Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Making Money On Storage Auctions

How To Walk Away Making Money

Have you heard that you can make money with mini storage auctions?  You can.
 
Unfortunately, doing so can be tricky.

Before outlining ways that you can walk away from a storage unit auction making a profit, it is important to highlight the risk.  Unlike estate auctions, do you not get to see or inspect the items beforehand.  In many cases, you are bidding blindly.  If you want to profit from storage unit auctions, you need items that you can resell.  You may, however, walk away with a bin filled with someone else's family photographs.

Despite being somewhat risky, there is still a good chance that you can make money buying merchandise at storage unit auctions.  The first step is choosing the right auction.

Most companies will outline online or in a newspaper classified ad how the auction will work.  Do you bid on whole storage units or just sealed bins?  Whole storage unit auctions are popular and they tend to have higher bids.  Of course, you can and should visit all mini storage auctions, but if you are limited on funds, you may find the best luck with individual bins.

If you are bidding on whole storage units, take a close look.  This involves arriving about ten or twenty minutes before the auction is slated to start.  Although you cannot get right inside, you can gauge the merchandise.  Unfortunately, many small and valuable items, like jewelry, are sealed in boxes or bins.  With that said, there are still a number of signs that the contents inside may be profitable.

Is the storage unit packed to capacity?  You may be surprised how many items some people can stuff into small storage units.  While these types of units can be difficult to get a look inside, they are popular.  Those packed to capacity will generally end with a high bid, but your chances of making money increase.  The more items inside, the better the chance are that some are sellable for a profit.     Next, look for boxes.  If you can see them from the outside, closely examine them.  Do any boxes appear as if they have been opened and resealed multiple times?  If so, this is a sign of something that is needed, like insurance documents or family photographs.  These items are not profitable to you; they are essentially worthless.  In fact, you may be required to turn them into the auction officials.

In keeping with storage boxes, are they labeled?  If so, can you read what they say?  Be on the lookout for moving boxes.  They usually have the name or logo of a moving company.  They may hold household items, which can be easy to resell for a profit.

It is common to find furniture inside a self-storage unit.  After all, most people can store a few boxes at their home or in their basement.  Those who rent storage units need a place to store items large in size.  These items, unless packed to capacity, should be visible.  The furniture alone can give you a generalized bid amount, but use your best judgment.

Yes, it is advised that you never judge a book by its cover, but this is what you should do when looking to profit from mini storage auctions.  What does the visible furniture look like?  Is it antique, modern, or cheap looking?  Antique looking furniture may be a sign of a family heirlooms passed down, some of which can be valuable.  Cheap looking furniture may be the sign of a frugal shopping. Yes, frugal shoppers do own valuables, but your chances of making a profit decrease when quality does.

The above mentioned tips can help to get you started with buying items from a storage unit auction.  Remember your main goal is to make money, but you don't always have control over doing so.  In all honesty, making money through these auctions is all about consistency and trail and error.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Storage Unit Auction - Be Prepared

Preparing For A Storage Unit Auction

Do you want to make money buying and reselling items bought from a storage unit auction?  If so, you are not alone.  Many are finding self-storage actions to be an easy way to make a profit.

If you have never attended a storage unit auction before, you may be curious what you need to do in preparation.  Please continue reading on for a few helpful tips.

The day before or the morning of the auction, contact the company.  You will want make sure that auction is still set as scheduled.  If you have to travel far, this will save you a wasted trip.  Some people will make good on their overdue bill to save their stuff, even at the last minute.  This may result in an auction cancellation.

Most importantly, get cash and have plenty of it.  Once you attend your first mini storage auction, you will see how much great stuff is available for bidding.  Yes, you don't always get to see or inspect those items up-close and personal, but you may get caught up in the moment of bidding.  You may want to place multiple bids.  Rarely are credit cards or checks accepted

It is also important to plan on winning.  Yes, you may not, but always have a plan set in place.  You only get a set number of hours, which may be less than 24, to remove your winnings.  If you don't already own a truck or van, can you gain access to one?  Additional moving supplies are recommended as well, including work gloves, plastic tarps, and cushions.

As previously stated, you will want to plan on placing a winning bid.  This means creating a plan of action, in terms of what to do with your recently purchased merchandise.  Although this plan can wait until after you win, it is best to have a generalized idea.  Why?  Because the sooner you can resell the items, the sooner you can make a profit.  It also reduces the clutter around your home, as you won't need a place to store it if it is already gone.

If you win the contents of a whole store unit at an auction, start sorting right away.  You will end up with "junk," that you just want to throw away.  Stop by the junkyard on your way home.  In some rare cases, the storage company may have a dumpster onsite.  If you use it, be prepared to pay a small fee, but it is a convenient way to quickly get rid of garbage.

In addition to items that are considered junk, in terms of quality, you may come across personal items.  They are useless to you.  Turn them over to storage company.  If they do not accept them, you should properly dispose of them in a quick, yet safe matter.  Contacting the original renters is possible, but you may run into problems.  If you offer to give back their family photographs, they may try to get everything else back too.

Once you get all of the items home, resort them again.  This is best done as soon as you unload.  Create three different piles.  What do you want to keep?  What do you want to resell?  What can you donate to charity? 

You will also want to determine ahead of time how you plan to resell these goods.  This is important, as it can have an impact on your storage or where you unload them to.  If you plan to sell on eBay, take the items into your home so that you can clean them and take pictures.  If you intend to sell at a yard sale, leave them in a convenient location, such as your garage.

As previously stated, you can make money reselling merchandise you bought at a mini storage auction, but it can be risky.  There is always a chance that you will walk away disappointed.  If and when that times comes, try again.  Remember, the more merchandise you buy at mini storage auctions, the more your chances of profiting increase.


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Sunday, March 27, 2011

What Can I Find at a Storage Auction

What You May Find At Mini Storage Auctions

Do you want to start making money with mini storage auctions?  If so, you may be curious as to how the whole process works. 

When looking to profit from mini storage auctions, you place a bid.  As for what you are bidding on, it depends.  You may bid on a sealed storage bin or a whole storage unit.  Different companies host different types of auctions.  To profit, you take the items you bought and resell them.  Since you are, essentially making a wholesale purchase and paying one fee for many items, there is the potential to make money.

One common question asked is "how much money can I make?"  It does depend on how much you spend at a mini storage auction.  The less money you spend, the more you can make.  It also depends on your resale methods, as some are more successful than others.  Many use Craigslist.org, flea markets, and yard sales to sell locally.  As for selling online, many use eBay.com.  What you buy can also impact your profits, as some items are more valuable than others are.

Since what you buy at a mini storage auction may have an impact on your profits, you may be wondering what is available for sale.  It depends.  People use mini storage units for a wide range of purposes.  Some use them when consolidating two homes into one.  Others use them to store household items when they relocate to a smaller place.  Storage units are also used to house items that people no longer need, but still want to hold onto, such as family heirlooms or financial documents.

Despite the possibility of a variance, depending on the storage unit in question, there are some items you are likely to find at a mini storage auction.

Furniture.  Furniture is nice because it is easy to spot.  Unfortunately, you don't always get to see or inspect merchandise up for bid, but furniture can be seen from far away.  Look for furniture that is antique in nature, as it worth more.  With that said, furniture is something that people need; therefore, it can be resold for a profit.

Home decor.  Home decor often makes it way to mini storage units.  Some homeowners change their decor on a yearly basis, but may not want to part with their old pictures and paintings.  Home decor can be antique or cheap, but it will always resell. 

Home appliances.  Home appliances, such as microwaves, dishwashers, blenders, and toasters can be found at mini storage auctions.  As with the above mentioned items, these are considered great.  Everyone needs these items in their homes.  This means that they will resell, especially at a yard sale. 

Children's items.  It is common to find kid's clothes, books, and toys in a storage unit and at an auction.  This is because these are items that kids outgrow.  As for why they are saved, some parents just don't want to part with these items.  Many hold onto them just in case they decide to have another child.  Yard sale and eBay are popular resell markets for kid's toys, movies, books, and clothes.

The above mentioned items are just a few of the many that you may find at a mini storage auction.  In fact, you can find just about anything ranging from antiques to jewelry to clothes to family photographs.  The key is buying merchandise that you can resell for a profit.

Friday, March 25, 2011

How To Be Succesful At The Auctions

Dos And Don'ts For Mini Storage Auctions

If you want to start making money with the buying and reselling of self-storage auctions, it is important to know what you are doing.  Yes, you can make a profit with mini storage auctions, but there is always a risk involved.  To help make sure you see a profit, please continue reading on for a few helpful tips.

DON"T go unprepared.  If a phone number is provided call ahead of time to see what you need.  Most likely, cash will be the only accepted method of payment.  Ask if you can arrive early to look around.  Know if you have to pay a fee to participate in the auction.

DO anticipate on winning a storage unit auction, even if you do not.  This is important, as you usually have 24 to 48 hours to remove all items.  For that reason, it may be best to arrive with a truck or a van. At the very least, bring a padlock to secure the unit until you are able to return.

DON"T try to buy back your belongings at a mini storage auction.  If you are behind on your bill and find that your items are being sold, talk to the owner right away.  Some will cancel the auction up to a few hours before if you are willing to pay your overdue bill.

DON"T bid too high on sealed bins or closed storage units.  Yes, you may walk away with a lot of valuables, but you may also walk away with nothing more than family photographs and personal documents.  Even if you can't look around, you should be able to take a quick peek inside a storage unit from outside the door.


Do You Want To Succeed At Your Next Auction? Click Here To Find Out How

DO look for signs that you have hit the jackpot.  This can also give you a good bid idea of how much to bid.  Look for storage units that are packed full, filled with home appliances, furniture, name brand products, and antiques.

DON"T bid high just to win.  Unfortunately, it is easy to get caught up in the moment at mini storage auctions.  Yes, losing to a higher bidder does stink, but don't let the competitive environment cause you to lose money.  Remember, there is always next time.

DO try to resell what you can.  If you must, get creative.  Do you have a lot of poor quality or stained clothes?  Cut up the clothes to create scraps for sewing.  Sell them by the boxful.  Do you have a broken piece of furniture?  Try to fix it before opting to throw it away.

DON"T pay to dispose of items you can give away for free or donate to a charity.  Remember your main goal is to make a profit.  This involves limiting your expenses, including trash removal costs.

DO know that you have a number of different reselling methods.  Hosting a yard sale may be your first idea, but that is not your only option.  Many successfully use yard sales, flea markets, online classified ads, newspaper classified ads, and eBay to make a profit from the buying and reselling of self-storage auction merchandise and you can too.

DON"T give up if you have a bad experience the first time around.  Did you pay $100 only to learn that nothing can be resold for a profit?  If so, don't let that stop you from bidding at mini storage auctions.  To see the most profits, it is all about consistency.
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