Storage wars

[47thelement]

Ok gotta get this off my chest!

I've been going to storage auctions for years now, the most number of people I've ever seen at these is maybe 10. And that was in the high $$$ part of town. Well today I go to one auction and there were 75 registered bidders!!! Two months ago at the same storage facility there were 3 people.

The bidding was stupid crazy! A skanky folding table and a plastic picture frame had a bidding war that started at $1 and ended at $5. Last month it would have gone into the dumpster!

This is not reality tv. You are not going to get rich from this. Go back to watching "real" reality tv!! Jerry Springer could use the ratings

Even the manager was frustrated with the people sipping on their lattes and leaving their trash everywhere.

I'll now step down off my soap box.

 

[mlayers]

That is what happen when they show this stuff on TV. Everyone want to get in the action and try and hit it big. That is why we don;t need a TV show on detecting and finding some neat stuff every now and then......Matt

 

[simonds]

Yep, many people watch these staged TV shows and they think they can become wealthy by doing this. I have known some who seen a show or read something on metal detecting and run right out and buy a detector. But it passes by in a short time. The good part is we can find some very good bargins out there on hardly used at all metal detectors that have been sitting in their closets.
Clayton

 

[Red James Cash]

Yup i fully agree with you guys.A friend of mine wanted to start doing the storage auctions i talked him out of it..Whoever thinks those storage places dont go in and take the good stuff and after wards replace the locks are foolish indeed

 

[Produce Guy]

Yeah before this show was on TV,I use to go with a friend of mine and he use to get some pretty good deals,a leather sofa for $25,just think what's gonna happen with that gold miner show?

 

[White Feather]

I have been buying storage units for about thirty years on and off. I've been into flea marketing for many more years. You are right about this crap with the storage wars. I have even let units I stored flea market items in go into default to get them thinned down and weed out a few units I was wasting money supporting. It is true that once in a while you run into a good find but most have been picked over by the storage people long before any auction. How would you like to bid a few hundred bucks on a unit full of empty boxes. I've seen it happen. I was lucky enough to drop out of the bidding long before it got crazy. Something just did not look right and I decided to pass. They don't show the extreme losses you can suffer. Units can even be seeded in front with all trash behind something that will get the bidders going way out of the realm of recovery of any bid money.

Just my $0.02 worth of a bid!

 

[diggummup]

Yup. Everybody's looking for a "get rich quick" scheme. They don't realize that there is actual work involved if you want to make money off of these units, per resale at flea markets and such. It's the large items that make you the money for the most part. Granted every now and then you do find some good boxes that may contain "smalls" that can be sold online but..... It's few and far between that you get an actual "find". It's been a while since i've been to a storage auction, there's always been competition down here though, I wonder what it's like now? Haven't been to one in about a year or so. I think i'll stick with the garage sales and estate sales for my bargains, until the "fad" dies down. I have enough competition with the Haitian's down here if you can believe that.

 

[simonds]

Yep, White & Dig, I agree with you . It will die down after awhile. I have been into buying and selling for quite awhile. Things go in cycles and in will die down soon.
Clayton

 

[dogpound]

thats very true about the storage landlord seeding a unit thats for sale, i knew someone that owns storage units and he said that he always goes thru them before he has them auctioned off and said he's put broken T.V.'s in the front so people think its a good unit. the only one truely making money is the storage landlord, he's already picked out the goodies and then gets the cash for the junk. i'm sure there are some that just want to get rid of the units and don't cherry pick thru them but i'm sure if the landlord opens the door and see's a decent item it's goin home with him before the auction.

 

[minton7]

in a way I always figured the landlord picked over the units.... I figured this cause i knew in his shoes, I would do the same thing.... I would be thinkin bam... get rich quick for me LOL every unit at one sale I went to had queen or king mattress and box springs.... seemed a lil too convenient.. American Pickers kills us too,.,, 99% the value is what they think they can get.. not what is actually sold

 

[rebeljim52]

Have agree with you guys.Had a friend bought stuff and sold at flea market mostly big stuff.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

In my opinion, most of those people that go to those auctions are just kinda shady you know? , Kind of like people that run the pawn shops I suppose. That show Storage wars? Those guys are jerks. Sketchie fighting over someones misfortunes like that for profit

Personally, I don't think I would enjoy it. It would be like having to scratch lottery tickets all day to eat at night.

I guess someones going to get it any way, right?