The first time I heard about storage auctions was maybe a decade ago. It was some sort of story in the paper or maybe on the radio about a couple interesting auction finds. The most interesting they mentioned was the unit containing $40,000 cash... and the printing presses used to make them.
Anyhow, the whole concept sounded like a fun idea, but somewhere I got the misconception that the units were bid on sight-unseen. I believed that it was much more of a pure gamble than it actually is.
Fast forward and now we have the cable shows. Having already had some interest in these auctions, I checked out a couple shows and started doing more research and here I am.
Came home from my first auction a couple hours ago. Probably post about that in the looky-loos thread.
Thanks to Todd for resurrecting this thread. Had never noticed it and it's a cool topic.
I also originally thought it was sight unseen back in 06/07 and was the reason I just stayed away. Got busy and then got sick(had multiple surgeries in 09) and forgot to do research or go to actual auctions. April/May of this year I hear about how good SW's shows are from the sports radio station I listen to. Check out SW. Love what I'm seeing, but as the free thinker I try to be I think to myself, it can't be this easy. Do my research, find out yup not as easy as SW makes it look, but now I'm intrigued. Start researching how to bid, watching (oddly enough) Glendons videos and getting tips about not losing your head. I even find a website that says what you should pay for smaller units.
I save about $300 bucks in about 3 months hit my first auctions. Saw a hoarder unit so I was looking for a place to ask questions about price and how to keepyourself safe when digging in a locker. First stop is the storage forum run by Dotsons people, not alot of help and like no activity so I keep searching and find this place. You guys are some of the best Internet supports ever, from encouragement when I didnt get a unit to helping me place silent auction bids, people have been awesome here.
That's my mini story!