Storage Auctions
The Storage Locker => Stories about Storage Auctions => Topic started by: MovieMan on February 21, 2013, 07:22:27 PM
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This one was a 8 wide x 10 deep locker...quite dark inside and my flash wasn't working for some reason, but I went into it with the buyer after he had paid.
The first pic (by flashlight) shows boxes stacked 4 high by 4 wide, so 16 boxes there AND another 16 just behind them...a total of 32 boxes all the same size and packaged in black plastic with tape (see pic 1).
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/mys1.jpg)
The pic just below shows (badly) the opening of one box, as does pic three.
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/mys2.jpg)
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/mys3.jpg)
We only opened one 2 x 2 x 2 box and the contents were 4 NEW blue and white boxes which contained 12 each of an aluminum cylinder badly shown in the two pics above.
There were also about 6 large plastic bags, fairly light weight and with something that felt round (but flat) inside.
I'll post the final revealing pic in the next post down.
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So what were they and how much did he pay? I've decided to let you guess about the contents and after a few people have posted their guesses I'll come back and have a CLEAR picture of what they are, how much he paid and my evaluation of his purchase. ;D
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Totally guessing...so let's say those round cylinders are new RACKETBALL BALLS... also guessing $390 for the unit
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Totally guessing...so let's say those round cylinders are new RACKETBALL BALLS... also guessing $390 for the unit
The cylinders would almost hold new racketballs, but they don't. They are 2" x 9". Twelve cylinders to a box, 4 boxes to a case=48 cylinders per case. 32 cases x 48 cylinders = 1,536 cylinders.
Will hold off on what the locker cost until we get some more input from those wishing to play.
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Cases of cans of Red Bull! :)
He paid $500!
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I like Cobia's guess but I think I know what they are. Will PM you Movieman.
I could see a mystery unit like this going for 400-500 easy in my area.
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Good guesses from all. Clist I have sent you a response to your private message. You dog you ! ;D
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Looks like Gillette shaving cream. (Cool Breeze) I could understand the logic in putting boxes of Gillette in plastic bags....you wouldn't want your shaving cream getting wet. ::) Afterall, it is the "Best a Man Can Get!" :D
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Sent you one back MM. More I look at the pictures the more I think I've nailed it on the head. Now - if my math is right for the 1536 items he can get around $3840 - $4608 (non-ebay price). May just take some time to move it all. So unless he paid some outrageous price this is one mystery unit that is going to pay well if can move all the items.
Now - I am interested in knowing what was in the bags.
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There is insufficient information to make a guess. Those cans might be anything from hairspray to silly string.
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There is enough info in the picture. Was even MORE info in it till Movieman updated the pictures. Use the first box picture as it's the best. That and google will put you right on the money so to speak.
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Sent you one back MM. More I look at the pictures the more I think I've nailed it on the head. Now - if my math is right for the 1536 items he can get around $3840 - $4608 (non-ebay price). May just take some time to move it all. So unless he paid some outrageous price this is one mystery unit that is going to pay well if can move all the items.
Now - I am interested in knowing what was in the bags.
Ah yes, the bags. Contents "round but flat".
All the guessers so far are doing a pretty good job; see my next response to Alloro's note.
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You Bastards! I typed in 2" x 9" cylinders into Google search and now i'm going to get fired! :-\
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There is insufficient information to make a guess. Those cans might be anything from hairspray to silly string.
Well, as more people "guess" (outright or based on "evidence") it might get a little easier, but you're right it could be a lot of things contained in those cylinders.
See my next response to Clist's answer to Alloro !
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There is enough info in the picture. Was even MORE info in it till Movieman updated the pictures. Use the first box picture as it's the best. That and google will put you right on the money so to speak.
I complimented Clist in our private messages about this thread on his good detective skills. Now I have to tell you all that any clue you might think he has provided in the quote above probably shouldn't be pursued by the rest of you.
He is in possession of a clue he routed out by himself that the rest of you won't have access to.
I won't go into specifics, but he discovered something BEFORE he ever emailed me. The pictures he saw are 99.99% the way they were before he and I talked in the emails. It's just that he used his super Sherlock Holmes approach to discover what the rest of you didn't.
I'll wait a while longer for more guesses to take place and then will email Clist to tell him to go ahead and reveal what he thinks the true answer is. At this point he is the front runner due to an inadvertly "left" clue.
ALSO, even Clist will get a couple of surprises !
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Your inadvertent clue of course made life easier. However, narrowed it down even further with the 1st box picture. You have to do a search on the word. Don't think I have an exact match.....yet. May have to do some more searching tonight.
Lol Cobia - and now everyone is looking in my cube to see why I was laughing so hard. :)
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You Bastards! I typed in 2" x 9" cylinders into Google search and now i'm going to get fired! :-\
You can get fired for over-exaggerating? ;D
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OK, time for the reveal !
The opened box contains.....envelope please......4 boxes, 48 cylinders.....Power 5x Butane !
(http://webs.lanset.com/rjsmovie/images/mys4.jpg)
This is apparently used to fill any appliance (lighters, etc) that use butane. A case of 12 cans pretty much sells for around $36 on eBay. So, a lot of potential for profit here.
The buyer paid $330 for the locker. I was in at $100 (just to see what was inside the mystery boxes) but was quickly left behind and wasn't willing to risk anymore than the $100.
I'll leave the 6 bags content for awhile to see if anyone responses to this post and will also reveal some more interesting facts about this locker.
Any thoughts on why the boxes would have been wrapped in plastic the way they were?
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Perhaps to reduce the chances of a fire/explosion? To reduce corrosion of the can?
I think the shipping cost would eat up any profits if you sold them on eBay. I would contact liquor/tobacco stores and try to sell them in bulk. Is there an expiration date?
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That was a nice mystery unit for the guy. I'm like you however - I'd not gone over $150 myself if had no clue what was in the boxes. In fact my first thought when I saw the way they were wrapped was drugs.
Did the trash bags have lighters or other related items in them?
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THE FINAL REVEAL !
Good guesses by all on the contents of the boxes and their value once the contents were revealed. There was potential for several thousand dollars of income at $2 to $3 a can.
This would have been a good return on the $330 investment EXCEPT FOR ONE THING!
When the lkr buyer and I opened the first box to reveal the 4 smaller boxes inside, and then opened the first blue box we discovered.....the cylinders were empty !
Yep, no weight, no butane gas. And there were no blue caps on top of each cylinder. What was in the plastic garbage bags in front of the 32 cases? THE BLUE CAPS !
The "round but flat" things we felt inside the bags were all the missing caps; 6 industrial plastic garbage bags and one large cardboard box of pristine blue plastic caps!
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After giving my condolences to the lkr buyer I took my leave after we both agreed "The rest of the boxes MIGHT have some full bottles in them", but as I walked away I couldn't help but think he had just spent $330 on some aluminum that might bring in a $100 or so for scrap.
I decided I wouldn't reveal the find to my cronies at the next auction down the line but I ran an errand and then I got to the next auction after the lkr buyer did. When I got there the poor soul was telling them all the story and asked me to fill in the details. We looked the butane up on my iPad and found out the facts for people selling them there.
******
Now WHY were the boxes wrapped in plastic? Like Clist, when I first saw them I thought drugs (marijuana) with the plastic maybe being a partial barrier to odor getting out. Now I'm thinking the old lkr owner didn't want anyone seeing him moving these boxes (probably marked on the outside of the brown cardboard) with the Power 5x logo. Of course there are ligitmate uses for it, but one of the guys said he thought it was an ingredient used in making meth or other drugs of similar nature.
Will try to talk to the manager of the facility for her take on the former lkr owner. She wasn't there the day of the sale.
So, CAVEAT EMPTOR, let the buyer beware. A gamble is a gamble, but when the lkr is a TOTAL MYSTERY, maybe best to pass or bid low.
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OK, time for the reveal !
The opened box contains.....envelope please......4 boxes, 48 cylinders.....Power 5x Butane !
Apparently this is incorrect. The correct answer should've been empty cans and blue caps.
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Oh that just stinks. I saw the boxes, the wrap, and the bottles and was hoping they were all new. Who really puts the bottles back in the boxes and closes them up...and then stores them.
I agree with the plastic to hide the Power5x boxes. Also, many places would consider that explosive. The one renters contract that I saw had stuff like that on the prohibited list.
This may of been one of the few times a little name search on your local PD website may of helped. Of course I hardly ever do it unless have some time to kill myself. Never find a match.
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Haven't seen the buyer of this disaster since it happened but am thinking he will be at some auctions on March 8 so am hoping for an update from him.
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Before I could get to the empty "butane" buyer today at an auction, someone approached me and told me that he had revealed they were all empty. Was glad I got that news second hand as it made it easier for me to talk to him.
I asked him if he was able to salvage it and he said he had to take them ALL to the hazardous waste facility and got NO MONEY for them.
Recyclers wouldn't take them apparently because of what they used to contain. I thought he could have cut off the tops or just punched holes in the side to show they were empty, but apparently not.
So a total loss for him, but better him than me if I had gotten it for the $100 I was willing to bid for a mystery locker.
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So a total loss for him, but better him than me
Some days you get the bear, and some days the bear gets you!
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Yep - the bear didn't get me fully last month on my mystery unit but it took a good chunk of hide. $315 spent for a 5 x 15 - could only see the matress blocking the view, dust, table legs sticking up, and nothing else. Dust and cobwebs like this normally equals to a unit that has not been touched. We were right on that and wrong on the "quality". Will make 100-$150 of the money back but most of it was trash. Once again I just had to shake my head at what people pay good money to "store".