Closest I've come is selling out of my trunk.  Works well.
I'll have to search, I posted about it.   Can't remember ow much I made slang'n George Forman Grills at gas stations......



My cousin does a version of it for his restaurant in the Bay area.
He does take overs.   Rent out an existing place and for one night it's a totally different returns.
RSVP only.  Multi-course.  High-Mid to fine dinning.

I worked in a Porsche / Mercedes Benz dealership as a manager for years... our used car mgr. came to me one day and said he'd sent several trade ins to the "detail / clean up " shop over the past few months,all with floor mats and most came back WITHOUT floor mats....

A majority of our used cars we toss the floor mats anyway. Or they are still hanging in detail drying. No one would notice if we sold them. But most aren't worth it.   
We do lose a ton of new car floor mats.  We've caught those on CL.  But mostly its people buy a bottom dollar budget car and to close deal salesman throws in mats.....stolen from upper model.   Then we play floor mat hop scotch as the cars sell untill its the last car, no mats and sales yells at US for stealing.

Only mats I take is if there is All-Weather mats over stock mats AND the All-Weather don't fit the "look" of the car and the clean stock mats look nicer.

Calcoastgal -  you'd by suprised they things that can get stuck in wierd spots.  High powered air guns find things you can't see.   Dimond rings, $100 bills, sex toys.   I even blew a little .22 derringer out from the crack of the drivers seat once.

You wouldn't believe the items left in he Trade-Ins I detailed.

Not the lost between the seat stuff but right out in the open, just left.

Skis, gun cases, boxes of Verizon cell phone accessories, iPods, designer sunglasses.......


There was one week I made more off the stuff I found than I did in pay!





Rule was, it goes in locker for 30 days after deal is finalized or car was detailed, which ever is longer.
In five years only one person came back and all they wanted was some cheap sunglasses.

This guy seems pretty down to earth.  Isn't out to rip people off, just wants to make a living the good old fashion way......working.     To many of these blogs (or youtube videos) its all about their 'hustle' like its some sort of scam or something.  Puts a bad name on all of us.

This guy just wants to make an honest living.


http://recraigslist.com/

Almost got a 5x8 enclosed trailer today.  Dual wheel with roof rack and front storage bin. $750
But lost out to another guy. 

Did pick up a lot of like new clothes for myself. $1/ea

Great prices and tons of stuff I'd love to own but nothing really for resell.  Did grab a set of Polk Audio speakers for $20 but haven't researched.  Figured I should be able to get my $20 back at minimum.

At least things are picking up again.  Last couple months its been 2-3 estates a weekend in a 30mile area.
This weekend there is 22.

I'll add that in the times I've tried to research owner it hasn't helped.
First, (HERE)  they rarely post names in public notice.  When they do there isn't enough info to trace it.

If there is a name that's uncommon enough and partial addy, only occasionally can you gleam much info in search.
Divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure.....still doesnt tell you much.

Major down side is all the time you invested (and possibly money since its not needed but time saver to use pay sites to search public records) and then the owner pays up or locker is mostly empty.....or research shows owner was a <something that could make unit good> and turns out its filled with his dead mothers junk he didnt want to throw away due to memories......

About the only time it helps is if say you find he was a antique dealer and in back there is stacked up covered furniture.  Now you can have a bit more insight of possibilities.   Still a gamble.  You don't KNOW it's antiques....could be all the broken worthless crap he's picked up over he years.



To me, not worth the time spent.    And this from a guy that will spend hours researching a horse and pass races just to lay a $2 wager.   

If only they would make some TV shows about how lucrative lawn care & car detailing businesses are! 

Since I do Auto Detailing I can assure you there will never be a show on how lucrative it is....
And that's all I need.   Even more competition.

Short answer: Public Notices

Harder then it seems.  Depends where you live and the laws.   Some areas don't even need to post public notice if there was a "proven good faith effort" to contact renter.  If they do, you still need to find the notice which means going thru multiple papers *daily*.  (You may be doing this anyway to find the auctions, i dont. and Some can be found online).   After that its like skip tracing.

It doesn't even matter to me.   The extra time to research vs the limited insight?  I bid on what is showing.