That gives me hope. If two 70 year old auctioneers can embrace technology, surely the young whipper snappers can too. 

The thing the young whipper snappers have is cynicism. They think they know it all.. The older generation go on faith.

I like what you're doing with VSA, but I think if you could incorporate both the online and live auction, you'd have a clear edge and something new to bring to the industry. Think of it as a hybrid between auctionzip or liveauctioneers.com and storagebattles. Logistics would be an issue, but with mobile services being just about as good as home services, should be easier to bridge that gap.

Bought 3 lockers late last week. Just got through with cleaning them out and processing.

First locker was $40. Lots to throw out.. the obligatory mattress/box spring. Couch was destroyed. Clothes, of course. This guy was a heavy smoker and/or tobacco chewer. Everything was yellow stained or tarred. Got a nice microwave which will pay for the room. A headboard, a Harmon Kardon AV unit with 3 HDMI's, Klipsch tower speakers, a crock pot which already sold for $20 and misc glass stuff. Had a beautiful Basset dresser with mirror, but it was heavily water damaged and drawers were broken. It was the heaviest thing I've picked up in a long while.. a shame that it was so damaged. But, I'll do pretty good there.

2nd locker was a small one which I outlined on another thread. Paid $30 and got clothing racks which could be used at the store, a desk, and the 2 items which will more than pay for the locker.. a Lladro figuring which just sold yesterday for $76 on Ebay and a platinum dipped rose which retails for $80 on the low end. I've got it for $45 in my shop now.

Last locker was a doozy.. $110 and not much in it. Couch and chair with no cushions, drawers with no dresser, glass table frame, no top, chairs to match the table frame, 2 in good shape, 2 broken, matching coffee table and end tables, and a ton of clothes, and misc crap most of which has to be thrown out. The bright spot here is the guy who bought the 3rd locker available here (owned by the same person) says that he has my couch cushions. He wants to trade some stuff. I just hope he doesn't hold me hostage too much.

That first video was funny. Feel bad for the guy.. The last one is private..

How do you feel about ads that are edited by HTML to make the font bigger, different colors, links added, etc.? Is it a good thing, or a turn off?

I agree! I hold onto the totes that I get, but she likes the cardboard boxes for some reason! No matter how much I tried to explain to her that we will constantly get new boxes with each unit we buy, she wanted to keep them all! Finally this weekend we were cleaning house for a couple of lockers that we bought, and she saw just how much space this stuff was taking up and agreed to let it go.

So, since I've opened up shop I'm using craigslist free ads to give away items that I wouldn't ordinarily sell to get people to come to the store. It works out really well and typically I don't put on the ad things like "no resellers". This time I put up a free ad and added "for a family in need. NO RESELLERS" I also asked to send an email before coming to the store and tell me why they need the items.. they were baby items, a bottle warmer, bottles, burp cloths, etc.

A guy sends an email with a sob story about how he is broke and been out of work for years. He has hit rock bottom. His wife is due in a few weeks with their first and they have nothing because they don't have the money to buy. It was a very sad story..

So the guy comes into the store today to pick up his free items for his pregnant wife and...... it's a guy from the auction circuit.. and his wife is not pregnant, I've seen her before at auctions.. When he came in, I didn't think he was there for the free stuff, because he can't be the same guy who wrote the story. And then, he asks for the free baby stuff.. and I was like, "your wife is pregnant?" "uhhh.. yeah.." he replies. I gave him the stuff, but what a degenerate!

Guess who now has a HUGE target on his back? As long as I'm at an auction, I'll be sure he won't be getting a locker.. and I'll be telling this story around the circuit. Guys like him make me sick!

Touche!