Quiet Christmas

This truly was a quiet Christmas for us. Not one firecracker was heard in our area. This is something we have never experienced in all our years together. Also we were concerned that maybe the end of the world was upon us as there were no lights on at any of the RV’s parked in this campground the past two night other than our own lights. It was as if we were given the blessing of tranquility which in a way was a bit spooky.

Our Christmas time was spent right here at home in our RV. No trips to town and no reason to venture out beyond our door. This in it’s self is a real blessing to us. Not having to deal with the hustle and bustle of shopping or all the traffic, how cool is that! 

We hope all our fans had a wonderful Christmas this year and received blessings beyond their expectations.

Not Such a Busy Day

Prospects today was for 26 storage unit auctions spread over six locations however by days end there were two locations with a total of five units. All others were canceled at the last moment for one reason or another.

The first storage facility auction we attended was at 10:00am and was to be six storage units which ended up being only one 5 x 8 storage unit. From the door we could see a queen size mattress, a fold up bed frame for the mattress, a huge (and we do mean huge) TV, a washer, an exercise bike, a few old boxes and some clothes laying on top of the boxes. This unit sold for $480 and the buyer has 48 hours to clear it out a job that would take them less than an hour.

The next and last storage facility auction was at 11:00am. This location was to have five storage units up for auction and ended up with just four units.

First up was a 10 x 10 storage unit. We were advised that this unit contained “Junk” according to the manager. The contents were a dresser made of particleboard, the drawers for it were stacked on top of an entertainment center also made of particleboard, a small what-not shelf and a baby swing that all. This unit sold for $180.

Next up for auction another 10 x 10 storage unit. This unit contained a queen size mattress and box springs, a free standing kitchen storage cabinet , a dusty torn suit case, about 12 boxes, several bulging black trash bags, a microwave, head and foot boards for what looked to be queen size, a child’s doll stroller and a plastic set of shelves. This unit sold for $365.

Next up for auction an 8 x 10 storage unit. This unit contained what looked like a nice table which had several items on it as if it were being used. Things like File folders, a cup with pencils and pens, an open case showing a video camera, a small CD holder with a few CDs in it, A baby stroller, a folding chair, 4 boxes and one bulging trash bag. This unit sold for $295.

Last up for auction was another 10 x 10 storage unit. This unit had what looked to be the best contents. A dish washer, large microwave, 10 or 12 speed mountain bike, folding camp cot, large rocking chair, several boxes, two nice suit cases, a vacuum cleaner and a set of end tables. This unit sold for $390. 

As you may have already guessed, we did not place a single bid today.

Busy Day Tomorrow

Tomorrow looks like it will be a busy day for us. Six storage facilities with a combined total of 26 storage units will be up for auction within our local area. The first one will begin at 10:00am and the last one starts at 2:30pm. They are not quite set up like ducks in a row as several require backtracking and our mileage could reach the 100 mile mark by days end if we attend all of the auctions.

We do not expect to see high quality contents at either of the locations. The facilities are located in middle to lower income level areas of the city. One location however does have a climate controlled storage building and may or may not have units within up for auction.

As stated in a previous post, our intent is not to bid on any units during the winter months but rather have our presents known. This assures our competition and the storage facilities that we are still in the game. Contents will dictate whether we actually place a bid or not.   

Cold Weather Makes Me Want to Pee

Winter is upon us. The days are getting colder and this means we have to bundle up when attending storage auctions. We also need to take a thermos along with hot coffee which helps break the chill. Ok, bundled up, hot coffee, cold weather, we think you came guess where this is leading. Did we mention in some cases there is no facility on the property in which to relieve yourself.

Thru the winter months we will continue to attend storage auctions however our intent will not be to purchase any units. We are more curious as to how “Auction Hunters”, “Storage Wars L.A.” and the new show  “Storage Wars Texas” will effect the bidding process at our local level thru the winter months.

Over the past few months we have seen an increase in the number of people attending our local storage auctions due to the viewing of the fore mentioned TV shows. Far too many are mislead thinking there is fast and easy money to be made. It doesn’t take long at all for those that have the idea of fast and easy money to go broke or become quickly discouraged.

Although our intent over the winter months is not to bid and purchase any storage units we will have the funds on our person in the event a great unit arises.

Storage Auctions - Glamour Removed

Attending storage unit auctions is a learning experience. No matter how much you read or see TV shows about them not everything about the auctions are covered. You simply have to attend a few storage auctions to get a better understanding. These events aren’t for everyone no matter how appealing written articles and television shows make them out to be.

The actual process of finding auctions, attending auctions, bidding on units, cleaning out the units, transporting the contents home, sorting thru the contents,  selling the good items and tossing out the trash and junk is definitely hard and dirty work.

You will find that you may have all kinds of filth to contend with. Spiders and spider webs, mice and rat droppings, bugs and creepy crawlers, soiled diapers, and dirty clothing as well as large amounts of dust and dirt. If you are not ready and willing to contend with this type of filth, then storage auctions are not for you.

With all this in mind it is best to bring a few sanitary items along with you to the storage auctions where you intend on bidding. These items should include work gloves, safety goggles, coveralls, dust masks, large trash bags, hand cleaner and a roll of paper towels. It also is not a bad idea to take a square end shovel alone. This could come in handy in the event you come across one of those mice or rats that left the dropping for you.