Auction Scene #8...August, 2012

Not many auctions around here so far but since its the middle of the month already I thought I would chime in.

Auction crowds seem to be leveling out in the 20 to 25 people range. The average last year was around 50 to 60.

Most everybody is "coupled up", so actual bidders are in the 7 to 12 range.

Demographics of bidders are generally: 3 "Old Timers", 3 "3 month to 1 year" attendees, 4 "brand new newbies"

Prices are up and down. One auction they will bid "California TV Show" style, then the next they will be reasonable. No steals out there though. It just depends on what the fresh faces want to do. Sometimes they sit back and bid real reserved, and sometimes they go all "Dave Hester" on us.

I think I am pretty good at remembering faces so one of the new trends I think I am seeing is the brand new newbies are not sticking around as long. In the past it seemed like most would hang around at least a month to 3 months, now I notice a lot more show up for one auction or a couple of weeks and then dissapear. Maybe since the crowds are smaller it's easier to remember the faces so it's easier to remember when people only show up to one or two auctions then quit coming. generally I am talking about people who actually bid and win units, not the lookie loos.

Piece auction today left me with a good sun burn.
I picked up a couple of boxes that will make some money. Vintage scarves in one and antique handmade buttons in another $5.00 each. Some cast iron pans and older knives $35.00, a box full of new creative memories photo albums $5.00. I am not going to make enough to cover being at the facility all day long. Auction started at 8:30 and got done at 2:30.
I was really mad when I realized that the owner/manager (not sure who he was) was filling boxes and having his wife bid on them. Two boxes had Coach handbags, I counted at least 5, and no one but me realized what they were until he started digging through them. He put them all in one box then went straight to his wife and told her to bid. She won at $75.00. I wasn't sure they weren't knock offs until I got home and found a price tag in one of the boxes I bought in the unit.
I will have to really think about going again for this kind of auction.

I will have to really think about going again for this kind of auction.

Thinking this might have been the SLO auction, but no matter where it was these auctions are hit and miss but so are the regular auctions we go to. The main difference is the time involved of course...an all day affair with lots of waiting around.

I have had good luck (overall) with these. My best results: Snap-On (one set) for $50, sold for $150. Portable air conditioner for $50, sold for $185. Vintage balsa boat model (in box unassembled) $15, sold for $65. A piece for an industrial grade paper binder, $5 sold for $185. Water testing kit, $5 sold for $400.

I have also broken even on a couple of pieces because I bid TOO much, but them's the breaks.

Originally I did not like this kind of auction when I attended several years ago, but with locker prices in the last year or so and a new look at piece auctions I now like them. Going prepared with a cart of some kind, a chair and some water/food helps a lot, but attitude adjustment is the main obstacle to overcome.

Your experience with the "tampering" certainly doesn't sit well though and would be hard to accept. Give it some thought and maybe try again.  Meanwhile, ENJOY THE COAST !

OK~breathing time.  Home-schooling is exhausting! But I did manage to sneak out on Monday (left Don as the substitute) and hit what 'used to be' a little known auction.  It's a two facility caravan but the first had cancelled.  Left us with one facility with 6 units.  Nearly every 'regular' was there and about 10 newbies bringing the crowd to about 30.

First locker opened up (it was two units sold as one) and was FILLED with VHS tapes (most home-recorded), a couple ornate concrete pedestals and misc.  Went to a regular for his opening bid of $25.

Next couple of lockers were crap.  Watched a regular vs newbie battle in which the newbie had the facility manager 'encouraging' him with "it's a nice room" & "did you see the carburetor box".  Newbie got it for $275.  As I was walking to the next locker the manager told the guy 'please just open the box now.....I have to see if it's in there'......sheesh~
 
Really didn't bid on much as there wasn't a whole lot worth bidding on.  At one point I had a gal (first timer) come up to me and ask "What do you do with the stuff you don't want?".  I looked her over, grinned and said "It's ALL yours!"  She looked taken aback and said 'I have to take it all?!?!'  "Yep"~

When we got to the last unit, I thought I might as well throw out a bid or two....you know....for appearances sake~Didn't really want the unit, but would have taken it for cheap.  Ran it up to $100 then prayed somebody would take it.....in the direct sun, in 105 degrees and dirty, nasty, bulky.  It ended at $275. 

All in all a waste of gas, but it got me out of the house for a bit~
Next auctions aren't until the 28th.......so again.....back to Ebay~

Least you got out of the house rockin.  Auction tonight for me but I'll pass.  Is too far out and the crowd is normally huge with high prices and crap units.  Excited about the auction this weekend...even if it will be in the rain.  I actually want it to rain heavy so I can see the "flow of water" around this facility.  Is in a small town, no fence, but decent size facility.  We have had over a foot of rain in last 2 weeks, with 5" in 2 hours the other day which caused local flooding.  Want to see if the units may of gotten flooded or potential to be.

Two other auctions monday, and then a few more on 28th and 29th.  So chances are good for me to buy.  It's the selling with all the rain that has slowed WAY down.

Auctions I attended this week on my motorcycle.  If I buy go home get the truck and trailer if not I just had a motorcyle ride
Tuesday 8 units total 2 other buyers, my best friend, and myself.
1 good unit $150 lots of nice looking furnature and some electronics.  Sadly I did not have enough room for all of it due to inventory
1 fair unit $100 items not as nice looking, but more of them. Same as above
6 junk units no bids.  Not enough good showing to be worth the effort and fuel.

Wednesday different town 1 unit 20+ people most were buyers.  Heard one say any auctioneer worth anything will have auctions on auctionzip.  Don't think the Tuesday auction was on auctionzip.  I may start looking at auctionzip and if there is a choice on auctions to go to pick the one NOT LISTED.
1 fair unit $325 plus 7% tax plus 10% buyer premium.

Thursday same town as my 3 units for $45 buy from last week.  About 5 regular buyers, 3 newbe couples, and myself.
1 junk loocker regular starts at $25 and runs 2 of the newbe couples up to $40 then they carry it to $125  

Sold at local yard sale parking lot today made $88.25 by lunch and called it a day.  I will hit my silent auction spot Thursday and hope the car salesman hasn't paid up.  Unit looks good and I have enough room now.   

Something of interest...

Last week in my area there was a unit up for auction that looked like a jewerly stores inventory. There was signage for the store along with shelves lined with hundreds of jewerly boxes. It sold for over $2000.

As expected... No jewerly just a whole bunch of empty boxes.

Something of interest...

Last week in my area there was a unit up for auction that looked like a jewerly stores inventory. There was signage for the store along with shelves lined with hundreds of jewerly boxes. It sold for over $2000.

As expected... No jewerly just a whole bunch of empty boxes.

The 4 C's of diamonds....

Color, clarity, cut, carat weight

Have now been updated to the 5 C's of diamonds....

Color, clarity, cut, carat weight, crap factor

Something of interest...

Last week in my area there was a unit up for auction that looked like a jewerly stores inventory. There was signage for the store along with shelves lined with hundreds of jewerly boxes. It sold for over $2000.

As expected... No jewerly just a whole bunch of empty boxes.

Without seeing the unit first hand that sounds like a crazy price, then again, depending on the size of the unit, had it been full of glass display cases the money might have been there without finding any jewelry in the boxes. You didn't mention if there were display cases or any other valuable items other then shelving.

A year ago, it would not have shocked me if that unit went for $5,000 - $10,000.

The unit was at a private place that only has auctions a few times a year and there was only about 10 people all regulars or it probably would have gone for alot more.

It was around 20x20, no display cases, the jewerly (boxes) were on one side & the other side was random household items also on shelving. All in all not a whole lot of stuff considering the size.

Well I missed last week's auctions, including my 3 facility caravan due to work sending me out of town.  I did get to take my daughter to the local small town 4 miles from where I live.  In the paper they had 18 units, thursday was 12, and day of auction was 9.  Crowd was maybe 10 people total.  Was myself and daughter, 2 6-mo newbie couples, and a few other locals.  All of the locals were mostly 60+ year old guys I think just out for a look.  Of course the really nice sounding unit paid up...dang.  They changed from a "silent bid" to call-out that morning.  I had promised my daughter I'd take her to the auction before I found out I had to leave town.  So I was set to fly out 4 hours after the auction.  48 hours to clean units out.

1st - decent stove, fridge - nothing else.  They wanted $75 (no-bids) - finally sold for think $40
2nd - mirror, part of a large cabinet, large broken dresser - no bids
3rd - small closet unit - matress/box spring, some boxes, trash - $5 (daughter)
4th - mostly junk / trash, toolbox - $5 (daughter)  -- Auction guy said $10...I was like "PLEASE" - got a laugh
5th - fridge, not sure what else - $40
6th - packed 10x10 - chair, dressers, bags, boxes - I bought for $60 (bought for buddy - we split cost)
7th - 2 bags, tote, lamp. broken furniture - no bid
8th - table/chairs - some other furniture - $30 or so
9th - packed 5x10 - started to bid but was thinking of time.  Sold for $10

At end of auction they asked did anyone want the 2 no-bid units for 1 price.  I offered $5 if they would give me till NEXT sunday to clean out.  They took it and I paid $5.  Figure would make my $5 back on lamp, rest is trash but was already going to dump and it's a flat rate.

Since I got a big unit yesterday I think I will skip the auctions today. Never really seen much good at todays locations anyway. So thinking about how the auction scene seems to be as of August. The only words that seem to come to mind is "status quo". The auction scene isn't really getting any better, but it's not getting any worse either. I have noticed a return of some "old regulars" and some "last-year newbies" now that the weather has cooled a bit. Looks like my prediction was right. I thought as soon as word spread that auction attendence is down and prices for units too, that some of the "old regulars" and "old newbies" would come back out to check out the scene. My other prediction has come true as well. What happens when 10 people show up to your fishing hole? Does everyone catch the same amount of fish? Of course not. So prices and bidding have shot back up on most units with just a handful of returning bidders. Throw in a sprinkling of new-newbies who think they are suppose to bid "California Style" and we are back to stupid prices again.

All in all, the small independent facilities with less then 6 units advertised; good prices if anything good showing.

Corporate facilities or caravan runs; for the most part, units being bid too high.

My latest prediction is things will stay relatively the same through the rest of the year, with no real changes in numbers of lookie loos, newbies, & regulars; and no real changes in prices on the units.