Auction Scene #8...August, 2012

Happy August !

Going to be 100+ in my area for the next few days ! Yikes...starts out at maybe 55 to 60 degrees and jumps 50 degrees...what's up with that?

Anyway, another new month upon us. No new auctions this week for me...couple next week.  Meanwhile, "picking" is doing well.

Buy some of those small $5 dollar lockers for me Movie Man. 

Auctions this month for me start Friday.  Will see if the crowds, quality, and quantity of the units are still down.  Found out yesterday that my local town has an auction this month.  Is 5 miles from home so of course I will be there.  Bad thing is it is sealed bid.  Hopefully one of the larger facilities will have an auction the same day and pull all the regulars away.

Picking is going well for me also MovieMan.  Found a new electric train set last week and got it for $10.  Just sold last night on ebay for $56.  Was hoping for $100 or more but still happy.
 

No auctions for me until next week either.  Then we start off with Cubesmart (Day one).  Lands right on the first day of school for my girls.  And I'm homeschooling..........YIKES!!  Don is taking the learning coach job that day whilst I go and look at piles of garbage and hope to find one with profitability~

Yippee!

August so far looks rather quiet, but that will give us a chance to regroup.  We were on a roll there (landing like 7 lockers in just over two weeks) and we still haven't had an opportunity to swap meet.  Hopefully this Saturday, weather permitting~

Meanwhile ebay is still working out well, while craigslist seems to have had somebody pull the plug again.  Talk about cycles~sheesh.

Lol Rockin - we thought about homeschooling our kids.  However, I told my wife and mother that I would need a sub everyday in order to do it

Just came back from Uhaul.  First facility that I didn't make it to had 4 units, low number of people (2 regulars) and low prices.  Second facility I made it to had 5 registered bidders.  Myself, one regular, a 6mo old couple, a 2mo lady that has been buying a bunch, and a noobie.  Once again only 4 units.

1st - up-top style unit - 2 totes, lots of cloths, laundry basket, empty wallet, papers on floor

I told auction guy $5 and if anyone bids over me they have it.  I got it for $5.

2nd unit - just old washer & dryer -- sold for $60 -- regular
3rd unit - more totes, cloths, etc. -- bid till $50 (sold for 70 to same as above)
4th unit - best 6 x 8' packed to top.  Some furniture, old computer, boxes - I bid up to $120 and stopped.  No point in bidding up the regular, was upstairs so a PITA to move furniture, and my help is out of town this weekend.  So with 24 hours to clean it out not worth it.  Suspect he will make a killing on it.  Same regular as above.

So quick auction, low attendance, low units, low quality except for the 1 unit.

rockin' ...Atlanta Craigslist is broken this week.  Wife/seller went on vacation because she said it would be with school starting up.

Sorry all I have been lurking for a long long time.  Decided to get back in after 6 year ab. from the business.  Basically kids had to get old enough to help, not catch anything from dirty lockers, and not have to sit in the truck for hours on end.

Slow start to the month. I'm heading out to the yard sales tomorrow morning. Next week could be promising. Three scheduled days with one being a caravan to three facilities. The following week I am hitting another one of the by the piece storage sales. Gonna try again and see if it can keep my attention for more than an hour. This time I know what to expect so I will be prepared.

Happy bidding all! 

Don did CubeSmart day one today.  Said crowds were large (about 35 with only 10 known 'regulars') and prices were high.  Units with 70% garbage going for over $200 and the like.

Seems lots of newbies with money to burn.  Soooo hope this is not the trend as we were doing quite well down here with crowds and prices.  Perhaps returning college students with more (of dads) cash and not a lot of brains (see experience).

He may do day two tomorrow~will update if he does.

@ StoreMe the piece auction is on the 15th. I have dug the red wagon out of the back yard and cleaned it up. At least I know this time what I am getting into. Will take a chair as the wait can be long. I don't mind the local Sunday barn auction because it is inside. (picked up a howard miller clock this weekend for $35.00 and think I should go quick for around 250) I sure hope the 100+ temps scare people off. Will update when it's over.

Auction today had a very low turnout. 110 degrees tends to make most stay home. There were only 15 people and only 4 bidders on 7 units. It was good for me as I picked up a nice furniture unit for $175. Most of it is pretty nice stuff and it should sell for around $600. There was nothing exciting but hey profit is profit.
The most expensive unit went for $1200. 10 X 20 one wall had cardboard file boxes stacked 4 high the full 20' length. Most of them were marked automotive manuals. There was also several pieces of a street bike. I'm sure it will bring profit but who wants to move all of those boxes in this heat?
Piece auction is on Wednesday at the coast. I am ready to spend all day there. Hope it brings some good finds.

Auction today had a very low turnout. 110 degrees tends to make most stay home. There were only 15 people and only 4 bidders on 7 units. 

Dang~I wish folks here were as smart~we've been running 107 and Don had to deal with the bigger crowds again.  I'll know more on Monday as I head to an auction that is a bit lesser known.

Best of luck on the one you got!

I went to an auction Friday and only one other guy showed up    We talked and he has health and mobility issues, so I bought three low quality units for $45 (that was a low as the property manager would go).  The other guy bought an item from the last unit for $15 so I have my 3500 Sprinter High Roof loaded for $30  Best items are high quality Christmas decorations that I needed for my booth at an antique and unique shop.  Most are used, but still in the box  Got some folding saw horses like I had planned to buy soon.  I have not had time to sort so will have to see just how good the score will be.

Took 4 boxes of tile and 3 sheets of backer board from third unit to Home Depot and got a store credit of $69.65 today

The last unit I bought was May 9, 2012 but I broke that 3 month dry spell the other day by buying two 5 x 10s.

I got the first one for $100; nothing special except for the collection of M&M plastic dispensers (12" tall size) maybe 15 in total. Also an M&M phone and lamp. Those will pay for the unit and other items will be the profit though it won't be much. The usual 6 or so boxes of nothing but trash to throw away.

I got the 2nd unit for $10. It was showing a tilted over wooden filing cabinet (lateral style), a nice office chair, flattened cardboard boxes AND  a white KitchenAid mixer over on its side. Missing the paddles but has stainless steel bowl. Haven't plugged it in yet, but if working they typically go for $100 on eBay. If not working, still worth $40 or so for repair guys.


About 20 lkrs spread over 3 facilities and could have bought some more but prices were a bit beyond what I wanted to spend for the 5 x 10s being  shown. Only regret having passed on one of those which went for $150...would have been more that that if I continued bidding.  One 10 x 15 went for $200 and was probably a good price but big OLD furn and fridge and virtually no smalls which I personally prefer over lifting and moving the big items ! 

Oh nice snag there MovieMan.  The bowl alone can sell for $5 - $10 at my flea.  I also have a lady here at work with a huge M&M collection.  She keeps thinking about selling it off via my services but still not sure yet.  Those things do sell well.

I'm looking forward to this weekend.  The small town I live near has over a dozen units up for auction.  They only do auction once a year.  I keep looking in paper for the 3 caravan one to be running the same day.  If so I may get the small town to myself.  If not I still expect a smaller crowd then the city.  Quality items will be on the low side but there are a number of retired people in the community.

I'm also in the works to getting a free unit from a co-worker.  She approached me to ask if I wanted any of the items from a storage unit they need to clean out.  They are getting out what they want and everything else I can take / Goodwill.  So will see how that turns out.

Most of the auctions are next week for me.

I'm also in the works to getting a free unit from a co-worker.  She approached me to ask if I wanted any of the items from a storage unit they need to clean out.  They are getting out what they want and everything else I can take / Goodwill.  So will see how that turns out.

Hard to lose in a deal like that !