Bought 3 lockers on Friday and allthough that was March it is now April and I am finally getting them sorted. Crowds were moderate prices were high but not through the roof. Not very many lockers up for sale

I bought:

1) About a 6X8 odd size for $190 first auction up for sale. Saw a dryer and some boxes. Was a dud nothing good one small sterling ring lot of junk some clothes and a few books will lose money

2) A 5 X 10 for $275. 


3) a 5X10 for $175.  Saw some speakers and a few boxes some furniture looked okay. Was a dud empty whiskey bottles and trash. Found a first for me the Cremains of a dog. Firs box I looked in had a half box of .44 mag ammo. Figured I has struck it rich but that was it.


Now for unit number 2. It took them over a half hour to get the lock off as they lost the key.  We all waited around. Once off the manager said the locker had been rented to the same person for 30 years. Heavy dirt and cob webs. It did not look exciting a washer and dryer what looked to me like an old cabinet style TV some chairs a few small items showing. Well the thing intrigued me so I went higher then I thought it was worth. First thing I pulled out was a 70s vintage suitcase and it opened putting stuff back in I found a western style belt with a Sterling and 10K gold buckle on it. That got me pumped.

Ended up with 3 custom fishing rods one a Russ Peak (these can top $1000), a Heddon bamboo fly rod, a Browning rod,  a Fin-nor deep sea reel, 3 marble top pieces a Buffet a end table and a round table. In a box of Books i found a pass to the 1934 Olympics in perfect condition along with 3 $2 bills one a 1928, a $5 silver certificate from 1934, a 1918 Walking half dollar, 2 Buffalo nickels and a 1927 vintage dictionary that is 6 inches thick and a work of art.  Also got some Wedgewood China a bunch of other neat glass including some depression glass. Tonight in the rags I was tossing out I found a nice condition Hudson Bay 4 point blanket.  There is a Tres Pano Mexican Guitar and they are worth something not junk.  It truelly looked like the stuff was put in in 1982 and not touched since,  I have a Panasonic portable AMFM radio with 8 track new in the box and a Clock radio new in the box dated 1977.  Oh there was a wall mounted electronics Dart game from the 70s as well.  It was a dream locker! Not much trash I hauled a mattress and box spring to the dump and they looked good I just could not imagine sleeping on a mattress that old that had been stored in an unheated locker.

I find sheets blankets towels curtains and such make great packing material when shipping stuff I have sold online. Yes some is pretty good but my feeling is it would be hard to get more then a buck an item.  right now I am running low on packing material I need to buy another locker full of it.

another one: little velvet or wooden jewelry boxes with nothing in them but a tiny note describing the item that should be in them. "Mom's antique 18k necklace", "Dad's gold cufflinks".....

I have found Pawn tickets for for all the gold that should have been in the unit that was a Doctors estate.  I think it was over 30 grams of gold the son pawned.

Spent an hour sorting the $300 10X15.  Found a box full of Navy memorabilia.  3 or 4 Zippos with ships names on them and good Vietnam era stuff like a cruise book and some patches. Found some antique china and glassware some collector porcelain doll and the usual crap.  The Zippos alone may pay off the locker.  Have sorted less then 25% of the boxes at this point.  Feeling good now about that $300 locker. The $400 locker still have shown nothing great but I have not even finished cleaning it out.  Plan on another load tomorrow maybe 2. Took another 220 pounds to the dump about half that was a box of canned food.  I will not keep even canned goods from this locker to many rats.

The crowds on Friday were not that bad but it was the 5th day of a week of auction at PS.  About 20 to 30 and preices were not ridiculas on most units. there were sevaral that went for less then I thought they were worth but that did not appeal ot me. I like units with lots of boxes that looks like they are either real well packed and or have been there a long time like really dirty.  I think that while I Was on the caravan on ly one unit topped $500 and when the people that bought aht one went to pay it had been reddemed while the auction was on.  There were a fair number of lockers at every place the least was 4.  They sold a Hearse at one place a late 60s Caddy in retched condition with a title from Indiana and they would not help you get a title. Went for $25.  There were several lockers that went for $1 and one I was tempted to bid $5 on as it had a lot of smalls in it in boxs and drawers but a lot of really ugly heavy furniture as well.  The locker I got for $30 would have gone for a $1 before the unreality shows but zi was surprised to get it so cheap. I am no so overloaded with stuff I will skip the next months auctions and try to unload some inventory build up some cash so I can waste it in March.

The $30 unit belonged to a guy who used to own a sporting goods store in Renton that I had done business with.  He left with about a dozen guys ready to kill him since he sold guns on consignment and never paid off the owners.  He is in Alaska now. Got about 20 holsters a fair amount of ammo all kinds not a lot but a couple hundred worth. Got 2 fake guns the metal Japanese made ones. A puma knife, 3 S&W grips, a bunch of vintage 1960 scouting stuff, lot of police and EMT patches two badges one EMT one ambulance. Lot of uniforms a few Harley items lots of other interesting items.  The usual dirty magazines and condoms. Probably $400 to $500.
 
Hauled one load from the biggest locker will sort some tonight and try another load tomorrow. Found about 10 pounds of Rat crap so far is all.
 
Took 720 pounds to the dump from the $30 locker. I am not into that locker $75 but no more dump fees on that one. 
 

You should use your trailer to haul mattresses. Here is my hauling rig bought the trailer just to do auctions it makes the trips to the dump more productive and saves lot of trips when hauling stuff home.