Auction Scene #9...September, 2012

Got a 5x10 after school monday for $55. Guy is in jail now I suppose anywho was a guitar visible from the down as well as old mattress (2) and a red lock box. Unit ended up having a used Johnson guitar, a hookah, bed sets, golf shoes and a cooler and a tv that didn't work. The red box was some type of kit that lets your motor scooter have bigger headlights but I could not get the box up so we smashed it and took the small tools out not worth much but it's something. I got $4 in scrap metal, sold guitar for $40, hookah for $25, all clothes on craigslist for $20 and other small items for $10. Might make another $20 if lucky.  Going to a Saturday auction they have 15 right now.

Went to a caravan today.  They have changed the rules they will not give buyer a gate code you have to stop at the office and be let in.  That means when the office closes at 6PM you are done.  It will make it harder to buy a lot of lockers. Anyway at first facility they had 7 lockers.  One really did not count all that was in it was a pool table in bad shape. I ended up with one there. It was a 10X10 but only about a third full. Lot of boxes an exercise machine and a small firesafe. Cost me $275 which I thought was to much.  The safe had an airsoft pistol in it.  That seems to be the norm for those safes nothing of value. I have not sorted I got about 20 boxes to go through.  From what I have seen I will be lucky to break even.  Next facility had one locker and it was mostly furniture but looked good.  Next facility had 4 lockers.  I ended with w a 5X10 for $200 that was packed but looked bad. A V8 block on a stand at the door lots and some tool boxes showing.  I got it half cleaned out today.  The tool boxes have tools in them. One was so heavy I could barely lift it and it was only a small box.  The block was a real challenge to load alone but I did manage. It looks like a Chevy 350 will become scrap. Right behind it was a VW tranny and a bunch of heads and starter motors.  Lots of scrap for my son.  Found a ammo box full of ammo a couple hundred round of mixed high power worth something but wish the gun had been there. This locker had been rented since 1992 so 20 years.  Only really good thing so far was the ammo.  I went to 2 other facilities and did not even bid at either place some really poor lockers. Prices seemed to still be to high.  Crowds was down from the peak about 20 to 25 people.  Took 600 pound to the dump tonight cost $35 more to follow.

@ drbecker check that airsoft pistol. My son has two glocks that are not made anymore and they worth about 120 to 160 each on e-bay. He says there are other brands that are worth more. You never know.

Got a 10x10 for $600 had tools and hunting/fishing gear and mini safe, want to post pics 2marrow to see if people think I overpaid

Got a 10x10 for $600 had tools and hunting/fishing gear and mini safe, want to post pics 2marrow to see if people think I overpaid

At this point (before locker is processed) it doesn't really matter (IMO) what I, others or even YOU, THINK about whether you overpaid or not.

The only thing that really matters is (after processing) whether you make money or not.  (IMO)

Went to a caravan today.  They have changed the rules they will not give buyer a gate code you have to stop at the office and be let in.  That means when the office closes at 6PM you are done.  It will make it harder to buy a lot of lockers. Anyway at first facility they had 7 lockers.  One really did not count all that was in it was a pool table in bad shape. I ended up with one there. It was a 10X10 but only about a third full. Lot of boxes an exercise machine and a small firesafe. Cost me $275 which I thought was to much.  The safe had an airsoft pistol in it.  That seems to be the norm for those safes nothing of value. I have not sorted I got about 20 boxes to go through.  From what I have seen I will be lucky to break even.  Next facility had one locker and it was mostly furniture but looked good.  Next facility had 4 lockers.  I ended with w a 5X10 for $200 that was packed but looked bad. A V8 block on a stand at the door lots and some tool boxes showing.  I got it half cleaned out today.  The tool boxes have tools in them. One was so heavy I could barely lift it and it was only a small box.  The block was a real challenge to load alone but I did manage. It looks like a Chevy 350 will become scrap. Right behind it was a VW tranny and a bunch of heads and starter motors.  Lots of scrap for my son.  Found a ammo box full of ammo a couple hundred round of mixed high power worth something but wish the gun had been there. This locker had been rented since 1992 so 20 years.  Only really good thing so far was the ammo.  I went to 2 other facilities and did not even bid at either place some really poor lockers. Prices seemed to still be to high.  Crowds was down from the peak about 20 to 25 people.  Took 600 pound to the dump tonight cost $35 more to follow.

Well an update I have been through the lockers.  The one that I paid $275 for produced 6.5 grams of 14K and 2.2 grams of 10K Gold as well as 6 sterling rings and a sterling necklace.  Also found a big bag of Disney coins with $5.50 price tags on them must be 40 or 50 of them along with the folder to display them in. A Sony PSP with some games and a lot of the usual junk. I may make money on it.  The locker with the engine block produced a lot of scrap as well as the box of ammo, a set of Colt Woodsman grips and 4 small Woodsman parts. A lot of tools a few Snap on but most just junk a Masonic apron and a few odds and ends. I think I will get a $200 in scrap alone so pretty sure I will double my money.  The Woodsman grips are worth about $50 the other parts about $75 and the ammo look like around a $100. Some odd stuff like some paint cans with a Boeing label on them from 1979 and a couple can of Toluene with a Boeing label.

My son bought 2 lockers last week and well and one has turned out well a lot of militaria and a Pachinko machine 3 or 4 old tin toys, a tube of darkie toothpaste.

So my garage overflows with stuff been to Goodwill 5 times this weekend and the dump 3. Have a huge load for the dump tonight.

Finally got to look over my stuff not a lot to write home about got a lot of Dewalt, hitachi and greenlee tools an tool box with couple of fishing pools. Mini safe was empty and found box of gold and silver but gold is fake but silver is real but only is worth $5 max. I'll make $750-800 on the tools and such and another $200 on other things in the unit. So should make $250 profit after the split.

Absolutely chaotic life I'm leading right now.  Home-schooling is proving to be a FULL-time job, allowing me little time to process and sell.  I know eventually I'll get a nice rhythm going but right now.....I'm runnin' like a headless chicken~

Went to a little known caravan on Friday.  Just regulars in a rather 'rough' area of town.  First location 3 lockers.  First a 5X10 went to our whale for $25.  It was full, but looked rather crappy.  He'll do great on it, but most (us-7 regulars) felt the work wasn't worth it.  Next two almost as icky and went cheap.

Next facility was more of the same.  There was one nice unit that ended up going for $600.  I was in up to $400.  Our whale and a buddy of mine landed the remaining (5) lockers for cheap.

Next facility I decided our whale had won enough and challenged him on a 10X10.  It had some interesting items showing including some Earnhardt Jr diecast boxes, vintage furnishings and tons of boxes & bins.  Landed it for $425.  With our whale saying 'let them have it'. 

There were some other nice units with one having 7 beauty parlor chairs, a nice washer/dryer, small fridge and other 'beauty' items.  Whale got it for $150 after I ran him up $25.  He asked why I ran him up and I said "I wanted that unit.....just didn't know where I could move 7 dryer-chairs"  He laughed and said he takes stuff like that to an auction in NM.

We came to the last unit at this facility and it was a 10X10 packed.  I looked at it and told the whale I wouldn't run him up.  He got it for $100 and will do great on it.  He laughed and told me he'd trade me straight up for the first we won!

Anywho......we bowed out then and started the dig.  Didn't look too promising for a big profit, but I could see a hard double.  Lots of smalls and knick-knacky stuff.  Day two of processing landed a bag with numerous old purses and in those old purses.......jewelry!  Landed a couple old gold rings and had my buddy meet her gold guy......unit paid in full +!

Digging out of our massive inventory will find us with a yard sale on Friday and the Swap on Saturday and hopefully a great deal of 'extra' cash on Sunday!

Did go to an auction yesterday but it was with the 'popular' auctioneer.  About 60 people.  80% green.  And 90% dumb.  Two girls smoked in midst of the crowd.  They bid up a locker with a nasty 80's sofa and dinette set to $340.  Actually just packed up the family and left.  Think that is the last time for a while with that mess.  Time is limited and gas expensive......not worth it.

Hope all is well and if I ever have free time.....well.....I'll probably take a nap~

Rockin,

Hmmm, I think I might start a little debate here with my comment, but here it goes...


Went to a little known caravan on Friday.  Just regulars in a rather 'rough' area of town.  First location 3 lockers.  First a 5X10 went to our whale for $25.  It was full, but looked rather crappy.  He'll do great on it, but most (us-7 regulars) felt the work wasn't worth it.  Next two almost as icky and went cheap.

Next facility was more of the same.  There was one nice unit that ended up going for $600.  I was in up to $400.  Our whale and a buddy of mine landed the remaining (5) lockers for cheap.

Next facility I decided our whale had won enough and challenged him on a 10X10.  It had some interesting items showing including some Earnhardt Jr diecast boxes, vintage furnishings and tons of boxes & bins.  Landed it for $425.  With our whale saying 'let them have it'. 

There were some other nice units with one having 7 beauty parlor chairs, a nice washer/dryer, small fridge and other 'beauty' items.  Whale got it for $150 after I ran him up $25.  He asked why I ran him up and I said "I wanted that unit.....just didn't know where I could move 7 dryer-chairs"  He laughed and said he takes stuff like that to an auction in NM.

We came to the last unit at this facility and it was a 10X10 packed.  I looked at it and told the whale I wouldn't run him up.  He got it for $100 and will do great on it.  He laughed and told me he'd trade me straight up for the first we won!

It sounds like you have developed a "relationship" with your local whale that you seem comfortable with, but if I'm reading the story right it looks like he won 8 units to your 1 unit, and he still competed against you on the 1 unit you won. You had to pay $425 for your one unit, & he got good units for $25, some number between 1 & 5 cheap, $150 & he complained about it!, & you (and everybody else) were nice enough to let him win the last one for $100. He won 3 nice units for $275 & he was "nice" enough to let you win 1 for $425?

This is one of the reasons he is still the whale! I guess as long as you & Don are happy with only winning that one unit, then I will be happy for you. I don't know the story behind this "whale", maybe you told the story before and I need to look it up, & I know there is always a story about a "whale" that you can't run up cause he or she is a multi-millionaire, and if you try to run them up they won't ever let you win a unit so you gotta play nice, blah, blah, blah...

I'm not saying you should look at it like you are purposely "running him up", but I would certainly be more competative with my bidding. I can see letting him get a couple of units for cheap early and hoping he gets his fill, but once he made me pay $425 for unit after I let him win a unit for $25 (and other units cheap); it would be on like Donkey Kong. No way would he win units at $100 or $150!

My point is not that I would be trying to piss him off, but If I'm out to win units, & the same guy or gal is winning all or most of the good units, how am I ever gonna grow my business? I don't think he will really respect you until you start making him pay $425 or more for each unit he wins. The reason I say that (and he could be different) but most of the whales I have run into have short memories. They may let someone get an OK deal on one unit if the know that person didn't run them up, but eventually, maybe the next auction maybe the next month, they are back to winning the good units again, and bidding up everyone on the units they don't win. The only why to keep their memory fresh is to bid competively on all the units I want, and bid competitvely on all the units they want.

Just my .02 

Hey Cobia~no debate started here.  We have a very good rapport with our whale (and most other buyers).  We easily (and have previously) could have run him up, but why?  We are so overrun with inventory right now.  Really the only reason we went is we knew it would be a very light crowd with an opportunity to grab up a deal.  Which we did.  Had the 'other' auctioneer and his posse had this facility....that was a $900 locker.

Our whale does have very deep pockets and propensity to not let those he dislikes land a locker 'cheap'.  He told Don (when we were relatively new) that he (Don) wouldn't have landed a locker (that was very good) if he would have been there.  Don simply looked at him and replied "Yeah I would have.  I just would have paid more."

I've run him up numerous times and he me.  But the atmosphere at this particular auction was so (unbelievably) laid back none of us really cared who won what.  We got the locker we wanted for less than our 'limit'.

Now if we weren't overrun with inventory we probably would have gotten a few more, but for this day/this auction.....THE one was enough.

Oh and from what I've been told....his memory is long and he has a mean streak.  I've only witnessed it a bit and I feel for those on his bad side.  I actually thought I was there after running him up over $2200 on a locker we both had 'inside information' on.  He lost his butt.  Of course the next locker found us battling to $1400 where he did very well.

All in all we have a very good 'relationship'.

As Don just pointed out....the majority of the 'cheap' units he won were full of big and bulky items.  We have far too much furniture right now and we are plumb outta room to store it.  He can as he keeps about 4 storage lockers around the city.

Here it is October and I forgot to comment about September! To be honest, haven't been going to many storage auctions, I have been kickin a$$ at the local auction houses. Granted there's no "wow" factor, and the chances of making 5 times or 10 times the money invested are slim to none, but the pros are: very little cleaning, no 20 to 60 hour weeks sorting through boxes & bags, no hauls to the dump, no dissapointments about the condition of the furniture. Instead of the typical 100% to 400% ROI from storage auctions I am getting between 25% & 250% ROI form the auction house, so im rambling, this should be in a different post. 

Anyway, the few auctions Ive been to, the crowds seem to be lightening up again towards the end of the month, the beginning of the month we had a slight uptick in attendance. Prices have stabilized. For the most part, in my opinion, the bids on 70% of the units at the large corporate facilities are still to high, even though the crowds have dropped 50%-70% from the highs.

I did hit one auction that had only 6 bidders show up! 3 old regulars, 3 fresh newbies. Only 2 units, both garbage, didn't stay to see what they went for. For me, $1 bid would have been to much, but i'm done scrounching through peoples garbage hoping to find treasure.

I have been one busy gal. I found a sale last weekend just by chance and asked my husband if he wanted to go with me. I had never been to this facility and figured why not though the store is overflowing. I figure a small locker with a few boxes will fit. So we show up Saturday morning and find two guys waiting. They were very happy as the manager had told them if no one else showed he was cancelling.
First unit wasn't bad but was mostly furniture. Not what I was looking for and apparently not what the others wanted either. Next unit wasn't bad. Small table a few computers and several boxes (one marked camping stuff and an ice chest). I figured what the heck so I bid $25.00. No one else wanted it so it mine. Two more units are garbage no bids.
The manager opens the next unit and I just had to have it. Furniture... I really don't need it but... So I go toe to toe with the local bike guy. Not sure why he wants it but I win for $350.00. Ugh not sure where I'm going to put this stuff?
Local bike guy buys a unit full of bags for $25.00. Says his son wanted a unit.
Next manager opens a 10 X 20 unit. My husband gasps. Man am I in trouble. He pays $50.00 for it. I am mad by this point because I have told him I don't have anymore room (he is not part of my resale business) Lots of boxes and some furniture.
10 units in total. I bought 3 and the bike guy bought 2. Now its time to load. First two units are on the second floor. Where is the elevator? They don't have one! We have to haul my furniture unit down the stairs! Ugh.
So I am in a total of $425.00. First unit wasn't great but will double my money on it easy.
Second unit was full of good stuff. Antique sofas (two matching) should bring around 800 to 1000 dollars at auction. Antique wash stand, two vintage City of LA oil lanterns, vintage gold room divider, misc nicknacks and lots of books.
Third unit (husbands unit) was not as bad as I thought even a lot of it is still outside. Very nice high end leather coffee table, old tin toys, box of fenton glass, I will do very good on this unit but there was also lots of kitchen garbage, toys and clothes (like someone packed in a big hurry) full of rat (not mouse) poop and pee.
Hubby asked that I leave him home from now on until the loading part. Which I quickly agreed to. LOL If I let him he would have bought them all.