Storage Wars- Arkansas!

One of the first ones there, looking like a ghost town.

Woke up this morning and checked out one of the local storage auctions. I, like most everyone else, have seen a few episodes of "Storage Wars" on A&E, and that doesn't discount the local area. I have never stood around a bunch of people in my life and hear the same conversation by pretty much everyone there... storage wars this, and storage wars that... and I was just as guilty as everyone else, guess it is a good ice breaker at a storage unit now. :P

I showed up about an hour early and was met by only one other person there. I was like... "oh heck yes, this will be fun". Bu sure enough, as it got closer to auction time, the parking lot filled up and before I knew it there was about 60+ people there for the auction. I was hoping that since it was a Monday morning at 10am, most people would be at work. But you have to consider the area, and a lot of people are out of work, thus meaning they can also show up to the auction. But I found out real quick only a few of us actually had money or people were looking for specific items and didn't shell out for a surprise.

One by one they showed up.

The first unit, was the typical unit you see on storage wars, boxes and boxes, with a couch and an old tv. I thought to myself, well, this could be one that has some hidden gems in it.  The opening bid someone shouted out $100, I knew that this was going to get out of hand. I don't have a consignment shop, nor do I have lots of spare cash just floating around, so I was interested... that was until the auctioneer went past $200. That was my cap for an afternoon of going through someones belongings. The unit finally capped out at $450. Myself and a few other people there were in amazement on how it went for that much. I understand that there is a mystique, but judging by some of the items you could actually see, I was not impressed.

Guy in the white hat got this one... I wanted it!

The second unit got opened up, and right off the back, I knew this was the high roller one. It was exactly what you would expect to see on Storage Wars when the main characters get excited. It was full of Antiques, tools, and old chests and boxes, including old style briefcase boxes of different shapes and sizes that all looked to be full of something interesting. I told myself I would go to $450. Well, it quickly shot past that, but then stalled out at $650, I was sitting there shaking knowing for a fact that there was easily over a grand worth of stuff just staring at me, but the age old dilemma was that I don't really have a way to get rid of it to make a profit. I have a grand worth of stuff sitting in my garage that I'm just too lazy to put on the internet, so what makes me think that I would actually do anything with this stuff, so I let it go... as hard as it was. I could see me going bankrupt for that Christmas feeling of opening up surprises and trying to find that "wow factor".

Now this is a collection of every type of person here.

The last unit was actually the owner of the storage facility's unit, he said it was just old stuff that he didn't want anymore. It was opened up and there was a old arm chair, an ancient mattress, a few other things and then five rows of old antique looking movie theater/ auditorium chairs (about 25-30 chairs total).  Opening bid was $5 whole bucks, I bid this other lady up to $25 dollars, and she looked like she really wanted the unit, for me I was just having fun, so I let her have it and didn't raise it up anymore. In hind site, I should have bid up the chairs more, and I might have been able to refurbish them in my free time and maybe make a little profit, but that is the way it goes. I don't see how I could have lost with $25 bucks though...lol.

So, at the end of the day, I left empty handed, but I think I learned some stuff though. Most people are there just to check out the "excitement" and wont even bid, also, these units don't go for much in comparison with what some of the units on the show go for. So who knows, Ill keep my eyes open on the locker units an will see if one day I can find the "wow factor" for real cheap! Till then, Ill just keep my cash stash where it is. :)

One warning for the people who might check out one of the auctions near you... to me its like a Tattoo, once you get one you want another. The same thing goes for this, I went to one and now am excited to go to another, I guess I just have an addictive personality!