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Topics - Alias300

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46
New to Storage Auctions? / Cost of doing business
« on: March 10, 2013, 11:52:21 AM »
Continued from "Truck Rental Prices" in "The Dump"......


Running around getting free stuff.  Some new, some sitting in storage I've canceled.

Truck (U-Haul Van) ended up being $98.95 (day rate, 100 free miles) + $10 (Ins) + $10 (moving pds since I forgot mine!) + $1 (enviromental fee) + $11.73 ( rental tax) = $131.68 + $40 (gas) = $171.68

Thanks to GPS 'shortest route' I kept it under the 100 free miles.

Then add it $50 to pay help.  $17 buying help lunch.  $20 to have tech remove tires from rims......

Total is $258.68.

For this I have:
Set of swamper tires on rims: $600
Set of stock Ford rims: $40-$60 recycled
Four like new low pro tires: $200
Oak top 5-in-1 game table with torn felt on poker part: $200
Brand new, never used but old telemark ski's: $50?
1960's oak office chair: $100

Total: $1200. But in reality I need to move it FAST so may be less if people haggle, maybe $800

Now imagine this was a locker.  It could easily go for $300-$500 just because of he truck tires.
Add in cost of u-haul to low end of bid and your left with two options. 

1) Only makeing $250
2) having to sit on it to get top dollar.

But don't forget 'buyers premium'.  Sales tax.  Dump fee's.
Now your left with only option #2.


Just a notice to all those wanting to start.   Just because you see $1200 in sellable goods, doesnt make it a good unit to buy.  you have have to look at the potential profit.

Over the years I've learned to add in all cost. Bid price. Gas. My time.  Locks.  Batteries.  Gloves.  Pissed off girlfriends.

Let me tell ya.   Doesn't matter how much profit you make on a unit if the auction is on her birthday.  You've already lost just by going......   ;D





47
The Lounge / Truck rental prices
« on: February 24, 2013, 08:46:30 PM »
Went to reserve a uHaul truck and for a 10' truck they wanted $29.99!  Two miles down the road it's $19.99.

And both wanted $0.99/mile.  It's always been $0.59 to $0.79. And full insurance went up $2.

Plus, they want it back in 6hours!

I went to Penske and it was $150 for a 12' truck.  Free miles.  And you get it for 48hrs.
Insurance is spendy. $90 if you get everything.  (Which I have to since personal doesnt cover rentaltrucks.).  But they have 'online discount' and 15% AAA discount.



Who do you use and what are your rates?

48
Picker's Paradise / Value Village picks.
« on: February 21, 2013, 10:57:39 AM »
Did well picking last night.
Did a donation and got a $3 coupon.  Went in a got:

Brand new Cuisinart rice cooker for $10, $80 retail.
A vintage Puma sweat suit for $12.99, eBay goes in the $60-$100 range.
Real, brand new with tags, Coach clutch for $19.99, retail is $120.  But it's last years line so sure you can get it online/outlet/macys for $80-ish.
Fake Coach duffle bag for$9.99.


Tho, my sister already has her eye on the Coach gear.  Note to self: hide name brand bags from sister! :-[


Best fake I've seen in a while.  CC lines up.  Lining is correct. Stitching is correct. Fasteners are brass, embossed and no weld marks.  Even leather and fabric is pretty dang close.....

But the zippers are wrong and inside label doesn't have a serial number.  Other than that you need to examine it to tell its fake.

49
Donations & Taxes / Tax write off as business owner
« on: February 17, 2013, 11:29:03 AM »
As a business owner the cost of a unit can be written off as expense.  You write off gas, dump fee's, ect....


You end up making a profit but have a bunch of items that for hat ever reason you don't sell.

As stated in another thread, if you donate the goods you are only allowed to write off donations up to what you paid for unit...

But you already wrote unit off as a business expense.

Can you write off again?  Or how do you value left overs?


50
The Treasure Chest / Estate pick
« on: February 09, 2013, 05:11:13 PM »
Some nice estate sales today.....

Best pick:

Looking thru basement and found a dirty old canvas bag with leather bottom.  Ws pretty cool so pulled it out to see if I would be able to clean it up.  Inside was a bunch of chisels.   I've done okay with them before but it's a hit or miss if you don't know about them....which I don't.  I've got some that turned out to be worthless even tho they *looked* expensive.

These looked decent enough so asked worker how much for it all.  Did the "I really just want bag but the tools are kind cool.....I haven't even really looked whts in here...."

He said $20.  I rushed to cashier and got out of there.   

Sitting here now researching.  They are all  S.J. ADDIS. or JP ADDIS.  Made in England.  SJ being mid-1800's and JP up to 1920's.    SJ considered to be the finest made back in the day.

There is 14 in total and a bunch of other stuff that I don't really know what they are yet.  Some small vise's, punches.....

The chisels I need to research price some more but have found them to go for $30-$150 each.
I have to figure out exactly what I have.   Should get at least $400 out of this pick and <crossing fingers> possibly upwards or over $1000.

51
Donations & Taxes / Donation Value Guide
« on: February 04, 2013, 01:06:03 AM »
Since taxes are on our mind and we all have plenty to donate......

TurboTax Free ItsDeductible tracker:

http://turbotax.intuit.com/personal-taxes/itsdeductible/
(Great tool!  Estimates values higher than I suspected. One of the few calculators where you can add items not on list and add own Fair Market Value (FMV) from other sources; like eBay. Prints itemized list or imports straight to tax forms)

Salvation Army's Value Guide

http://www.use.salvationarmy.org/use/www_usn20.nsf/vw-text-dynamic-arrays/33CE09196410A2148825770B0054FF7A?openDocument&charset=utf-8

IRS Guidelines

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p561.pdf

52
The Treasure Chest / Casino tokens
« on: February 02, 2013, 11:51:47 AM »
I have a bunch of $10 tokens fom Imperial Palace in Vegas.  0.6 Troy ounce of silver.   Collectors item.
I've held on to for 10 years.   They were oung on eBay a fewer ago for $30-$50ea.

Figured since Imperil Palace just closed......good time to sell, people buying memories.

Look at this!  Less than $20/ea!    Think people are just trying for the silver content.....

Some treasure I got. :(

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5-Casino-10-Tokens-999-Silver-Capsuled-IMPERIAL-PALACE-Car-Collection-/160964578764?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item257a3c8dcc


<not my auction>

53
Stories about Storage Auctions / $$rate of unit vs contents
« on: January 30, 2013, 07:07:30 PM »
As many know, due to circumstances, I try mainly for small units.
Got my facilities that cater to downtown apartment dwellers.  People that live in small places.
And they PAY.  I mean, $75-$100/month for a 2x3 or 2x4x3.....

Pretty easy for people to get behind and not being able to catch up. And they don't pay tht much to store trash.


So....

I'm at a facility today way out in country. 
  Was early and talking to employee. Some Info I gleamed... All three units up were 4x5. They rent 4x5 units for $25/month.  The most over due was 6 months.

Right off the bat I'm thinking who the heck can't come up with $150 to save all thier stuff?  They've had months of notices?  (Assuming they aren't dead or in jail)

Sure enough, they open the first.....trash. Literally trash.   Second, garbage bags of moldy clothes.  Third, old a** tv's and bed frames and more trah bags of (I assume) clothes.


Anyone pay attention to cost of unit rental vs the quality of contents?   


54
eBay / Would you leave negative feedback?
« on: January 30, 2013, 11:54:08 AM »
Fiend got a $5 item off of eBay. Free shipping.

Item arrived and it was short on postage and he had to pay mailman.
It was only $0.20 but for some reason it upset him greatly.

Seller has pretty decent record and no one has complained about postage being short.

I say, mistakes happen.  Guy miscalculated by 20 cents.

Would you even mention it at all in feedback?

55
The Lounge / Anniversary
« on: January 11, 2013, 11:38:44 PM »
Seems, from my profile, today is my 1yr anniversary here.

Though my "Alias" account that got messed up has yesterday's date as its anniversary yet has 200 posts.
Pretty sure I didnt make 200 posts in one day before switching to Alias300.   And pretty sure it's been more than a year.....

But that's what's listed so......presents?   Anyone?   Helloooo.

56
The Lounge / Is it stealing if.....
« on: January 11, 2013, 04:09:23 PM »
The grocery store had preformed bacon, cheddar, hamburger patties. Four 1/4lb patties for $5.
But five weren't marked $5 but $0.50!    So I grabbed them all.  5lbs of burger for $2.50.

Figured I could use not just for burgers but scramble over rice or hamburger pasta with beans......

But now I feel guilty.  Is not telling them stealing?   ???

57
The Lounge / Wasted morning
« on: January 08, 2013, 01:16:38 PM »
Woke early and decided to check out auctions.
Called the facility downtown off of StorageTreasures.  Yeah, auction was scheduled.
 

Had to use Toll bridge to make it.   Had to pay for parking.  R/T a Gallon of gas.
Just to find that Yes, there was a Scheduled auction......but it was moved to 2/5.
That last bit woulda been a nice thing to let me know on the phone! 

Other one on my way home, called on my way.  Cancelled.


You know, I think StorageTreasures only has listings from one auctioneer in my area.   They just go off his website.....rather his schedual.. He hits the same places in rotatation.   So facility 'x' has it every 1st Tuesday.....they just mark the entire years first Tuesday as an auction. Auction scheduled or not.

The auctioneer however actually updates his site right up to the morning of auction.....much better.

58
General Storage Auction Talk / AAA Discounts
« on: January 07, 2013, 04:52:15 PM »
Few months back I got a AAA membership because I had that 6weeks of traveling all over.  The $125 membership not only paid for itself but saved me a ton on Plane, Trains, Auto (and Ins & upgrades), hotels (and upgrades) and Town Car Services.    Also dropped my roadside thru insurance so saved $72/yr there.

Anyway.....went to U-haul today to inquire about a tow hitch and I'll get 10% off. 
They don't give discounts on trucks but he said Budget & Penske does and if I get a qoute from them, u-haul will match it.    Or Rent a pick-up truck thru a car agency with AAA discount.  Higher daily rate but no mileage.  Have to do the math on that one.....

UPS also has AAA discounts on shipping and supplies.

Extra Space Storage gives 15% off years lease; 12% off month-to-month.

59
Buyer FAQs / What is the best way to ship items?
« on: January 07, 2013, 02:19:42 PM »
Online postage tools.   USPS.  eBay.  PayPal.   Stamps.com. And many more.....

you get special online discounts on Express Mail®, Priority Mail®, and access to free Carrier Pickup™. The tool is free to all registered USPS.com users. No monthly fee. No proprietary software, or hardware. No special paper.

Free:

Delivery confirmation.
Hidden postage.
Package pickup.

And much...much....more!


https://www.usps.com/business/online-postage.htm

Other options:
Greyhound-  www.shipgreyhound.com
Amtrak-  http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=am%2FLayout&cid=1241267371736


And for some decent priced shipping supplies if you for some reason need 50 boxes at once....

shippingsupply.com/




60
Flea Markets / "Hyper-markets"
« on: December 30, 2012, 01:38:06 PM »
This is what I was talking about in the "networking" thread....

Just Frmrs Markets morphing.  Several in the Seattle area that are not only farmers markets but a place for food trucks (my favorite), arts & crafts. and second hand stalls.

If your ever in Seattle I'd recommend checking it out.   Great, inexpensive food and good deals.

I've yet to rent a space but talking to he vendors they do very well.

fremontmarket.com/FremontWelcome.html

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