Ok I have done auctions a year or so back. (Went to like 6 auctions only ever got 3 units.) Here is what I got.....
Very first auction I went to had like 13/14 units. (3 of them belonged to one person.) there was about 15 bidders. From chit chatting with some other bidders I figured out that we had a whale there. (Actually a married couple.) Well turns out everyone was right, straight from the start the couple was tossing out bids way bigger than needed. Got the first two units 10X15's for like 280 and 250 each.
then we came to the first of the 3 that belonged to the same woman. nothing to fancy just everyday living stuff. The couple paid 400 for the first one 10X20. Then we went to the second one and some of the other regulars started messing with the couple. From looking in the units we figured out Unit 1 had a nice table with two matching chairs. And also had a fairly good looking couch. PROBLEM WAS: Unit 2 had the couch cushions and unit 3 had the two extra leafs and at least two more matching chairs from the first one. So the regulars ran the bid up hard on the whales. they paid $750 for unit 2 and $900 for unit 3. They stopped there and started loading up the truck they had.
Well there was 3 units left and I hadn't got nothing but a education so far. We came to one unit and as the auctioneer opened it trash literally fell out. Everyone chuckled and stepped back. Me being a new guy and remembering what a friend once said (Just because everyone else walks away doesn't mean there isn't money to be made.) I looked into it a bit and in the back corner I saw a stack of tires. On the crappy dresser next to it was a stack of record albums. sitting up front was a old rusty worn out ice chest. Someone laughed and said for 10 bucks I will clean this up. Me not wanting to go away empty handed I bid 10 dollars and of course easily won.
Everyone chuckled at me but told me good luck. they knew I was a new guy and told me sometimes they find the best stuff in a pile of crap. Well I put my pad lock on and went to the next unit. Had some big boxes of clothes and some old crappy furniture so I stayed clear. almost walked away to go to my unit I got but went to the last unit of the day. Inside was a washer and dryer, what I thought was a mattress and box spring with a bed frame, two huge speaker boxes (Had a 14 inch and 12 inch speaker in each box.) and had a nice lawn rake. Bidding went up to 140 and I almost backed off. but went 150 and got it.
as I was locking that unit up the guy who was bidding with me on the unit came up and offered 80 for the washer and dryer. I told him that for 100 I would help load them and he took it.
Well my good findings in the first unit.
4 tires all worn out but had aluminum rims
stack of roughly 25 record albums.
nice mini tea set from france
2 antique china plates
4 old speakers for a church pa set
hand full of old peso coins
Second unit
nice hawaiin bed frame, (turns out the mattress was actually a second box spring so trashed them both.)
two nice speaker boxes (matching set that was 5 feet tall.)
washer and dryer
Spent 160 on 2 units.
Sold
4 tires w rims 70 bucks (Found out they were worth 20 at scrap yard if I took the tires off. but guy at flea market wanted the rims for a car.)
25 records I sold for 40 bucks
2 antique plates went for 15 bucks
4 speakers for pa set went for 50
peso coins went for 10
spent 10 on unit 1 made 185
Unit two
Bed frame sold for 40
speakers sold for 100 for set
washer and dryer sold for 100 at auction on same day
garden rake sat in garage for 3 weeks until I taought the wife how to use it. PRICELESS
Spent 150 on unit 2 made 240
Really happy with first visit. Been to 5/6 auctions afterwards with only 1 purchase and no luck. But just got back into the game. Anyways hope you enjoy