Is it really though? I understand defending your livelihood, but I also sense some immaturity in some of these posts. I hear a lot of people on here commenting about people showing up and not even bidding. Did all of you bid and buy at your very first auction? Did you know all of the unwritten rules of the auction world at your first handful of auctions? I doubt it. If you did, more power to you. The point is, the game has clearly changed. The once private storage auction world has now been exposed, and the new competition is likely here to stay. I'd guess that just as many "regulars" will end up being pushed out of the business as newcomers.
I don't think the most of the new crowds are here to stay. As silly as it sounds I think some people really do believe it's really like the show and every unit contains some 50k rare item or cash or gold. That's the only way I can imagine people would bid some of the prices they do on some of these units we are seeing go upwards of a grand that used to be like $35.
I imagine people will see you really gotta buy a lot of units to find quality ones. I think people will discover they spend money and make nothing in return. I also think some people think it's all about buying the unit. What really makes you money is how many avenues you have to get rid of stuff. Every item you give away or throw away is money comming out your pocket. The people who can get rid of everything from old paper to scrap metal to clothes for a profit are the ones that will make it.
Oddly enough I actually did wind up buying a unit at my first auction and was surprisingly the best unit I have bought in the past year and a half or so.
I don't think this is uniqe to the storage game. Lots of hobbies and livelihoods are not welcoming of newcommers. Do a google search of how do I become a tattoo artist, tattoo artists are brutal on people looking to learn. Same thing with glass blowing. I ride motorcycles and found that when I first started out people as a whole weren't very welcomming of a new rider. I don't agree iwth it but its in all different aspects of life.
I do agree though its actually probably not wise to go out gungho and buying stuff your first time without scoping out how auctions run, what things go for, etc. In the same token its easy to see why those who have been doing this for 10 or 15 years and this is their sole livelihood are frustrated that some people see the show and just want to come out and look and have no intention of buying or getting into it and are essentially just taking up space and time.