I've been attending a lot more but go not intending to bid.  I'm more watching crowd and prices.
Of course I bring money and evaluate each unit.  But they have to be pretty good for me to bid.

What I've noticed in my area is prices are dropping dramatically for large and/or packed units.
Price are still high but no more $750+ unit after unit.  Average (for what I've attended) is $250-$450.

Tho, while large units are coming down the small or empty-ish units are holding.  With the few exceptions you can't get a unit for less than $75-$100.   There has been a few for $15-$30 but real gambles or total trash (or smell like rat piss and have a bunch of mattresses)

Even those units like described above (7 trash bags) are going for $50

Think the best I've seen cheap was for $65.  Contents: guitar case (possibly guitar?), milk crate of comic books in sleeves  and a gym bag.

There was possibilities for a score (or at least a profit) but I went to $60 and bailed out.  Without coming across anything special, just bidding on what I saw,  I figured max sales at maybe $100.

I use craiglist for any moving.
Deals vary but about two months ago got two guys and a truck for $75/hr.

Moved the contents of a one bedroom, second floor, condo to a third floor condo ten miles away in just under 1.5 hours.   

You can sometime get hem to make a dump run for you too.

Just be sure to ask how big the truck is. 
Also, if they charge mileage and do they count drive time in the hourly rate.  Don't want to pay $75/hr for them to sit in traffic.



Day labor is good.  We use to go to the Latino Workforce to get labor.  Bet part is you can tell them its flat rate.   $50 each if it takes them 10 minutes or ten hours.   Really speeds up the productivity.

Picked up four guys to do roof tear off/cleanup.   Told them it paid $75/ea.   $100 if it was done before noon. Dropped them off at 7am, got a call at 10:30.  It was done!
So I dropped them at another job site, same deal but by 5pm.    Came back at 4pm and not only were they one but had layed the paper, separated the roofing and tarped it for he night!

Interesting that eBay would remove it.   I don't  agree with them but the kkk is a legal group with free speech rights.    I've seen Black Panther and Black Power items listed. 

I've only been to one auction where they opened it up and wouldn't auction it off.
It was a 10x10 filled with new car audio boxes.  Stereo's, speakers, Amps.....

It started off as "Why would someone default $375 on a locker that is filled with tens of thousands in easily sold merchandise?"   Figured either the boxes were empty and it was a set up or it was stolen goods.   Then someone said they remembered a break-in in the news about four months previous, arrests made.....yep.....three months ago.

Bad for us but the police came.  Gave them the added evidence to convict others in break-in and store got the goods back.

Other than that our guys auction off anything.  Gun cases are pointed out.  Tho if a gun is showing the management calls police.   You can claim it but good luck.   No bill of sale. Not in your name.  Once police have guns or money in their hands.....write it off as gone.

Back to the point.
The last few auctions have all been that way.   Auctioneer, newbies, some old guy that doesn't  bid but likes to come.....all just talking away on what's in the unit.    And now!   People looking up on smartphones what things are worth and shouting out: oh!  That <blank> is selling on ebay for $1000!!

Idiots.    I'm going to start doing it back on units I don't want.  "Whispering" to my friend:  hey, see that purple and lime green stripped turtleneck?   Yeah, the one covered in rat crap.   It's a vintages design by Andy Warhol.....it's worth millions!

That's.....odd.     I might just have to post a service.


I'll post your fiver post to fiver for a fiver......

Went to an auction at the last minute. Was just out having lunch and saw it was happening in ten minutes about two blocks over.
 Only had $400 on me.

Opened unit and good stuff showing was:

JBL stage monitor.
Fishing poles
Music instrument cases
Banjo



Bid went slowly up to $225.      With bid, premium, tax and deposit I couldn't go any higher.
Cash only.     Figured even IF they let me run to bank the person bidding was a regular and would have gone way higher.
Plus, I'd have to rent a truck ($100) and would have to rent the 10x20 for a month since I have no help in the required 24 hours to empty, hire help since i got this bum shoulder acting up...
Figured all-in-all it would push $750-$1000 up font for me and I'm a bit tight this month because of the surgery ills rolling in.

Shoulda done it.

JBL is selling for $950 alone.
There were two nice violins.  Electric banjo. Mixing board. Locked gun case.  A safe that had stuff in it (locked).  Fishing poles were all high end.
Easily $3000+ in there and all easily sold stuff at that!  Agh!

Teaches me for only carrying  $400.

I use to feel bad when I totally under pay for expensive items estate sales.  But so often the heirs just want the stuff gone.  Most often money isn't even an issue.

And as one guy told me; its all a wash in his eyes.   Some things he might of underpriced but then he sells the Tupperware, old canned food, burnt spatulas......where would he sell that otherwise?  It would just get tossed or donated.   Their not resellers.  They don't find it fun



Another company convinced a son to let them sell off mothers goods.   All he wanted was to sell her antiques  and he was going to pay them to clean out the house. He got pissed when he saw they priced them way lower than he thought they should be.  But he made like 4x as much from the other stuff and got the house cleaned out for free.

And a lot want the house sold and need the stuff gone.  They loose way more having the house sit.  Morgage, tax, electricity.....
It cost us $600/month to have my grandmas house sit empty and its paid off.

Anyone ever feel bad for digging thru people's belongings for profit?

According to the source below the Pop-Up idea has been around for a long time (around 10 years or so) and maybe that's where the New York Gals from SW got the idea.  Apparently Target, JC Penny, etc have been heavy-duty participants for some time.....why not the little guy ?

http://trendwatching.com/trends/popup_retail.htm

Think they got it from the little guy.
I remember back 20yrs ago hearing about up and coming fashion designers in NY doing it.
Kenneth Cole started out this way.  Hawking shoes I believe.