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Messages - Cobia

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376
Mike Braiotta's Blog / Re: Mike From Storage Wars NY
« on: February 08, 2013, 09:10:02 AM »
Quote from: Travis on February 07, 2013, 12:26:37 PM
Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm from Houston and there are usually auctions going on Monday-Saturday. On average, you see 50-75 units a day and you could buy as many units as you wanted to or your budget allowed. However, the people who don't live in large cities aren't used to this, they might be lucky to attend 5-10 auctions a month, most of which only have one location for the day.

In Houston, you can go to auctions that start at 8:00 AM and end after 7:00 PM. I have also seen over 150 units on one caravan.

This is my problem, exactly!

377
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: How much money do you take to an auction...2013 edition.
« on: February 08, 2013, 09:07:59 AM »
Quote from: alloro on February 07, 2013, 10:17:52 AM
I head out with $1,000 per property. Meaning if there are 3 sites with auctions that day I bring $3,000, 2 properties $2K, etc. I found that if I bring too much I had a tendency to overpay on units just because I had the cash. By limiting the amount I bring, I found I was bidding smarter and making more profit.

Good point about tempering your bidding behavior by not having too much money on hand. Just because you CAN win the unit, doesn't mean you SHOULD win the unit!

378
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: How much money do you take to an auction...2013 edition.
« on: February 07, 2013, 10:10:54 AM »
Always as much as I can!

Honestly I bring 5 figures, though 99.9% I will never need that much.

We have several "lurkers" who have been coming out to the auctions for years and never bid on anything. Sure, they might be professional "Lookie-Loos" but my gut tells me they are just waiting for that one "Holy Grail, Superdecious, Fantastic" unit to drop some big coin on.

One day a unit was going up for auction and somehow "word" had got out what was in the unit cause the whole crowd was abuzz. It was a 1994 Chevy Impala Super Sport on 24" rims, custom interior, upgraded stereo & speakers, etc. I only had about 2.5K with me that day. Luckily for me, & unlucky for who ever the high bidder would have been (surely not me) the owner came in at the last, I mean very last, minute & paid up. Man the crowd was PISSED!

I don't know how word got out, but I'm sure my 2.5K would not have won the day. So I started bringing what ever I can just in case something like that happens again, and this time the owner doesn't pay up!

379
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: Pictures of Storage Auctions Crowds
« on: February 07, 2013, 09:53:48 AM »
Funny thing, the large crowds have been hitting the storage auction scene since January 2011, but the auctioneer for one of our larger caravan runs only started announcing in December 2012, "No photography or video during the storage auctions!"

380
eBay / Re: UPS, FedEx & USPS - How to know which one to use
« on: February 07, 2013, 09:45:28 AM »
Quote from: romelll on February 07, 2013, 09:04:27 AM

one thing i hate about fedex is the quotes are always wrong they always under quote. i also hate them for their cod they csot my business 7k dropping off merchandise nad not picking up checks. they offered me $200 to remedy the situation


Call 1800 FedEx. They have a COD department that handles these claims. I would call for each one as well as file a complaint. Each package that is going COD must have a COD tag applied. The pressure is on for them to deliver each package and a COD that does not have the money counts as a failure overall. Crazy but true.

Am I having deja vu or just going crazy! I could swear there was another member who posted the exact same story of losing $7,000 on a COD mix-up by Fed-Ex! Maybe I recognize the story from another forum. Small World!

381
New to Storage Auctions? / Re: How far are you willing to drive to auctions?
« on: February 07, 2013, 09:33:36 AM »
Haven't gone more then 75 miles in the last year or so...

382
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: Cremated remains what do you do?
« on: February 07, 2013, 09:26:29 AM »
Quote from: theoddfind on February 06, 2013, 08:26:28 PM
I have found relatives and pet cremated remains on multiple occasions and will return them if possible. The other month however I found cremated remains with no id on them but they had medals all over the urn from military service and im not sure what unit they came from. The box was burried in the back and could be from 20+ units. What would you do with them?????

SELL!SELL!SELL!  :)

383
The Treasure Chest / Re: $30 Best Buy Gift Card!
« on: February 06, 2013, 01:18:35 PM »
Hey Travis, To qualify for this $30 gift card, is there going to be a special topic/thread just for posting "treasures" for this contest or is it going to be for posting & commenting anywhere in the treasure chest section?

Do we only get credit for posts about items WE find or does replying to a thread with "Hey , thats cool, I got one of those out of a unit last year, great find!"; count?

384
Reality Shows about Storage Auctions / Re: Bubba & Ricky Meet Frank From Killen, TX.
« on: February 06, 2013, 09:46:00 AM »
Quote from: Travis on February 06, 2013, 08:40:52 AM
I have never understood how it is more profitable to drive a box truck 1,000 miles and sell things in Mexico as opposed to selling locally, but somehow he does well at it. Maybe he's bringing something back with him, if you know what I mean.  ;)  Just kidding, he seems like he's a decent guy.

I can think of 2 reasons:

1. More shoppers; Were I live the Mexicans will by everything, the "Americans" only pick.

2. Less competition; How many Americans are going to be brave enough to sell in Mexico?

I would think one would need to drive the largest truck one can get your hands on though to make it profitable at 1,000 mile round trip. A 26' U-Haul is about 24' x 8' x 7' volume, so if you were just taking clothes, appliances, household goods, the smalls; you could probably pack  the contents of 3-6 units in there.

At 10 MPG, thats 100 gallons of fuel, so worse case $4 a gallon $400. The contents from 1 or 2 units could cover that (assuming you sell-out) then you have 2-4 units worth of inventory to cover the trip (I didn't include rental fees, for all I know he owns a big truck)

Hopefully he can pay for all the contents by selling 1-2 units worth of stuff & have 1-2 units worth of stuff for profit (big IF, since no idea what he is paying for inventory, or if paying employees to help)

385
The Treasure Chest / Re: $30 Best Buy Gift Card!
« on: February 06, 2013, 09:27:49 AM »
I don't think I can participate in the "Treasure Chest" forum cause anything great I find & post, Movieman will just cross reference it with Craiglist & Ebay & "out" my identity to the public.  ;)

I'd like to keep a little anonymity in here.  :P

386
Donations & Taxes / Re: Donation Value Guide
« on: February 05, 2013, 10:44:33 AM »
Quote from: Alias300 on February 05, 2013, 08:31:46 AM
Anyone know about charitable donations 'carry over' rule with he IRS?

I'm reading it as; you can deduct up to 50% of your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI).  If I donate goods equaling >50% of my AGI, I can carry over donation value into following year.

So in 2011 I made $100,000.   I allowed to deduct up to $50,000 in donations.
I donate $75,000 in goods.  So I write off $50k on 2011 taxes.  Then 'carry forward' $25,000 to write off on 2012 taxes?

And donations can be deducted anytime ("carried over") in any of the following five years?

I will have to ask my accountant about that!

387
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Auction Scene #2...February, 2013
« on: February 05, 2013, 10:43:01 AM »
Quote from: Wyattandbeanes on February 05, 2013, 09:09:46 AM
Had not been to an auction in a month or so but decided to go to a four location run.

First location had four lockers mostly junk prices went from $17.50 (old tv and beer caps) to $155 (box spring, pocket book and boxes). I didnt bet over $45 on any locker.

2nd location has 14 units and one consigned unit. Prices went from $1 (foot rest and lamp shade) to $425 (home gym and bed set), the consigned unit was a hair salon that closed down unit went for $775 which is the highest unit prices i've seen on over a year around here. Funny thing is they said the unit owner has three more boxes of items she would sell to winning bidder for an additional price. I was afraid that it would be something really needed to sell the items and it would cost to much so i didnt bid. I did bid on two units a 5x9 with boxes, dvd player and a rocking chair and some bags went up to $75 and quit ending up selling for $120 and a 5X18 packed full of old tv's, bar stools and a leather coach with some boxes ending up going to $200 and quit went for $270

3rd location has seven unit and two cars, units went from $21 (old coach and beat up stove) tp $525 (butcher tables and chainsaw). Cars went for $275 (69 camaro) and $240 (99 ford explorer i think). I bidded on the Camaro but it was basically scrap and two units that went a little two high because on playstation box.

4th location gave away a free washer and dryer to the first to sign up and I was the second  :'( which is the firstr time i have ever seen that happen. They only had one unit and i got it for $350 basically some suitcases, pocket books, lamps and other flea market stuff. Got it for a jewerly box which broke me even after i found a little bit of 14k gold and found a a/c unit in the back of locker so should make a good profit. This tentant had over 400 books inside of the unit and around 300 were books on divorce and child custody other were get rich quick and church books.

Two more auctions this week, maybe i'll find something since prices are starting to come down.

I dunno bout that, we haven't seen the Tax Money Hundredaires  hit the auction scene this Spring yet!

388
General Storage Auction Talk / Greatest Obstacle To Upscaling Your Business?
« on: February 04, 2013, 11:20:29 AM »
Those involved in storage auctions, picking & re-selling as a business; what do you think is the greatest obstacle to overcome so you can grow/upscale your business?

Personally I think it's the risk of inventory shrinkage (theft/damage) by adding employees or more employees to your operations.

Your "eyes" can't be everywhere, so if you hire people to clean out the units, load and unload the inventory, sort inventory, work at your store, etc. There is a high risk of the best items dissapearing before you ever knew you had them. Add in carelessness, lack of work ethic; and you get damaged furniture, electronics, broken glassware, antiques, collectibles, etc.

Not only that your gross sales must overcome the compensation you are paying your employees/contractors as well.

389
eBay / Re: Mary Padian's eBay Sales Flop
« on: February 04, 2013, 11:08:42 AM »
According to Feedback anyway, the most expensive item she has sold in 5 years was $120! Looks like she hasn't sold anything on Ebay for over a year! Atleast no Feedback from customers indicating otherwise.

I guess being a storage auction/re-seller expert/mogul is a lot different on TV then real life!

Don't know if I should laugh or cry everytime I keep finding out I'm kicking the TV guru's A$$es in this business!  :P

390
Craigslist / Anyone Notice the "Smoke-Free" Ads?
« on: February 04, 2013, 10:58:52 AM »
Anyone Notice how more & more people are listing furniture on Craigslist from "smoke-fee" & "pet-free" homes?  :o

 It seemed like a few years ago I would only see that description on about 10% of the furniture listings, now it's getting up to 30%-40% of furniture listings.

So did that many families stop smoking & no longer have pets?

Anyone feel like this hurts your sales if you can't promise "smoke-free" & "pet-free"?

I'm going to start listing "people-free" for months or years since it's been in storage!  ;)

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