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Messages - Cobia

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691
Stores / Re: Anyone Actually Own a Store?
« on: May 02, 2012, 07:13:57 AM »
Quote from: money4nothing on May 02, 2012, 04:54:31 AM
Thanks for the update.

Sounds like you are heading in the right direction, in the black always good.

Like Matches like following this thread.

Not sure if it is just us but April has been slow in sales. Went to the thrift and traded some merchandise. 

Have gotten a handle on my ebay sells and hit a record for me on listing (7 at once). Not the first sale.  ::)

Hoping May is better for you and sounds like you are getting a handle on your stock pile of inventory. (wished I did).

Keep up the good work.

Sales were slow for me at the vendor mall in April, and the flea market has been a mad house. Not necessarily a lot more shoppers at the flea, but definitely everybody and their momma trying to sell their stuff at the flea. Lots of competition. I attribute the slow sales to nice weather and competition from all the yard sales.

692
New to Storage Auctions? / Re: 10 step noobie guide and you not going to like what you read
« on: May 01, 2012, 08:51:50 PM »
Quote from: alab on April 29, 2012, 10:31:58 PM
Two thumbs up to you majblade...Your ten steps hit the nail on the head!!!

These are guys going to auctions running up a 50.00 locker to 800.00 + dollars and then coming here and telling everyone how deductive reasoning and chance is making them a profit...LMFAO..

Ill buy my 10 50.00 units for the day ...no deductive reasoning, no chance, no luck and make money everytime..

It is quite fortunate you live in a part of the country where you can attend large enough auctions that you can win 10 - $50 units a day. Where I live, we can go two weeks without seeing 10 units total, and around here, except for one auction 2 weeks ago, I haven't seen a $50 unit in about 5 months! Someone spent $90 on a unit that only had a small plastic kid's storage box just to see what was inside. Retail price for the storage box is $25. In fact anyone who even thinks about winning more then 2 units at an auction gets run the f**k up! Around here, try showing up in a 20' box truck and see if the regulars are gonna let you win anything! Don't tell anybody what part of Cali you roll in, sounds like you got it made!

693
New to Storage Auctions? / Re: DONT BUY WHAT YOU CANT SEE!!
« on: April 30, 2012, 08:19:17 AM »
We have discussed this in multiple threads, but here it goes anyway...

Bidding only what you can see or based on your personal valuation of the contents in the unit certainly is a sound strategy, during normal times. Many of us have agreed that since the TV shows, it is nearly impossible to win any units only bidding on the value of seen items, minus the calculated profit margin and direct expenses.

There is no doubt $50 units sell for $500, problem is EVERY type of unit has skyrocketed in cost.

$25 junk units are $250, $50 mystery box units are $500, $700 furniture units are $1500. and so on.

90% of the units I bid on are full of contents I cannot see or value, I win buy guesstimating the quantity & value of the "unseen" based on the "seen". Most of the times I can still makey money on the unit, sometimes I pull a "whoops". Until the crowds of "treasure hunters" die down this is the method I will have to use.

We all long for the day of (depending on size of city) a half dozen to two dozen regulars, and everybody lets each other win the units they want at a low price.

694
New to Storage Auctions? / Re: 10 step noobie guide and you not going to like what you read
« on: April 30, 2012, 07:31:37 AM »
Quote from: calcoastgal on April 28, 2012, 02:26:13 AM
#3 Time... here I am at 12:20 am California time. First check of the internet today (or is it tomorrow? I'm not quite sure LOL). Been putting in 10 plus hour days all week trying to get ready for my big monthly sale tomorrow/today.

#11 this is not clean work. Be prepared to get very dirty. I have a friend that wanted to start buying lockers until she saw how dirty I get every day going through this stuff. I think she has reconsidered.  I smell like the crap out of this latest locker and everything around me smells like it. Every locker has a different odor that you get used to after being around it for a couple of days and most are not pretty.

I think that is one of my advantages over other people cause I have a poor sense of smell! ;D

695
The Lounge / Re: On vacation in Colorado !
« on: April 30, 2012, 07:28:33 AM »
Majblade2,

"craigslist is dying like a dog"

Can you expand on this comment you made? Why do you think Craigslist is dying?

696
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: pictures of units at an upcoming auction
« on: April 26, 2012, 08:34:23 PM »
I am only going to comment on G042 cause thats the type of unit I would bid on.

What size is it? I am assuming from the pictures it is a 5 x 10?

What I see:

Part of a papasan chair (the lower frame and cushion) just hope the upper frame is in there. Retail $175
Dining table with two bases and support structure, typical design of Ashley furniture (or any mid range furniture store in your region) the feet are not ornate so a lower end, mid range table, just hope the chairs are in there somewhere. Retail $250-$350
Bedframes on the side, something behind the table (dresser?) nightstand up front: All chocolate brown, typical design and color pattern of IKEA furniture. Folks go Ape$h*t for IKEA furniture in my parts! Purhaps full bedroom set. Retail $500-$750
10+ boxes, & a $5 tv & a $10 2-drawer filing cabinet.

If I could see the other part of the papasan chair and the chairs to go with the dining table, and tell the furniture is in very good shape I would bid up to $500.
Based on what I can see $300.

I can get that back out of the IKEA looking bedroom set, and everything else is gravy.  ;)

697
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Auction Scene #4...April, 2012
« on: April 26, 2012, 07:51:17 PM »
Quote from: MovieMan on April 25, 2012, 04:34:51 PM
Next a 5 x 10 that was white garbage bags and a couple of night stands showing…a tapered pile from 3 feet in to about 5 feet high at back….NOT MUCH THERE…went for $450 to a newbie.


Next a 10 x 10 and this is the CRÈME OF THE CROP. I would have gladly paid about $600 or so even though it looked like this.  On left and right only about 2 feet high from 3 feet in to the stack at the back which went to 7 feet and was left to right full. A U-shape but a shallow one.

A bright shiny upright Pachinko type machine and a race car style children’s plastic sit-in car were sitting atop two metal pickup truck tool boxes (contents unknown). In left rear corner some  totes topped off with three nice musical instrument cases (trumpet to sax size).

SO, not much in there, but I would have gone $600 or so.  Went for….wait for it….$1,800 to a regular buyer. Un-freakin-believable. All the regulars were aghast and several newbies fainted !


Next a 5 x 10 with one cheap wood shelf, 5 feet tall, two framed pics, some other small furn (2 pieces) and maybe two totes….$450.  

GET OUT OF TOWN !  

Finally a 10 x 10 MOUND of stuff that looked thrown in….you guessed it…$650. I would have risked $150 just for the fun of going through it.


Now you can see why granny was right….”TAKE ME OUT AND BURY ME DECENT !”

EDIT AND ADDITION:

6 HOURS after auction ended I went back over (1 mile from home) and found out there was a dispute over who had bid the $650 winning bid on the 10 x 10 MOUND. They started again at that price and it finally sold for $875.

My granny is turning over in her grave.


Movieman,

We are starting to see a small but noticable down tick in newbies coming to the auctions. Most of the December to February crowd is gone. Now the new newbies aren't any better at valueing units as the old newbies, so the $25-$100 units are still going for $200-$400, but I have seen a noticable decrease in units going in the $500-$1000 range. One thing I have noticed is the old regulars are starting to jump on any unit that looks really good. I am beginning to get the sense that if this is a permenent trend downward in newbies getting into the business, then all the old regulars are going to keep the prices releatively high on better units for a few months as they restock and try to rebuild their business model from whatever loses they suffered during the "Storage Wars fad". I have also moticed that the new crop of newbies for the most part do not bring flashlights with them. I remember 1-1/2 years ago EVERY newbie had a big A$$ spot light flashlight. I wonder if the information, tricks of the trade, whatever you want to call it is being lost on the new people looking to try storage auctions out.

698
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Does anyone know of lawsuits against facility owners for staged auctions?
« on: April 25, 2012, 02:07:23 PM »
I think we have beat this horse pretty dead... but here we go again, cause it's just so fun to talk about!

A person participates in a Public Auction guided by the primary axiom of "Buyer Beware!"

"Staged units" is fun way in the biz of saying ' I over bid and don't want to admit it  :P'. I do not believe "staged units" equates to malfeasance or fruad in the legal sense by the facility owner, employees, or auctioneer.

Staging a unit may be seen as no more then a successful marketing technique by the facility. When you buy a used car, and the owner washes and waxes the car all shiny, and you buy it without asking about the engine or take a test drive, and it turns out the engine is blown, did the seller fruadulently "STAGE" the car?

My opinion is it would have to be an obviously egregious case of "staging" to have any standing in court, and would probably have to constitute a guarantee of some sort by the facility about the contents. For instance a door goes up on a storage unit and there are 20 boxes of flat panel LCD plasma TVs and the facility owner/auctioneer GUARANTEES the TVs are in the boxes and ALL the TVs are in proper working condition. You bid on the unit and win, and come to find all the boxes are either empty or filled with dirty clothes, then I think you would have a case.

As far as busters in the crowd running up the bids for the owner/facility, well thats just part of the game!

Buyer Beware, my friend, Buyer Beware!  ;)

699
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: What's the most number of people you've seen at an auction.
« on: April 25, 2012, 09:36:57 AM »
Around 300, and that was THIS past Good Friday!

700
North East / Re: Things getting better?
« on: April 24, 2012, 07:28:52 AM »
The last auction I went to, last week, was like things were back to before the TV shows. 2 units went for $5, 1 went for $35, 1 went for $60. A couple of others less then $200. Of course the only one I was interested in was the most expensive of the day. Me & another regular went back & forth to $255, I was going to let him have it there, but another regular (buddy of mine) jumped it to $275, so the first regular ended up winning it for $280. There was another auction being held at the same time so the crowd was small. About 7 regulars & 9 newbies. The incredible thing was NONE of the newbies jumped in to run the prices up! A newbie did win the $35 unit, but it was a reasonable price. I have my BIG caravans this Thursday & Friday so that will be a true test to see if prices and crowds are trending downward, or if we are just getting some random lucky auctions every now & again that have low turn out and reasonable bidding.

701
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: Its funny that people will bid 1500.00 on
« on: April 20, 2012, 07:17:47 AM »
I remember a time when one of the states I lived in had a lottery with odds of winning the jackpot at something just over 17 million to 1. So theoritically if you had the equipment, manpower, line of credit. Everytime the jackpot went higher then 17 million dollars, a person or group of persons, could play every number combination and win the lottery plus make money. As long as nobody else playing picked the winning numbers too. I have no idea what kind of logistics operation it would take to pick every combination (17 million?) and purchase them within a week. Theoretically it should work though.  ;)

702
Storage Facilities / Re: Landlord reserves the right to bid on lockers??!!
« on: April 19, 2012, 08:23:22 AM »
Like others have said, they can bid on it if they wish, although it would seem counterproductive since they can take possession outright in some states. They can also require a "reserve" or minimum bid, either to recover their losses, or they know there is stuff in the unit that will bring atleast that much money reselling it. Some auctioneers will also bid on units, and they will let you know before the auction if they intend to bid.

The disclaimer about buying the contents back is really to cover themselves legally, mainly in the case of the facility auctioning off the wrong unit. I have heard of a court case where the tenant accused the facility and auction buyers of fraud and collusion because the unit supposedly had $100,000 worth of property in it and it only sold for $500. The tenant accused the facility and the auction buyer (winning bidder) of purposely trying to defraud them. The tenant acted quickly with getting an attorney involved, like the day of the auction, so all the contents that were removed had to be brought back to the facility and secured until the case could be heard in court. (Tenant lost the case, by-the-way)  ;)

703
What's it Worth?? / Re: Any ideas what this is?????
« on: April 19, 2012, 08:01:26 AM »
I was hoping an art expert would comment before I threw in my .02, but here it goes...

Looks to be more of a stylized religous/choir robe. Looks to be Art Deco style to me.

I am interested in the internal structure of the piece. How heavy is it? It appears to be in the 15lb-20lb range if it is solid. Is the stone polished marble?

Are the stubs coming out the "arms" made of copper/bronze? If it is light, around the 5lb-10lb range there may be an internal metal skeleton and the stone is thin cut pieces of inlay.

The problem I see with it is the composition of the piece in general. It appears to be missing something. Stylized head and hands? Maybe it went with a set of other like type sculptures?

Any maker marks, signatures? Without more info would be hard to value.

A piece like that might bring $500-$1000 at an upscale art gallery in a major city, or no more then $10 at the flea market  ???, which is probably why you have it in your possession now.

Good Luck!


704
Stories about Storage Auctions / Re: Auction Scene #4...April, 2012
« on: April 16, 2012, 07:50:03 AM »
Quote from: Cobia on April 16, 2012, 07:22:49 AM
Sounds strange, but if all the hassle keeps the competition at bay and you can win some nice units, i'm all for it!

Kinda related... I overpaid on a unit I got in February so I had to nickel & dime it the best I could. This unit (like many) had several mattress & boxspring sets in it. Normally, if they are not new in plastic or practically new, I don't attempt to sale them, they just go to the dump. Since I was really hurting to recoup my initial investment in the unit I decided to try to sell them even though they were obviously used, but not in terribly nasty shape. Funny thing is I did end up selling one of the queen size mattresses to a guy for $40. When he showed up to look at it I pointed out all the imperfections so he knew he wasn't getting a new mattress. His reply: "I don't care about that, it's for my dog, and your price is cheaper then a new dog bed."

Never occured to me to market used mattresses as "cheap dog beds!"

705
General Storage Auction Talk / Re: The Internet strikes again...funny(E-bay)
« on: April 16, 2012, 07:32:08 AM »
Quote from: Roger Mack on April 14, 2012, 04:48:43 PM
I know that this is mainly a storage unit forum but a funny thing happened at a estate sale today....

I was helping a friend catch bids at a Big, Big, BIG farm estate sale and we were walking down the wall of a barn
selling furniture and we came to a small white cabinet....bidding started hot and heavy and was quickly at $150, it got down to 2 ladies...."I got a hunnerd & a half (My lady), now 160, ye able to buy 'em at 160(other lady bids)...160, now 170, 170, woody give 170"....so I'm looking at my bidder and she says (get this) "just one sec"...I say "are you in, he's gonna sell it"....she holds up the "one sec" finger....and he sells it to the other lady for 160....my lady get pissed and says "he's not supposed to do that, he is supposed to let me bid 170 and then close it right out like on E-bay".....the guy next to her burst out laughing and so did I....I said "mam this is the real world not the Internet, there is no sniping at a live auction"....she just shook her head and stormed off.....



Classic!! Too funny! Too bad nobody was videoing that, it would go virul on YouTube.

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