here is the unit before cleaning it out.

I got in it years ago, a freind brought me to one after I lost a unit of my own. Didnt do much back then. More or less a treasure hunter then, bought like 2 units and thats it. I got back in it cause i been doing resales, guess you can say the shows brought me back out, wanted more inventory at a cheaper rate.

I'm looking for someone part time to make phone calls to storage facilities. Just teasing.

I will take that job, I would call anywhere and everywhere, at least $10 p/hr no less than $120 per day

And I would be one of those regular Texans, WELCOME, Im from San Antonio myself

I may stand corrected, I won't know for sure until we move into the market and I do my own research. When I was doing my research for the Houston area, I found that more than half of the storage facilities don't advertise in the Yellow Pages. I had to cross reference the facilities with Google places, and even now, I still find a few new storage facilities every week.

How much did you pay for your subscription by the way?

I have two options on my subscription. For 6 months I can pay $60 or for 12 months pay $100. This also includes 3 newspapers a week from The Hart Beat, and a weekly email of all units that advertise with them on their auctions.

This was an interesting read and thank you for it.

Your spreadsheet should give you an accurate count as to HOW MANY facilities you have in the San Antonio area.

Sorry was being lazy, lol. I have everything printed out and put into a 3 ring binder. And I dont have the numbers printed on it. The actual e-document is on a thumbdrive so I can take with me anywhere, didnt feel like plugging it in.

Anyway, I have around 148 different facilities. These are including 4 facilities that are not in my area but are south of my area about 30 - 45 mins. I have family there which is why I included those ones. Now if I was to included around my area and 45 mins beyond it all the way around. I know I can add at least another 50. But I do not go out that way. These would include all the little town between San Antonio and Austin. Which would be San Marcos, New Braunfels, Canyon Lake (which I may add to my list since I do have a time share out that way), and Seguin.

 

I was especially interested in your thoughts on how the two cities (San Antonio/Houston) vary in financial economics, cultures and the way the historical values are viewed.

Lol, trust me its ridiculous. Houston has been a major port for a long time, generally it meant better pay as well as cheaper cost of living. While San Antonio is pretty much really just a tourist town, which meant higher cost of living. But since we are so close to border, we have really really cheap labor. I cant say it is as bad as Corpus Christi (a true tourist town, meaning you have to make your money while tourist season is in, because during the rest of the time you aint making anything).

Culture wise in San Antonio we have Mexicans, a few Spaniards, Caucasian, a small amount of Middle Easterns, very few Puerto Ricans, and African Americans. Now go to Houston you will find all that above, as well as every single Latin Race you can think of, matter fact, I think Houston itself is a classic definition of a Race/Nationality Melting Pot. Asians of every nationality, latins of every different nationality, several different nationality from Africa. Like I said a true melting pot.

Historically, San Antonio has alot to offer, but sadly only focuses on the Alamo and the other little missions here, but still main focus is the Alamo. We have only two small Museums. One dedicated to just art, and the other cant really tell what there main focus is. Truly it is small but it is all mixed up. Art, World History (remember this is a small museum), mainly it has lots of scientific kid discovery stuff. Not to much on San Antonio or even Texas history. I guess you can say three, the Alamo itself is treated as a museum, does not really offer much, you will learn more in a 4th grade history class. There is not a whole lot of history plaques either. I think I can probable count all of them on both my hands through out the entire city.

Houston on the other hand, whew. Tons of plaques, matter fact go to a park that is right behind the Library downtown, you will find several plaques as well as several colonial houses that have been moved and maintained for viewing. Just about everytime you turn around in Houston you will find some kind of plaque recognizing the history that has made it what it is today. While I lived there I never went to any Muesems, well except the Aqua Marine one that is Downtown. Seen several of them, just never been inside any of them.

All in all what I am trying to get at is Houston prides EVERYTHING that made it the City it is Today. San Antonio itself has alot to offer too, not as much as Houston, but SA has history, but only recognizes the damn Alamo.

I agree, newspaper listings with detailed accounts of what is in the units turn me off from attending those auctions. It's not just the possibility that they have already absconded with the really valuable stuff, it's the fact that half the fun of being in this business is the "treasure hunt". The "treasure hunt" aspect is what keeps me motivated in diving through and sorting 100, 200, 300 square feet of garbage and junk. If I know the storage facility manager and associates have already "rooted" through the unit, then I sure as hell don't what to drop several hundred dollars on a garbage dump picked of treasure. There is also the issue of advertising everything of value in the unit, so the bidding automatically goes above what is normal for sight-un-seen lockers.

No fun either way! 

Wish I had that kind of surprise here. You all already know that The Hart Beat has basically cornered the market in my area as the PLACE TO BE PLACED for storage auctions. So 90% of all the facilities around my area use them. And I say about 99% of those give a breif description of what is in the unit.

I use to pay attention, I would plan my day out based on that.  But gave up. I end up missing out on a unit I could of gotten real cheap that at that time I would of taken it. No one wanted to bid on this particular unit. From what I heard it was completely trashed. Now what was placed in the ad was nothing special about it. But the facility I decided to go to listed a few units I was highly interested in. Well The units I was interested in turned out to be bunk, way out dated used and abused low end merchandise, that I did not bid on and was going way over retail in the biddings.

Now lets go back to the facility I did not go to, based on the ad, that I should of gone to. Nobody wanted to touch this unit, looked trashed out, which at the time (being a noob, was alot of time looking for that wow factor), with no one jumping on it. I could of walked away paying only $1 for. Which is unbelievable, because the auctioneers here never let them go below $5, most of the time nothing below $50. Anyways, what ended up being in that unit was a Vintage Violin. That is one of the things I found out was in there. The lady who had the unit died a very old woman, and apparently had some eccentric taste, but was also a hoarder.

Since then, I dont even read the ads, I simply see where, when, and how many units. That is it.

I like Glendons new video. SOmething about if your not willing to spend some m oney and take some risks just say "I'm a scared little ***** and stop going to auctions" lol.

I like his other quote better, "Scared money never made money"