I remember the year we had the huge snowstorm here in Southern AZ~
That was my old Suburban.......I LOVED that truck~now I drive an Isuzu Trooper.......danged inflation!!

OK~a couple more.....
These were right after I got a new camera and was 'testing' it out~

10. The Deceptive Braggart: This is the auction buyer that wins a 20x30 unit for $50 that has a single box of old DVDs sitting in the center. He then proceeds to tell everyone how he wins all of his units for $50 and makes a killing. Next he dumps all of his life saving into auction buying (and a box truck) only to lose it all and end up on skid row in the end.

There....fixed it for ya~

Now~I don't see myself in any of those categories and yet.....see myself in several~
so........

#11~The Regular Joe~
This buyer is the one that rarely misses an auction.  Shows up in his 'regular' truck, occasionally with his regular trailer.  He jokes regularly with the other regulars, while sizing up the crowd.  He rarely overpays.  Won't bid against the old man who 'needs' that $50 unit and occasionally lands a great unit, but mostly gets the units that pay for themselves and has a little meat left to splurge on new tennies and battery for his maglight.  He is regularly found at the local flea on Saturdays (talking with his regular customers) and in the backyard on Sundays repairing and reorganizing.  This Joe finds a way to make it work, from craigslist to ebay to scrap and beyond~the Regular Joe~

UGH~day one of Cubesmart found a modest crowd with junk lockers.  Prices stayed low as there really wasn't much to bid on until........
a 10X20 3/4 full.  Lots of boxes, totes & bins.  Little to no furniture or appliances.  Looked like it had been turned a bit.  Went for $900 to our whale.  I told Don that prices will now sky-rocket as the frenzy had been started. 

Sure enough.....every locker after that went for a minimum of double its 'perceived' worth.  And the crowd picked up.  Still relatively small at about 35 people, but just the kind that likes to run up the prices.

Hopefully the thread will get back on track with regular contributors letting us know what is happening in their neck of the woods.

OK~steering that direction~heading out to day 1 of CubeSmart.  Don did PS today with minimal crowds and decent prices, but didn't buy a locker.  Hoping for a nice girls locker tomorrow or the following day, as I've had enough guys stuff to last all of May~

Don said today showed a trend towards 'normal'~hoping to see that continue~

Wow~first time I've had some 'free' time since Don bought that huge locker.  Update~run-down (I resemble that remark)~

We ended up renting a box truck as I didn't want  to move two refrigerators in our small truck/trailer combo.  Put the locker cost at just over $800.
Did about $300 at the flea (from just that unit with an additional $100 or so from other inventory) and sold the nicer fridge for $350 yesterday, so well on the way to being in the black with tons of inventory left.
We haven't even begun to work on the furniture yet as we've been sorting, cleaning and chuckin' other inventory.  There is a hutch with matching dining set, but it's older and a bit rough.  May sell it to one of our fellow auction buyers.  A nice leather chair and some misc pieces.

We still have two fridges (one a dorm size) to 'prep'.  Two gas dryers.  The gas range which we will keep (and repay the auction $$).  It's a very nice stainless steel & black one and mine is a piece o' pooh.

Lots of NFL (mostly Broncos) jerseys, hats and the like.  Listed the jerseys on ebay and took advantage of their fixed price promo.  I've got to bust my butt today listing numerous items on both ebay & craigslist.

There are oodles of cabling equipment.  new in package universal remotes, wire connectors, cable ends (some good $$ there according to ebays completed listings).  I've gone through two boxes and have another 4 to go through.  We've got lots of scrap wire too.  Oh~we've got a 500 ft roll of broadband cable.  Can't find the exact match as far as figuring value~but know it's got to be worth a buck or two.

All in all a profitable unit (at least $600, but maybe double or more, depending on cabling items) but exhausting.  I'm no spring chicken and Don's older than me!  Our last two lockers were big, heavy guys lockers.
Goal for next unit~nice small ladies unit!  

Don will be hitting PS today while I list and organize.  I'll take day one of Cubesmart tomorrow with Don finishing them up on Wednesday.  Busy, busy week ahead!

Oh cripes~forgot the pool table.  3 piece slate Olhausen Champion Pro Series.  Not terribly fancy, but a nice table.  Of course selling that in this economy is gonna be as a big a pain as moving it was~
Complete with two racks, balls, cues, chalk, brushes and the like.

Two different auctions.  Don took the single facility and I hit the caravan.  Crowds were minimal in the beginning at both.  Don got the first locker of the day.  10X20 full of appliances, furniture and some sporting goods showing.  Paid $725.  Of course I'm suffering from some sort of elbow pain (see tendonitis......I think) so here we go......

The caravan started at one facility with 3 units.  First was just some canopy type stuff.  Supports and tarps and the like.  Went for $75.  Next was a 5X10 relatively full with an old chair and mattresses blocking most of the doorway.  there was a tool box sitting on a table that was visible, but not much else.  went for $350.  I was in it up to $225.  Third unit was a 10X20 half full of tools.  Welder, evaporative cooler, tool boxes.  It opened at $500 and ended at $1900.

Went to the next facility and our crowd more than doubled as the other auction had ended and they all flocked over.  While there Don called to say 'you're gonna kill me......there's a pool table in here.'  UGH......we'll either have to hire some young stud to help load or rent a box truck with a ramp. 
All the units at the second facility were pretty much garbage and went too high.

I'm at home now as I didn't want to waste the fuel to carry on with the caravan, but may end up at the one facility that I love!  Will have to see when Don rolls in and how much we have to unload.  Add in the fact that by the end of the last facility the crowd had soared to over 80? Just don't know if I feel like dealing with the masses~

Can't tell ya much on his unit as right now it's all being fed over the phone.  I know there's a side by side fridge (black....don't know make or condition yet), an upright freezer, a gas range (that will replace my piece of crap one), a pool table (with cues.  Asked if he had the balls....he laughed), paintball guns, a few NFL jerseys (of course one is a Jay Cutler (waahhhh) from when he was in Denver....tough sell), dining table with 6 chairs, washer & dryer (older), leather chair.............and that is all I can remember off the top o' my head.

Will post an update when I have time/more info~