Auction Scene #9.....September, 2013

Went to a couple of auctions last week. Nothing bought, nothing great to buy.

Same thing happened to me last week. Wasted a whole day looking at junk.

Went to three auctions today. All three had decent crowds...around 12 to 15 with 5 or so of those being regulars.

First place had 7 lockers and all went at reasonable prices. Nothing special and no regular bought any of them.

Second place was interesting. Three months ago one sold there for $800 and was almost immediately reclaimed by the managment as there had been a 3 day error in the advertising it for sale.  Now it was back up for sale.

When I went in the office a big guy was ragging on the manager..."Just want to know what's goin' on. Know Im sayin'?
He signed the sign-in sheet so he could bid on his locker "..if it came to that."  Everyone was wandering in and out and I ended up going to my car for a bit. Lo and behold the guy is right next to me with his driver's door open and rolling what was one BIG joint !

Finally we go in after the auctioneer got there and while most of us went into the main area of the facility. The guy and  his mother (who had showed up) spent about 20 minutes trying to talk their unit out of being sold. The next time I looked in the office two cops were in there...maybe that's because I had let the manager know about the joint. 

ANYWAY...push comes to shove and his locker WILL be sold.  This time the same guy who bought it before had some new competition, BUT he got it again....this time it cost him $1,250 !



The ATTRACTION in the lkr was a huge cement pumping machine and generator combination on wheels. The mother had informed us that the thing did work...this was while her son was outside the facility talking to two cops in their black and white.

Third location...had 3 lkrs...one of the regulars got a pretty good looking 10 x 10 for $335. Should do OK on it.

Overall the crowds and prices were good, but as Cobia has observed here...if it's a beauty of a locker all bets are off.

Bought 3 lockers late last week. Just got through with cleaning them out and processing.

First locker was $40. Lots to throw out.. the obligatory mattress/box spring. Couch was destroyed. Clothes, of course. This guy was a heavy smoker and/or tobacco chewer. Everything was yellow stained or tarred. Got a nice microwave which will pay for the room. A headboard, a Harmon Kardon AV unit with 3 HDMI's, Klipsch tower speakers, a crock pot which already sold for $20 and misc glass stuff. Had a beautiful Basset dresser with mirror, but it was heavily water damaged and drawers were broken. It was the heaviest thing I've picked up in a long while.. a shame that it was so damaged. But, I'll do pretty good there.

2nd locker was a small one which I outlined on another thread. Paid $30 and got clothing racks which could be used at the store, a desk, and the 2 items which will more than pay for the locker.. a Lladro figuring which just sold yesterday for $76 on Ebay and a platinum dipped rose which retails for $80 on the low end. I've got it for $45 in my shop now.

Last locker was a doozy.. $110 and not much in it. Couch and chair with no cushions, drawers with no dresser, glass table frame, no top, chairs to match the table frame, 2 in good shape, 2 broken, matching coffee table and end tables, and a ton of clothes, and misc crap most of which has to be thrown out. The bright spot here is the guy who bought the 3rd locker available here (owned by the same person) says that he has my couch cushions. He wants to trade some stuff. I just hope he doesn't hold me hostage too much.

I have to say, it seems like the quality of the units in my area are drifting downward, meaning getting worse. The crowds seem to fluctuate still from small to large. I noticed in the last few months many of the regulars were not hitting all the auctions, and some of the 1-2 year newbies were not coming out either. Went to an auction last week and I was talking to an old timer and I said "Who are all these people!" The impact of the TV shows has practically driven all the old timers out and most of the TV show newbies. He was the only one I knew who did auctions from before the TV shows. I only recognized one other person who has been around as long as me, three 6-12 month newbies, and the other 40-50 people were BRAND SPANKIN' NEW!

I only recognized one other person who has been around as long as me, three 6-12 month newbies, and the other 40-50 people were BRAND SPANKIN' NEW!

Say it isn't so !

Glad to say the crowds and prices have stabilized in my area but the two problems continue to be what we have mentioned before:

1) locker content quality is down
2) if a good locker comes up the regulars are on it with a fervor !