How did you get started in the Storage Auction business?

It's all my sisters fault!  Since having children, I've found 'alternative' ways to making $$.  From coppersmith to furniture refinishing.  My sis said I had to watch American Pickers & Pawn Stars.  I did and became a picker.  From there "you have to check out Storage Wars".  I did.  I dabbled and now am hooked.  Heck I don't even have time for my antiquing lately.

It's funny though....my first step in auctions was a storage auction where they sold individual lots.  My sis (she really is a driving force eh?) saw a little, lighted plastic lamb among a HUGE Christmas lot.  I told her no, as my Trooper can only haul so much.  There were two trees, about 8 tubs of lights, a couple boxes of ornaments and two flat boxes leaning against a wall.

Opening bid $25.  No takers.  $10.  No takers.  $5.  No takers.  $1 and for some reason, unknown to me, my bidders card turned in my hand and I bought it.

It did all fit in my trooper, but barely!

4 hours of sorting, testing and organizing lights found me with a lot that I sold on Craigslist (in July, in Tucson no less) for $75, enough lights to keep us twinkling for the next 20 holiday seasons and yes.....the little plastic lamb for my sister.

Oh the flat boxes contained board deer that had never been used and had $49.99 price stickers on them.  The lady that bought the lot really only wanted those as she trains horses and was going to set them up on her property to get the horses used to 'wildlife'. 

When my husband was taking the 'dead' lights to our local transfer station the gal running the payment booth asked if she could have the lights to recycle......Great foray as I made money and nothing was wasted!

So yes.....I have my sister to 'blame' for all this!  And ya know.......she has never attended an auction herself.

Thanks sis~

It's all my sisters fault!  Since having children, I've found 'alternative' ways to making $$.  From coppersmith to furniture refinishing.  My sis said I had to watch American Pickers & Pawn Stars.  I did and became a picker.  From there "you have to check out Storage Wars".  I did.  I dabbled and now am hooked.  Heck I don't even have time for my antiquing lately.

It's funny though....my first step in auctions was a storage auction where they sold individual lots.  My sis (she really is a driving force eh?) saw a little, lighted plastic lamb among a HUGE Christmas lot.  I told her no, as my Trooper can only haul so much.  There were two trees, about 8 tubs of lights, a couple boxes of ornaments and two flat boxes leaning against a wall.

Opening bid $25.  No takers.  $10.  No takers.  $5.  No takers.  $1 and for some reason, unknown to me, my bidders card turned in my hand and I bought it.

It did all fit in my trooper, but barely!

4 hours of sorting, testing and organizing lights found me with a lot that I sold on Craigslist (in July, in Tucson no less) for $75, enough lights to keep us twinkling for the next 20 holiday seasons and yes.....the little plastic lamb for my sister.

Oh the flat boxes contained board deer that had never been used and had $49.99 price stickers on them.  The lady that bought the lot really only wanted those as she trains horses and was going to set them up on her property to get the horses used to 'wildlife'. 

When my husband was taking the 'dead' lights to our local transfer station the gal running the payment booth asked if she could have the lights to recycle......Great foray as I made money and nothing was wasted!

So yes.....I have my sister to 'blame' for all this!  And ya know.......she has never attended an auction herself.

Thanks sis~

Great story. Good Luck in your new endeavors

I'll be honest and say up front it was the dang tv show.  Father and I have always done auctions.  Mostly estate, equipment, and company (Walmart, etc) auctions.  Anyways - most of the auctions had dried up, I was tired of playing WoW, and turned on the TV for first time in weeks.  Wife had left the set on A&E and Auction Hunters was on.  Thought it looked like BS to me but it did get me to wondering if they had the auctions in my area.  A few internet searches later I found a few listings, this site, and a few other things.  Started back in June and been going ever since.  I think about 6 of us started in June.  Only two of us are still doing it.

Is funny as while chatting up the lady that runs one of the facilities she was like - "I count on you and the other 6 regulars".  Talking about bidding and cleaning out units. 

Ok I will respond... been trying to avoid it... HAHAHAHa

The stupid show did it for us thanks to Netflix... No Cable TV here... And we got to see it.

Husband and I have always been wheeling and dealing. Buy at right price and then sell at higher price. Husband has been doing other kinds of Auctions sense he was 16.
We have been playing with all kinds of ideas on how to make a living out side of our normal professions.
We have 5 acres of land... We had come up with growing plants (one of my professions), to raising rabbits, chickens, anything... Then one night flip through Netflix and there it was. Husband said I have always wanted to check that out. So with some research and thankful for this site here we are. Still noobies by most standards, but working on building it up to make it full time.

Ok I will respond... been trying to avoid it... HAHAHAHa

The stupid show did it for us thanks to Netflix... No Cable TV here... And we got to see it.

You are forgiven (especially since you live in Florida and pose no immediate threat to California!) 

Very interesting responses. Is there anyone out there who was doing this big time before the TV shows? If so, do you resent the influx of particpants from infulenced by the shows?

Very interesting responses. Is there anyone out there who was doing this big time before the TV shows? If so, do you resent the influx of particpants from infulenced by the shows?

Money4nothing's only been doing it for 6 months or so and SHE sees the impact of the shows.

I know people who have done it for the last 15 or 20 years...imagine THEIR feelings about the shows.

I've been doing it for 8 years (see my signature below) and I harbor some resentment, mostly for the lookeyloos (who never bid but eat up pavement time) and for those newbies who bid outrageously, paying $750 for a locker that has maybe $300 or so of sales inside.


But, I'm adapting and persevering. Many drop out and eventually all who are not serious will be gone.

You are forgiven (especially since you live in Florida and pose no immediate threat to California!) 

Thanks figured we were a little safe not to many Floridians on here.   

I know people who have done it for the last 15 or 20 years...imagine THEIR feelings about the shows.

I've been doing it for 8 years (see my signature below) and I harbor some resentment, mostly for the lookeyloos (who never bid but eat up pavement time) and for those newbies who bid outrageously, paying $750 for a locker that has maybe $300 or so of sales inside.


But, I'm adapting and persevering. Many drop out and eventually all who are not serious will be gone.

Even being a noobie we see the regulars that I am sure have been doing this for at least 15 years or more and I feel for them this is their living. They would probably give us a harder time but with all the high bidding going on we never have to bid against them because they don't bid and we don't bid. 
A doubled edge sword we have gained some respect because we are not the outrageous noobies. Some of the regulars are giving us leads on other auctions.

I am sure they all hold resentment can see it in their faces. Everyone is making money off the shows except for the buyers. Example. Auctioneer's , Storage facility, The state for tax. [/b]
So I hope for us and all our Whales that they weather the storm. It would be nice to do the auction scene without the outrageous.

Netflix and past experience in finding stuff and selling on CL. I'm in the research stage for the auctions.

Most of the regulars in my area have been doing this for 5-20 years depending on which person you are talking with.  The majority of them are retired.  I was lucky as while not welcoming new people with open arms, the regulars didn't shun us either.  They just try and make it clear the TV shows and the reality are two very different things.  Now that I've been doing this for 6 months everyone treats me as an equal.  A few facilities even count me as a "regular / good customer that they rely on".

In a way except for a few locations the crowds in my area are calm.  Mostly a dozen bidders or so.  It's the advertised caravans and saturday auctions that draw 50 - 100 people.  Of course it's still the same dozen of us bidding / buying the units most of the time.

I've only been doin' this myself just over a year, but I am trying to think back to how the industry was when I was helping my friend do this in the 1990s.

Most everyone at the auctions either sold at the flea market or owned thrift stores, that was it!

I remember there was no Craigslist or Ebay so just about everything went to the flea market, including collectibles. Nice furniture, electronics and other good stuff went to family and friends.

Gold & silver jewelry was not as big a deal then as it is now, anything that wasn't kept went to the pawn shop and you did'nt get very much for it.

I remember when my friend first started using Ebay, he was selling Beanie Babies like crazy. I don't remember if he was getting them all from storage auctions or other sources.