Lookey Loos Part 10.....October, 2011

When I look through pennies, I basically do this:


- 1943 steel cents - worth 2-5 depending on condition

Thanks for the basic info...I'll use it to check out the pennies.

As regards the 1943 steels, is that 2-5 in CENTS or dollars? (I think I know the answer, but let me know will you?)

Dollars. Of course that's what they're "worth." You might not be able to sell them for that much. Good luck though. Fingers crossed for a 1909-S VDB (worth $750-1750).

From the link I posted a few messages back:

"The Value of 1943 Steel Cents:

Currently, while these coins are an interesting change from the brown cents that we commonly see, none of the 1943 Steel Cents are considered rare. Values for all three varieties in average circulated condition is not more than 10-20 cents, at most. In uncirculated conditions, such as might be found on a coin fresh out of a bank roll, the coins have a value of 10 to 20 dollars. Near perfect specimens (MS-66 and up) will have a value from 30 to 70 dollars."

Well, PCGS, the premier coin grading company values them at $2 in "good" condition (which is actually bad, circulated condition). Of course, now that I look at NGC, the other top company, I see they value it much lower so maybe PCGS is inflating the value for some reason. They seem to go for cheap on ebay, but I've seen people selling them on craigslist for a few bucks. Not sure how successful they are, of course.

Dang Movieman all the nice lockers must be out in Cally.  I've only seen 3 really nice lockers out of a good 100+.

As for the coins you already have some good info.  For the common wheat cents you can make $2-4 a roll pretty easy.  I buy them at the local flea at $2 a roll.  Most of the guys try to sell them for $4+.  It all depends on your area.  People buy them by the pound on ebay all the time.

The steel cent I'd sell for $1 at a yard sale if it is in a 2x2 already.  Some person will buy it for a starter collection.


As for auctions - went to a silent bid auction today that had 6 units up for bid.  Was 9 of us bidding.  Only one pretty good unit with some heavy duty tools.  One of the former owners was there telling everyone a sob story.  His stuff was mostly junk imo and only good for scrap.

Dang Movieman all the nice lockers must be out in Cally.  I've only seen 3 really nice lockers out of a good 100+.

Well, I'll have to admit there have been some good ones lately and I even got two of them 8 weeks apart....a record !

The one I spoke of above (my friend got for $1125) looked exceptional...after we got inside, but the big sofas, tires, mattresses toward the front discourgaged me....good for him though !

Thanks also for the coin comments....that will help me too.

Just got back from a 2 unit auction.  A TON of people for a friday auction in central oregon.  Unit #1 10x 10 1/4 full ( previous owner went to jail ) one couch will a ton of stains,  particle board desk, and about 20 boxes.  About half of the boxes in the unit had markers that said dishes.  The unit sold for $155. 

You could tell everyone was itching to spend some money today.  Unit #2 was a 5x10.  The doors opened up and it was packed.  I always try and let the crowd run up to the door while i wait till the end to look. So i am walking to the door and then i think to myself no F&*^ way.....Sh*& . What i noticed as i got closer was the padded wood, then another foot closer I for sure knew it was a Waterbed.  The 5x10 had a complete waterbed, 3 boxes that said " Ryan ", two dining table chairs, and a cheap coffee table.  It was at $175 when i decided to leave. 

Overall a real bummer.

It wasn't the greatest of weeks for us. Went to Cedar Hills (Tx) for the beginning of the caravan and that area was really bad. So the next day we went on another got a unit for 150 and it wasn't the greatest but we will get a little above our money back. Then on Friday got up early for a U-Haul run in Dallas, it was all canceled because the paper apparently didn't post it in the ads. So, found a Public Storage caravan and got a unit there for 75. The items that could be seen were older dolls and dolphins collectibles. Well turns out it was a crack head and her crackhead prison hubby. lol All I can say is thank goodness we didn't pay a lot. Sometimes looks of units can be deceiving. ;-) But to top it off the one for 150 that we purchased now wants to buy some of the things back. (Got a call from the storage company), but we have already gone through it and a lot of it is in the dumps that wasn't salvageable. Oh well, won't be in contact with them anyway, they had too much "gangsta" ;-) junk and I don't want them to know me or my family...haha

In Massachusetts today, I went to an auction about 20 miles west of Boston that I thought would be lightly attended because there was a 4 auction caravan with another auction company nearby ... I hoped the caravan would get most of the action.

Well, it wasn't to be. There were about 40 folks there for a 3 unit auction. First was a 10 x 10 lightly filled with sample locks/doorknobs. It went for $400. Second a 5 x 15 household unit with a junky, scratched-up dresser in front, a low dresser in the back with an old tv on top and some old mattresses in the very back.Everything else was filled with nondescript boxes. It went for $450. The final, another 5 x 15, didn't have much in it. Some new mattresses in the back, an office chair, a subwoofer, some tubs. It went for $800!

These prices were quite a bit higher than I'm used to seeing in the area. It's hard to imagine that the buyers made any money off of these buys.

These prices were quite a bit higher than I'm used to seeing in the area. It's hard to imagine that the buyers made any money off of these buys.

  Hi Judy
  Thats why We have pretty much stopped going to auctions around here till the INSANITY dies down .
We have seen that the Maximum Bids on items at the regular auctions are a Lot Lower then they were last year , with the comment's being made that since they are Not selling on Fee -Bay anymore , they can't justify the initial higher prices .
Bob
Ps
 I don't expect it to ever get to where  Good locker's will go for $ 75. to $ 200. again around here , like in the good old days when Nobody new about them .

Went to this one on Thursday Central Fl. Not advertised only legal notice find in paper.
 No Auctioneer, no refundable cleaning deposit, no buyers premium, Nice crowd about 40 people 20 bidders

5 x 10  Washer/ dryer Single wicker bed frame   $ 110 
10 x 10 1/4 full with misc. office I don't know what not much in there.. $ 175 (had something my husband  recognized said worth around $300 if you had a buyer)

10 x 30 full of wood working, saws $400
 Only a pool table (full size nice) in it and all the accessories $170
10x 30 full household $375
5x5 inside unit... casio keyboard in it and old monitors $80.00

and a 5x5 with mainly clothes in it for $30.00 and it is ours. 
I am a noob but the prices were better than what I have seen
The managers said this crowed is dead, HAHAHA not bidding like crazy... Took for ever to get the bids going, the saw unit they almost didn't sell because the bid was at $50... They opened the other door and got more money. The crowed looked at the stuff oh I don't want to move that.... : ). So things look good here will now more next month with the more advertised Auctions.

Saw a auction listed in legals of a nearby town.  Called day of auction and the facility owner said its just trash in there.  I repied one man's trash is another man's treasure.  Ask how often they had auctions and he repied this is the first in 4 years.  I show up and one other guy who said it was his first auction in years.  Facility owner opens the unit no old lock in sight and lets us look.  Facility owner said renter told him $200 worth of books were in unit.  The other guy said books are .25 ea. at the flea market must be a lot of books.  The unit had old computer desk, box fan, tool box with magazines in it, and clothes thrown over a few boxes.  Owner ask what we will give I said $5 the other guy said nothing.  Owner said he was starting the bidding @ $50 I told him forget that.  He started on about trying to recover rent lost.  I told him I did not see any money for me to cover gas,  time, and $50.  He said he would just go through it himself OK by me $5 is top.  In the parking lot me and the other guy agreed someone has been watching to much TV or it was some kind of set up.

Not sure what to make of trends this month, I will just give my general observations and you all make your best guess as to what is happening.

So this month,

 The small independent facility auctions had less people including less regulars (10-15% less on average) and prices have come down proabably about 10-15%.

The large corporate facility auctions (well advertised) had more people (10-15% more on average) and prices were WAY up about 20-50%

I don't know what to think about this month, maybe it's an anomaly.

Owner ask what we will give I said $5 the other guy said nothing.  Owner said he was starting the bidding @ $50 I told him forget that.  He started on about trying to recover rent lost.  I told him I did not see any money for me to cover gas,  time, and $50. 

He said he would just go through it himself OK by me $5 is top. 

In the parking lot me and the other guy agreed someone has been watching to much TV or it was some kind of set up.

I liked your response to the prop mgr when he said he was trying to recover some of HIS loss ! If her were smarter he would have taken your $5 and saved himself the trouble of cleaning it out. Even if he found something worth $50 he still had to make some trips to his facility dumpster.  His loss.

I don't know what to think about this month, maybe it's an anomaly.

Yep, each month offers new oddities in buying patterns and prices.  I talked to one of our 4 major auctioneers the other day who does auctions from San Francisco and up and down the central California valley. He indicated that it is getting more common to see 12 (or as many as 20) lkrs originally coming up for auction and going down to 5 by auction time.

He regretted having to send his helper on a 100 mile round trip to cut 20 locks only to cut 5 when he got here.

He thinks the TV shows are showing people they REALLY WILL lose their stuff if they don't pay up. The day I talked to him he had expected to cut 13 locks and only cut 5. He said the lkrs weren't that great and of course depending on the crowd that would affect HIS income that day.  I didn't say anything, but I didn't have much sympathy for him !