointed to the two next to my van now. "Are you ready to buy them?" I asked. He said yes and I proceeded to tell him.."Too late, they sold 10 minutes after you left.... $9.00 each". I went to sit in the side door of my van and looked up to see him standing there, dumbfounded for a good minute before he walked off mumbling.