Auction Hunters Guide: What to do With Your Public Storage Auction Winnings

Garage sales


Not sure what to do with the winnings from your storage unit auction? Read this article to get some real life advice and suggestions, including the best places to sell your stuff for quick, easy profit.

Now that you have scored some great stuff from your storage auction, What to do with it? The beauty of storage auctions is that you have many options as to what you can do with your stuff.

Obviously, you want to sell it so it is a good idea to have a few places where you can take any type of item to move it quick.

Here are a few ideas:

Yard Sales/Garage Sales

Yard sales/garage sales are always great because you don't have to rent a space or move larger furniture. You can sell your larger items, clothes and other inexpensive stuff without ever leaving your home.

The only drawback is that people attending yardsales are generally looking for a bargain/cheaper stuff so you can't mark your items higher than a few dollars, but I have had a great success with leftover items at yardsales- earning between $100-$300 on a Fri/Sat.

Craigslist

For those of you who have never used Craigslist before, let me tell you that it is fantastic for quickly moving items. You can sell almost anything on Craigslist.

Typically, you will get several calls/emails a day from one item. Most people are eager to buy, but be prepared for some negotiation as they will almost always try to talk you down on the price.

Tips to make money at the flea market

Fleamarkets

Depending on your area and the fleamarket traffic, you can earn a pretty good profit from flea markets.

 I used to haul smaller items, clothes, shoes, electronics, toys, on the weekends to the fleamarket about an hour away on the weekends.

On a good weekend, the traffic flow was over 200k at the Pendergrass fleamarket and with just 5-6 large plastic containers worth of stuff, I would make between $200-$500. (minus about $20 for gas and $20 for the space rental)

Consignment shops

Consignment shops are good if you have any high-dollar clothing items that you want to move quick. The only problem is that they tend to want top name-brand items and they have to be in near new condition for them to accept them.

Additionally, they don't pay very well (offering just a dollar or two for an item they will sell for $6-$7) However, if you cannot sell the clothes somewhere else, this is always a good option.

Ebay

Ebay was once a great site for turning a great profit. Now, you really have to compete for any earnings. While their listing fees are free right now, their prices for selling an item are ridiculous. 

If you have an item that would be worth it though, this site is still an available option that is worth a try.

If anything else, it is definitely a good way to reach allot of potential buyers. It just comes with a lot of extras that need to be factored into the equation too.

I recently sold a broken laptop for parts on Ebay. It sold for $118, but Ebay charged me $12 plus I had to pack it and travel to ship it, so gas+Ebay's fee+time+materials to pack with, and I would say I made about $70 out of the deal. Not too bad, but not too good either and allot of hassle involved.

Specialty dealers

If you have antiques, collectibles, artwork, coins or guns that you want to sell, you would do best to take them directly to a dealer or collector. Go to one place and get them appraised first, and then take them to another to sell (unless you receive an offer you cannot refuse from the first place).

I found a local antique dealer by looking in the phone book and later found one in the newspaper and through an auctioneer at one of the storage unit auctions.

I had a private jewelry collector that I found through Craigslist. She would buy almost any old jewelery I brought to her and she paid well too.

Leftovers

Anything that you cannot sell, you can always take to Goodwill or Salvation Army.

 Remember that you can get a tax deduction at the end of the year for any items that you donate, as long as you hold onto the receipt that they give you at the time of donation.

Of course the family and friends always enjoyed picking through my leftovers too!

Auction Hunters Guide: Public Storage Auction Rules and Guidelines

Storage auction rules

Ever wonder what rules you will have to follow when attending a storage unit auction? Find out by reading here!

Most storage facilities will have a basic set of rules that are pretty much the same all the way across the board, however some will also have their own sets of rules that you will need to follow during the auction as well. In addition, different states will have varying rules that you should be familiar with too.

I know, rules are not always a good thing and are sometimes meant to be broken, but in this case if you do not follow the rules, you could face being banned from going to another storage unit auction ever again (at least at the facility or with the auctioneer that you broke the rules with and I have seen it happen!). 

So it is very important that you play by the rules and play fair if you want to continue participating in the treasure hunt.

I have listed the basic rules, as well as some others that you might encounter while auction hunting, in this article. Keep in mind that all storage facilities are different and you might even encounter some other rules that are not listed here. 

Though, the auctioneer will typically tell you the rules at the beginning of the auction.

Auction hunters rules across the board

-Once the unit door is opened, no one is allowed to enter the unit or touch anything inside the unit. In other words, you can look, but you cannot touch. You have to make your judgement based on what you can see alone.

-Storage auctions are payable by cash only, You cannot pay with a check or credit card and you have to pay on the day of the auction, no later. Some will require payment right after the bids are finished and some will allow you to settle up at the end of the facilities auctions.

-If you win a unit, all the contents of your unit must be removed by the end of the business day (This gives you a few hours roughly). This includes the Good, the Bad and the Ugly! You are not allowed to use the facilities dumpsters or trash cans to dispose of your waste either.

 If you leave anything in the unit, you will be charged a cleaning fee at minimum, at worst, you will be banned from that storage facility for future auctions.

-You must purchase your own lock, Once the lock is broken off the unit door and you win the contents, you are responsible for the contents within. You should put your lock on the door right away (I have seen where someone did not lock their unit thinking everyone would be busy with the next unit and someone went back and went through their stuff!)

I just wanted to add that some folks will push the rules and get away with doing certain things during the auction (slightly entering the unit, touching or moving stuff by the door), yet they are very well known auction hunters and this does not mean that you will get away with the same type of stuff so just follow the rules and you will be fine.

 Independent storage facility rules you may encounter

  

Occasionally, you will see the following rules at some facilities:

-No verbal bids, Some auctions are silent bids only. Meaning, you have to write your bids down on paper and hand them to the auctioneer. During these types of auctions, there are no verbal bids allowed.

-Lowest bid amount, Many, but not all facilities will have a lowest bid amount set. This is the lowest amount of money that they will take for any unit, even the bad ones (typically to cover some of their auctioneer costs). It is usually at least $20 and can go up depending on the facility.

  Personal effects

The last thing I want to mention is that some facilities will request that you turn in any private items you find to the office (mostly the smaller, family-run facilities as the larger chains do not want to be bothered with it). 

For example, personal photos, IDs or personally identifiable documents that belonged to the units renter. As long as I have been auction hunting though, this was never a requirement.

I will do it as a courtesy if I have the time, but you do not have to feel obligated to do it and some facilities will not allow it anyway. They all differ in their requests/rules and guidelines.

 Part Five: Auction Hunters Guide: Knowing What to Look for in a Public Storage Auction so You Can Maximize Your Profit

Auction Hunters Guide: How to Successfully Bid On a Storage Unit Auction and Win

At the storage auction

So you're at the storage auction and the adrenaline is running high, but you're not certain that you can outbid the other auction hunters present. Read here to get some real life tips on how you can bid and compete with the top-rollers at the auctions.

So you are standing there in the crowd and the anticipation is high, you can feel the excitement and tension in the air. You feel like you're ready to start bidding, your confidence is high and you get a rush of adrenaline as the auctioneer opens the unit door.

After a few minutes of watching the others bob, weave and send secret signals to their auction partners, the bidding begins. Suddenly though, you feel overwhelmed at the number of other people there.

 You find yourself asking, what if they have more money than me? or What if I cannot compete?

Well, this little drop in confidence with the added adrenaline and fast pace is enough to stand in your way of a good win and perhaps force you into a bad buy as well.

In order to avoid this little scenario when you get ready to bid on a storage unit auction, you are going to need some skills and self-discipline.

 The following tips and guidelines will help you stay relaxed at the auction which will in turn help you to bid like a pro.

Watch out for the elite bidders

At almost every auction you go to, there are going to be what I call the "Elite bidders." These bidders are in a class of their own because, they are the best at what they do. 

They are the best, because they know how to play the game and win over newbie bidders.

Elite bidders also come with their pockets full and they are not afraid to drop 10k in one day on units, they do it for a living after all. 

So the trick to winning a unit, even with little cash, is knowing how to bid against these big-timers.

Know your limits

The most important thing you can remember at the auction is not to go over your limit. The "Elites" will try to get you to overbid or spend all of your money so they can eliminate you from the competition. As long as you stay firm, you will be OK.

Look at the unit, decide how much you can make by what you see, set your max limit and stick to it! No matter what, do not go over what you set for each unit.

Play the game

Just like in Poker, you need to fool your opponent into thinking that you are not interested in a particular unit. You need to keep a straight face (an auction face) and read other peoples faces at the same time to try and see what they are doing.

Remember that even if it seems no one is paying attention to you, trust me when I say they are. If they think you see something of interest in a unit, they will gain interest as well and try to outbid you just because they can and not always because they truly want or need the unit.

So no matter how excited you are, stay calm and don't let anyone know what your next move is. Play the game!

Remember, if you do not win a particular unit that you really wanted, you should not take it too hard. It probably was not meant for you to begin with and there are plenty more. You might even be glad you lost a unit later.

 I once lost a unit that I later found out had a ton of trash, fecal matter and rotten food in it. Needless to say, I was glad I did not win that one!

Part Five- Auction Hunters Guide: Knowing What to Look for in a Public Storage Auction So You Can Maximize Your Profit

Part Seven- Auction Hunters Guide: What to Do With Your Public Storage Auction Winnings

Auction Hunters Guide: What Are Public Storage Auctions?

Storage auction packed full with goodies

Learn everything you need to know about public storage auctions by reading this article series.

Have you ever heard of a public storage auction, but are not really sure what they are, how they work or how you can get in on the action? 

Truth be told, you could always watch the TV show called "Auction Hunters", but they are not going to tell you the real uglies or the tips and they're also not going to show you how to get started either.

I, on the other hand, am going to answer all of these questions for you in my auction hunter series. I'm an old school auction hunter and I was doing it way before any TV show ever came out!

Now, most auction hunters would not want to share this info because the more people that know, the more competition, but I'm not greedy, so here is to your success!

After pursuing public storage auctions for several years (and making a decent income), I feel that my experience level is enough to help anyone out there who wants to get in on this money-making venture.

I think it is only fair to start from the basics, the very basics, so the first part in my series is going to cover the question, What are they?

 From there, I will go on to tell you everything you ever wanted or needed to know about public storage auctions.

          Part One: What are public storage unit auctions?

Public storage auctions are sales held by public storage facilities in order to collect money that is owed on a storage unit. 

Anytime a renter fails to pay the monthly amount due on their unit, the owner of the storage company has the legal right to put the contents of the unit up for sale. They will typically do this by auction so they can clear the unit out quickly.

Storage companies will typically allow a renter to go up to 3 months past due before they will auction off the unit. This allows the renter time to pay the past due amount and reclaim their stuff.

However, if the renter fails to pay the past due amount, then the auction continues. The auction is open to the public and anyone can attend or purchase the unit thats up for auction. 

The person with the highest bid becomes the new owner of the units content and can do what they wish with it.

Up Next - What can you find in a public storage auction?

Auction Hunters Guide: Expert Tips and Information That You Should Know Before You Go to The Auction

Want to know some real life advice for storage auction hunting? Read this post to learn what you should know and how to be prepared before you take off to the storage facility on auction day..

I just wanted to share some "Extras" that will help you prepare for the day of the auction.

Here are some things I have found that I needed on auction day, some things that I found myself without and some things that I wish I had at times as well as some other last minute tips to help you prepare.

              What to bring with you/ What you will need

1. A truck, van or trailer to haul stuff- a dolly is also great for heavier items
2. A few pad locks to lock your units after you have won them- avoid anything too small or dainty. Also, they can run pretty expensive at the storage facility, up to $10, so buy these elsewhere before you go. Costco and Walmart both carry them in bulk packages for cheap
3. A flashlight- something heavy duty so you can see in the back of the dark units as most of them do not have lights and you cannot go inside
4. Padding, blankets or other protective materials- so you can keep expensive or breakable items safe while moving them
5. A packed lunch, drinks in a cooler- unless you plan on spending money to eat out during an all-day auction run
6. Trash bags, heavy duty gloves and hand sanitizer- for digging and sorting

                            

                          Some last words of advice

  

-You will want to wear comfy shoes. Some facilities are large and you might have to walk a long way to reach a unit. This includes up or down stairs and hills.

-If you need a place to store your stuff, you can always rent a unit for yourself and keep all of your items in there till you sell them.

-Remember that it will take you several hours to sort through a unit and haul trash so plan accordingly.

-Some items will be heavy so be sure to bring someone with you that can help.

-Watch out for angry renters, they will sometimes show up to the auction and harass the buyers. They will fight for their stuff too! Make sure you are not followed when you leave the unit and never give a renter your home address or phone number, even if they seem nice.

-Bring a hat if it is hot out.

-Always wear your gloves and dig carefully. Dump bags out on the floor and dig on the ground instead of just sticking your hand in a bag or box blindly.

-Do not sell something without knowing its real value first or you could lose money.

-Have a place to dump trash before you get to the unit so you are not wasting time looking on auction day.

-Always check clothing pockets before you sell them. Sometimes people leave money in them. I have found money and gold watches on numerous occasions.

-Bring allergy medicine if you are allergic to dander, pets, etc. Some units are full of it.

        Lastly, storage auctions can be great fun, however you must know what you are getting into before you just dive in head first. Unlike what they show on the TV series "Auction Hunters" and "Storage Wars," there is allot of hard work, time and dedication involved in real life auction hunting.

     Sometimes you win big and other times you lose big. That is why auction hunting is often called a gamble.

   Either way, if you are up for the challenge, there is a great profit to be made.

       You can checkout my whole Auction Hunters Guide Series for more tips and tricks, including where to find auctions, what to do with your winnings and more.

Facebook Friend, True Friend or Frenemy?

Congratulations, you have two hundred friends on your Facebook page, but which ones are really your friends, and which ones are just there to keep tabs so they can empower themselves from your sorrow?

Are you ready? Here it is, a vision of who you are, where you have been (even which stall you used), and where you are going (including who you are going with) all at the same time.

What more could you want? All your friends are in the same place, just waiting for you to join them in a post or live chat. You can tell them about your day, they can tell you about theirs. You can share your favorite flicks and quotes, they can send you a recipe; You can poke them to be silly, they can indirectly tell you to F*7* off (or worse). Yes, its all gravy in the world of Never-Never land.Yes, it is Facebook folks, social networking at its greatest.

If you start to see people randomly making threats on their Facebook page and it relates back to you, you obviously have got yourself a Facebook frenemy. Yeah, sure they could just unfriend you, but that's not the point of being a frenemy.

    Remember, like back in high school, or elementary rather, nobody is going to tell you to your face that they don't really like you. In fact, they would die before they would dare tell you how they really felt, and how every time something bad happens to you, they snicker with delight. 

    Yes, these people exist, they are called frenemies. Their sole existence in your life, is to keep tabs on you and get a kick out of your downs.

Frenemy

   Making indirect threats is one way that a frenemy exists on Facebook, but there are others that are simply there to see what you are up to, and other than seeing posts they leave for others, you will never hear from them, ever.

    Imagine this scenario, you are having such a great day, that you decide to visit a long-time friends page and post a greeting on their wall.

You wait for a few days and hear nothing back from them, but your sure its just because they are busy and you brush it off; Then something else happens a few days later and you visit that friend again to greet them, still nothing.

    So a few days pass and you start seeing posts from the friend and you decide to comment on the posts; You still don't receive any word back from the posts or comments that you left for your "friend." You start to wonder if they really just don't want anything to do with you.

   This is the perfect example of a possible frenemy. This is likely someone that is just there to keep tabs on you. 

          Now, out of all the people you have as friends on Facebook, how many of them do you think you can confidently say are happy for you when you post about your upcoming vacation, promotion or marriage for that matter?

           Now think about it another way, how many likes or comments do you get when you post about something really wonderful that happened in your life versus how many you get when you post about something bad?

           If you are really wondering about that "friend" that everyone but you hears from even though they never unfriended you, put them to the test by interacting with them. 

          If they don't ever respond, get rid of them; they are likely a frenemy that's feeding off your misery. 

                                           How many frenemies do you have?

My Quit Smoking Journey Day 12, 13 & 14

Day 12, Tuesday

Today, I really wanted to smoke. I kept getting the urge all day. If I had a pack, it is likely I would have caved today. I am glad I held strong, but it was really tough. I had to go and read my book again. I dont even know why today was difficult considering its been almost 2 weeks, and I have yet to have any really bad days since the start till now. I dont even consider today as being bad other than the cravings, I mean, there was nothing different going on that would have caused me to want to smoke.

Day 13, Wednesday

I did not want to wake up today. Sleep is good, and my tummy hurts from all the junk food I have been stuffing down there lately. I just want to smoke one cigarette to help ease the pain, just one! My body is not satisfied with all the junk anymore, and I think I have gained a lot of weight. I am afraid to check. 

I am falling asleep as I write this, waiting in the border on my way to work.

My Quit Smoking Journey Day 10 & 11

Day 10, Sunday

I worked all day today and started to feel somewhat normal again. Nuts, fruits, donuts and other snacks help me through the worst cravings, but make me feel crappy later. :(


Day 11, Monday

Nothing major happened today. I am starting to see more gunk coming up from my chest and throat now. I think its just my body cleansing itself? I made an appointment with the doctor for a check-up. My stomach has started bothering me lately too.

My Quit Smoking Journey Day 8 & 9

Day 8 & 9, Friday, Saturday

Friday: Day 8


Today I feel great! I am doing it! The fog is starting to clear from my head finally, and I am realizing that what I am doing is amazing. I am really enjoying this journey today.  I did not crave once today, and riding in the car is so much easier than before. I actually really enjoyed eating for the first time this week as well.

Saturday: Day 9

The boys teased me today at work. They cant beleive I have already gone 9 days without smoking. Bobby tried to put his cigarette in my face. It was easier than I thought just to ignore it. A few days ago, may not have been as easy.

I am worried about my throat more today though. The mucus, clearing, hoarseness and changing voice has me concerned. Did I stop too late? I am sleeping even harder now than before. Once I fall asleep, I will not wake up for any noise till morning.

My Quit Smoking Journey Day 6 & 7

Day 6, Wednesday

They say food tastes better when you quit smoking, yet I have noticed that some food just tastes like crap. I have a bad headache today. I usually smoke to make headaches go away- Not anymore. I have to settle for Tylenol and cold ice water, even though that does not seem to be working either.

Day 7, Thursday

I cant believe I have made it a whole week! Woohoo! Only thing is, I keep waiting for something BIG to happen, and nothing has yet. There has to be something right? A new found energy, better taste, better smelling, less throat clearing? I must say that none of these things have happened with me yet.

One thing I can say for sure though, is that I feel like I have a constant head/chest cold everyday. My nose is constantly clogged, and my throat hurts and is scratchy. I hope these things are normal, but I am going to make a doctor appointment to be safe.

Other than that, nothing has really changed. I get really sleepy now, and can barely hold my eyes open once I am in the bed. I don't even go near the bedroom till I am ready to sleep, or else I know I will not be able to stay awake.

My Quit Smoking Journey Day 5

Day 5,  Tuesday, September 25th, 2012

Today, I made a fake cigarette. I rolled up some strips of paper and pretended to smoke it. My family thought I was crazy. Especially, my husband, who refused to be in the same room with me during my pretend episodes. I don't blame him. I felt crazy too. I know I have come too far to go back now. This was the only form of relief I could get.

I thought hard today about picking up my old E-cigarette and taking a few puffs. I am glad the thought quickly passed, and that pretend smoking was sufficient to get me through this day...

Something else from today, was that I felt my throat trying to clear all day. It was like there was gunk in there trying to come up all the sudden. My voice was also acting up, going in and out at random times. Sometimes, I would just squeak when words were supposed to come out. It had me worried and drove me crazy!

On a positive note, I was able to get to sleep easier last night. In fact, I believe I just sort of passed out pretty hard. Not sure what that was all about, but I will take it after the sleepless nights I first had.

My Quit Smoking Journey Day 4

Day 4, Monday, September 24th, 2012


I know I am not suppose to substitute, but food is finding its way into my head, and stomach. Today, I realized how much more time I have on my hands, because I am not always spending time smoking anymore. Everything really does move so much slower when you don't have a cigarette in your hand.

I am thinking maybe its because I want this to be over already? My friends/coworkers are telling me I am crazy about time moving slower. Obviously, its all about perception, but it sure seems that way to me!

Nothing really major happened today. I feel a bit apprehensive and nervous, but thats about it. Riding in the car and waiting in long lines have been the hardest today.

My Quit Smoking Journey Day 2

Day 2:  Saturday, Sept 22nd, 2012

Today was a little harder to handle than the first day. The initial happy was gone and I was just left with withdrawals. This was one of the longest, hardest days for me. I felt sad, alone and miserable. I was doubting my decision. Trying to stay positive was the only thing that helped a little.

I didnt really want to do anything on this day. My brain was real foggy and I was kind of spaced out. I also remember a lot of frustration, and seclusion.

The hardest times today were the same as the first, during breaks, car rides and right before bed.

My Quit Smoking Journey Day 1

This September 21st, 2014, will be 2 years since I quit smoking. I have kept a hand written journal during this time and would like to share it with anyone who might be going through the same thing, or anyone who might just want to read about it. Here is my entry from day 1 which I started writing on day 3:

The first day after I put out my last cigarette, was a Friday. I remember Thursday night feeling very apprehensive, excited, and ready to get on with it. I had read the book already, I was ready to quit. Friday was euphoric, almost unreal.

I was high on life, all day. Just like the book said, I had sensations, or nicotine withdrawals all day, but I was staying positive & that made it easy to get through them. It wasnt even that hard to pass up the usual morning cigarette- Definitely not like I had expected. I just kept telling myself what I had read in the book, "If you don't quit smoking this time, you never will quit smoking." That rung in my head all day, everyday. I guess I truly wanted it.

Then, came night.

The first night was a little bit harder than the day. I had a hard time staying asleep. I kept jolting up and out of bed with nightmares that I was choking or couldn't breathe. My legs and arms were restless & would not stop twitching. The nicotine was leaving my body, but it was not going out without a fight.

The weirdest thing I remember is the way I would get all excited right after a craving would start. Almost like my body was thinking I would cave, but then a feeling of blankness would wash over me.

The hardest times during the first day were in the car, during work breaks and right before bed.

Adrian Rowland: Delusional Man on Business Trip Gives Girlfriend the Surprise of Her Life While They Chatted on Skype

Adrian Rowland and One of His Sons During Happier Days

Source: Top News Today

When you think about Skype, you probably think about chatting with family, friends and loved ones who are away from home. Of course, this is how most people use the infamous Skype, an online webcam/telephone service that allows two users to connect for free from anywhere in the world.

Most of the time, these conversations between loved ones are sweet and have happy endings. Yet, when England native, Julie Zalinski, last spoke with her boyfriend, Adrian Rowland, via Skype, the ending was far from happy. According to her report, the 53 year old man killed himself in a delusional rage as her and her friend helplessly watched through the webcam in terror.

When interviewed by the local newspaper, Zalinski stated that her boyfriend, Rowland, was away on a business trip in New Dehli, India while they were engaged in their online conversation. She never expected what he did next.

After ranting about someone coming to get him and people being there with him that weren't, Rowland went into his kitchen, broke a glass over the table and then used the broken glass to stab himself directly in the neck. Afterwards, he held his wrists, full of blood, out in front of the camera so that her and her friend could see them- and he didn't stop there. He also slit his wrists and stabbed himself in the stomach.

Zalinski reported that she felt as if he wanted them to watch what he was doing and that he seemed completely out of his mind, suffering from a complete mental breakdown as she described. She also described his physical actions as that of a disillusioned man, sweating immensly and just staring with wide, still eyes- as if he were not even aware of the blood or injuries.

The Oxford Mail reports that a shocked Zalinski attempted to contact the New Delhi authorities through the U.K. authorities hoping that word would get passed along. She and authorities spoke with Rowland over Skype as they tried to pursuade him to wrap bandages over his wounds. Her attempts to save Rowland failed however, due to a law in India that would have been violated had the authorities forced their way into Rowland's flat.

Apparently, once the police arrived to his room, he would not let them in. Zalinski cried and pleaded with him to let them in, but according to her, he was convinced that there was someone other than the police outside his door that aimed to "Get" him. After waiting for awhile, the police gave up and left the premises, Rowland was simply left alone to die. 10 hours later, police were finally able to access the room and found Rowland lying there dead.

Zalinski and Rowland had been together for over two years when he left for his business trip to India. It was just 3 weeks after his departure from the U.K. when the Skype incident occurred. Rowland leaves behind 3 children from a previous marriage, all young boys. His cause of death is listed as massive blood loss from his self-inflicted injuries- Oxford Times