Storage Auctions

Worst Unit?

Worst Unit?
« on: May 26, 2011, 01:04:11 PM »
Everyone likes to talk about their best finds and best units. I think it would be fun to hear about everyone's worst units.

I have gotten about 11 units total. My worst so far would have to be a pretty empty unit I got for 70$. I told myself I would stop at 50$ but ended up winning it at 70$.  With gas, the unit ended up being 90 bucks, drove around to a handful of auctions that day.

There unit was pretty empty, but the main things were 3 nice faux trees/plants, two 24 inch old crap TVs, the backseat of a car (that **** sucked, moved by myself), a crappy end cabinet thing I ended up trashing, rotating fan, and about 5 plastic bins. It also had a 3 piece luggage set that is old but in good shape.

I was figuring I would get something out of the bins. They all ended up being empty except for 1. That had an oil filled electric radiator and some crib bedding.

I sold the plants for 35$, fan for 5$.
I am hoping to get at least 60-70$ for what I have left, so looking at 100-110$ range.

That will still put me up about 10-20$, so at least not a loss, but I spent the whole day going to auctions/cleaning it out/garbage run. I am sure I will have worse than this at some point and am glad about this being my worse so far.


 I did get 4 big plastic containers though, and those are always good to have with storing things for the flea market, etc.

Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2011, 02:21:41 PM »
You can never get enough totes/bins.

I have over the years gotten close to 300 totes/bins of different kinds and sizes. Kept about half of it my self, and sold the rest of them.

But now i am need of more, so every time i get totes i keep them.

Offline jrossjr79

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Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2011, 02:38:16 PM »
Mt worst unit, that is easy.

I bought a unit for a little over $300. It looked great from the outside. Full of furniture and neatly stacked boxes, and like 2 trash bags. Problem was after I started cleaning out the unit, I realized I should have never bought this one. All the boxes and trash bags had nothing but personals and trash, literally trash, apparently this guy didnt believe in taking his stuff out the trash. Then there is the furniture, everything is broken or in some other form or fashion unsellable. I did manage to make $200 back, so I was only down $100 or so. Sold two TVs for $50 each, held on to them what seemed like forever. Then one of the pieces of furniture was a broken solid wood entertainment center. I actually cut it down and restained it turning it into a coffee table which I sold for $100 afterwards.

Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #3 on: May 27, 2011, 10:23:06 PM »
You can never get enough totes/bins.

I have over the years gotten close to 300 totes/bins of different kinds and sizes. Kept about half of it my self, and sold the rest of them.

But now i am need of more, so every time i get totes i keep them.

You should have told me today... I'd sell you as many as you want... for a good price of course  ;D

I've had a couple really bad units. Picked up one for $300 or so that had a lot of boxes, misc appliances, suitcases, etc. Well, apparently this tenant was storing his/her Y2K survival goods. Every box and bucket was filled with canned food, sugar, beans, etc. All of it was dated 1999.

Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2011, 08:07:25 PM »
I bought a 10 X 30 that looked ugly for $40.  Turned out to be someones dump.  Worse thing was it had flooded and about half the 20 matrresses were wet.  Spent $200 at the dump got nothing back.  I think it was another locker bidder getting the $1 move in special then loading it up with trash. I found boxes with floorsweepeing including cut locks and personels from about 4 different people. 
Thats not the only locker I have lost money on but it sticks out as the most work expended in cleaning out a unit and getting nothing.

Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #5 on: June 28, 2011, 06:46:06 PM »
I just bought one the other day. With no truck ::) 10x30 by about 5-6' high. A really old unit (and 1/4" dirt on every thing) that appears to have been a hoarder handyman. $670 and even though the public storage auctioneer said $1 dollar special for the month- noone told me there has to be more than one available. $522 for the month. I loaded a 14' uhaul- looks like I need 3 or more. Now I will admit I might make my money back. An old "california land surfer" skateboard, a skeleton arm and leg, some old frames etc. But the actual coup de foi gras might be a small stack of movie b/w pics from a studio photographer named Louis Goldman. They stink, but still seem to be in great shape.

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Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #6 on: June 28, 2011, 06:59:33 PM »
I just bought one the other day. With no truck ::) 10x30 by about 5-6' high. A really old unit (and 1/4" dirt on every thing) that appears to have been a hoarder handyman. $670 and even though the public storage auctioneer said $1 dollar special for the month- noone told me there has to be more than one available. $522 for the month. I loaded a 14' uhaul- looks like I need 3 or more. Now I will admit I might make my money back. An old "california land surfer" skateboard, a skeleton arm and leg, some old frames etc. But the actual coup de foi gras might be a small stack of movie b/w pics from a studio photographer named Louis Goldman. They stink, but still seem to be in great shape.

I'm confused about several things even though I read your post several times.

1) They told the crowd about the $1 special, but none were available (or only 1 was)?
2) A 10 x 30 there rents for $522 a month? Whoa ! One that size would rent for about $220 or so in my area.
3) You loaded a 14' Uhaul and need 3 more....is that 4 "loads" you're taking? And where is it all going?

May be some value in those old b/w stills if you can identify any of the "stars".

Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2011, 08:33:46 PM »
Hi Movieman-I confuse easily :P I mean I get confused easily  :D I have gotten units from public storge and rented  them for $1+ fees. But in my town this was the only big one.  I tried calling someone higher up the chain @ public storage- no return on my phone calls. There are other $1 available at this location, but smaller and indoors. Well the first truck will be hopefully dumped tomorrow.  Realisticly, 2 more dump loads and maybe a good vanload of auction stuff.  Quite a few from "deathtrap", 1 or 2 of the following- john wayne, paul newman, federico fellini, and one pic with 3 actresses; one being sharon tate. If I get motivated- I'll try to put up a few pics in a couple of days.

Offline MovieMan

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Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #8 on: June 28, 2011, 09:30:21 PM »
Thanks for the clarification....dump runs...gotta hate 'em.

Was the 10 x 30 lkr $550 to rent ?  Seems high.


Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #9 on: July 04, 2011, 11:38:29 AM »
Happy 4th to everyone! I took a couple of pics- the unit is after the first load is on the truck. Behind the mattress on the truck is about 100 liquor boxes full of garbage. Most of the photos have the title of the movie, subject name, and the stamp of the photographer.








Offline MovieMan

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Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #10 on: July 04, 2011, 01:15:29 PM »

Happy 4th of July to you too !



I used to buy this kind of lkr.

Photos have possibilities and would have been GREAT possibilities had they been autographed.

100 liquor boxes of garbage...........whoops!


Offline MovieMan

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Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #11 on: July 04, 2011, 01:47:10 PM »
Elvisluvs....

Check out this link; scroll down about 4 inches and you'll see the filmography of this still photographer.


http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0325837/

Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #12 on: July 04, 2011, 09:34:32 PM »
Wow!!!

Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #13 on: July 06, 2011, 09:44:45 PM »
He seems to be a pretty big deal-movieman-thanks. A couple of updates. Yesterday my find of the day was a ww2 german helmet. I probably mentioned it (do not know if real or not) I had found a skeleton arm and leg, then found the skull. I rented another 14' uhaul yesterday. I just about croaked loading the truck today from the heat. I had a buddy take a van load of metal today. I have about 8-10 feet to go. There are several big furniture pieces in the mix. Btw-there is this long piece 12' of boat wood/ driftwood . Has anyone had any luck selling an item like that? I was thinking of cutting it in half, just to handle it easier. Good or bad idea? I also called the public storage 1  800 # this morning. I told the lady I spoke to the auctioneer( no help), no call back from the next level up. She gave me the number for the next guy up- called him this morning. As of this morning the $1 special is available on this size >:(.  To the dump...

Offline MovieMan

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Re: Worst Unit?
« Reply #14 on: July 06, 2011, 10:57:57 PM »
He seems to be a pretty big deal-movieman-thanks.

Elvisluvs.....send me a pm telling me how many photos you have, actors in pics (if possible) and condition they are in (you mentioned they smelled I think) etc.  I am a big movie fan and might be interested in buying them if the price was right.



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