Startup cost at your local flea should be the cost of your rental spot, gas money to get there, and what ever you are doing for lunch.  You need to have some 1s and 5s for change but that is money you are keeping anyways.

I price large items or items I know that draw lots of attention and "how much" questions.  Most everything else either goes in a box/tote that has a price label or I don't list.

Money and Matches covered everything else.

Most I have paid was $875 at a silent auction for a very large unit (drive through commercial type).  So it was something like 20 x 40 or such.  No idea really.  Lost my butt on the unit.  Looked great from the door and turned out to be junk.

Least I've paid is $1 at a "loud" auction for a 10x10.  Got a few "free" units of various size.
Least silent auction was $26 and made some money on it.

It all depends on who the auctioneer is.  Is it the facility / regional manager that just wants the units cleaned out.  So will take even $1 to make the sale legal.  Or is it a real auction company that get paid for what they bring in.  In this case they may "buy" the unit to try and make some money.

Most disclaimers also read that the facility can reject any/all bids.  I've yet to see it happen in my area however.

Most units under $10 are that low for a reason.  Either it looks like all junk/trash and people don't want to make a dump run.  Way to much work for a unit that looks like no profit.  Or a combination of reasons.

My best unit wasn't a $1 unit but a $26 silent bid unit that looked like mostly trash.   

We have one oriental lady that always brings her dog to the auction.  They also normally drive from unit to unit like they are to old to walk.

Seen dogs at a few others at random times.  It's normally the purse size dogs and not a bother.  Since I have dogs even if they barked it wouldn't really phase me.

As for smokers - you get all kinds at the auctions.  Most of the smokers wait till they get in car or move away from the crowds.  Others light up anywhere and everywhere.

We have a few locations that they tell you up front no smoking allowed.

$160 for two totes - oh man I'd of been laughing hard.  Think people may of gotten money for christmas and expect to buy 1 locker and make $500k from it.  Who knows what people are thinking...or not thinking anymore.  I don't know if late Feb / March will be good or not.  People will be getting tax refunds by then.  So they will have cash to blow.

First auction of the new year for me is U-haul on the 6th.  Followed by my caravan auction on the 12th.  Caravan has 1 unit that was owned by a Icecream or such parolor place so figure a ton of people will be at this auction.

Just looked and Metro is on the schedule again.  They canceled back in Nov.  29 units at 1 location with (Baxleys Used Furniture w/ 4 units, and Neighborhood Improvement as owner names).  29 units at the other location.  Only thing I don't like about Metro is tax and a 10% prem.  But that is a holiday for my work due to MLK and thus I plan to attend it even if don't buy anything.

January looks to be a busy auction month.  So buying will be easy (if prices are good).  But no easy way to sale for next few months.  Flea market is open but very few people come to buy I'm told so not going to waste time, money, or freeze for little return.

I must of missed a posting that was deleted by the mods.

I've been to Texas several times for training and once just to travel.  I love the state.  Some very cool waterparks and such are in Texas.  Slitherbauhm (however spell it) outside San Antonio has a cool water coaster.  No other type ride in the US.

Anyways - this is about storage wars, not really about the people that make up a state.  Lets talk about the units, story plot, or prices.  Who cares about the people.  I rub shoulders with worse looking and sometimes acting people then what is on TV at my local auctions.

I keep forgetting all about the show being on.  Not posted on the website yet so I'll have to wait for re-runs....if I even bother watching it.  I now get a kick more out of listening to people in the gas station, store, or what not talking about the show then I do watching the show.

I had to re-educate a guy the other day.  He was talking about the 1 show I did watch where they pulled a 7k inkwell out of a locker.  I was like now think.  Everything in that unit was rental furniture.  No papers, boxes, personal items, cloths, or what not.  They don't even have enough money (assumption) to buy furniture so they rent it.   Yet, the people that bought the unit pull out a 1800s something blimp ink well worth 7k.

I could fall for a 7k lottery ticket tucked in between the seat cusions of the chair or couch before a 7k inkwell in that unit.