Every time I turn on the television these days, I see commercials for the handful of new "reality" shows centered around auctions and "picking" antiques. You know the ones, they star gruff-looking, everyday types who make their livings from buying other people's junk and reselling it for a profit. The latest of these genre of shows are the storage unit auction shows, including Auction Hunters and Storage Wars. I'll admit I got more than a little curious. You mean you can buy abandoned storage lots and turn around and sell people's junk for a tidy profit? Okay, I'll bite! So, today I attended my first storage lot auction.
I didn't find any treasures. In fact, I never even bid on a lot. But, I did find that going to the auction provided some real treasures for observing human behavior. The moment that resonates most for me was the look on a young man's face -- he looked to be in his early twenties -- when it dawned on him that he'd most likely overbid -- and by a substantial amount -- for a storage locker that contained a beat up, fake Christmas tree, a microfiber suede couch, a few (probably counterfeit) Coach handbags, and boxes of assorted old clothes and household items. I knew he was in trouble when he bounced on his toes in anticipation while the bidding got driven up to over $500. After the bidding stopped and he'd "won" the lot, he tore into the pile, looking for anything that justified his impetuous purchase.
The experience got me to wondering about the folks who'd abandoned the lot units. What were their stories? How had it come to their belongings being auctioned off to the highest bidder? How did they feel about strangers rummaging through their lives? What abandoned dreams were stored away in those cardboard boxes and plastic bins?
Reflecting on this morning, I'm left wondering if there's a story in the experience somewhere -- either on the side of the anonymous whose possessions were just auctioned away or on the side of the eager looking to score a windfall on the lost and abandoned dreams of folks they'll never met and whose "lives" they've just "won."
I can't believe you went to one of these! I've been dying to go, too. Definitely a great place to find story ideas!
ReplyDeleteI, along with thousands of others, got very courious after watching all of those shows too. As you saw, most of it's boring old useless junk, but there is a story in there somewhere. I've started a blog about the stuff I've found so far at these autcions, and hopefully the hobby will continue to pay for itself so I'll have more stuff to blog about.
ReplyDeleteI started going to these auctions a few years ago before the shows ever came out. It used to be about 3-5 guys buying units, we'd literally take turns buying units instead of running prices up on each ohter, $25, $50 was what most units would go for.
ReplyDeleteShows came out and I would see as many as 250 people at an auction. Prices got insanely high. I went to a PODS auction xmas eve hoping for a small crowd. 300 people. saw a guy buy a pod with 4 used mattresses and nothing else for $1100. Apparently there's a huge market for $400 used mattresses lol.
My first unit I ever bought was my best to date. It was a silent / sealed bid auction as opposed to like you see on tv though most are live auctoin style like tv. Anyhow, got a 50" flat screen tv, bags of doonie and bourke and other designer purses. brand new clothes and shoes with tags, suede puma shoes, sketchers, D&G all with stickers and tags still on. Tons of thomas the train wood brio tracks several bucks for each piece and i had giant tote bins full.
Sold to resale shops, on ebay, craigslist, flea markets. It's much more just average household stuff as opposed to finding one treasure in each unit that the first guy you take it to buys for 5k. your really doing a lot of ebay business, wasting a weekend sitting at the flea market though making money. Shows are not accurate at all though.
I have a blog that lists free auctions for all 50 states. its http://freestorageauctionlists.blogspot.com. if people leave a comment with the city or state they want we'll post aucitons for it, otherwise we just kinda do it randomly. Liked your article, it is good for people watching like you said.