Just try and tell me these places don't snoop first

[log2lumber]

Some units are manager's units. This means that the facility has auctioned the locker previously and it did not sell or whoever bought the locker left stuff behind after taking what they wanted. The facility will generally combine lockers that do not sell so some get picked that way.

 

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[Grizz12]

If a facility owner or employee goes into a legal “sale” locker and illegally removes items before the legal sale...then it’s nothing short of thievery. If you condone that behavior then don’t complain if one day your a victim. I hate liars and thieves.

Every state has different laws and regulations, and they may also change from city to city.

In some states the owner of the property can take possession as soon as the tenant fails to pay simply because they are in default and abandoned the unit. BUT that rarely, if ever, happens because its a pain to move the crap out when it can be auctioned. And the owner NEVER gets his/her lost revenue back at the auctions. I've watched the owners go through units and cherry pick stuff from abandoned units (months after no payments) all summer and then have a big garage sale at the end of the year, its legal to do that here.

And if you're complaining about being a victim maybe you should have paid your bills on-time and you wouldn't have lost your stuff. Storage facilities are businesses, NOT charities, you have to pay to stay

 

[releventchair]

Couple that ran the secondhand store near me (and had some family help) retired.
I'd seen them at storage auction sales , and knew a little of thier business.

They needed storage. And had it on thier property.
They priced things reasonable and had a good turn over. Unlike other places that had /have stale inventory.
A dumpster was a top priority. No surprise there.
What you could see was what you bid on.
Yes we all would like a windfall. But gamble too much on luck or unreasonable returns and you're going to get burned . Despite an occasional surprise if you buy enough.
Where then is any successful business model? Gambling? Or buying what you see at a price you can discard the trash and your time and labor and still make a reasonable profit?

The T.V. shows....I wouldn't base my hopes on.
Nothing wrong with bidding on storage units. Real value can only be based on what is in them though. And I'm not bidding on what I don't see!

Disclaimer . I've not "bought' a storage units contents when attending auction. i have been to some auctions though. Storage and beyond. And one auction site knows me well enough from my funding them over the years. Other bidders. Whew! Some stuff gets sold for more than it's worth when they get enthused.

Maybe being the party recieving a cut from the auction is where it's at...

 

[Blackfoot58]

Couple that ran the secondhand store near me (and had some family help) retired.
I'd seen them at storage auction sales , and knew a little of thier business.

They needed storage. And had it on thier property.
They priced things reasonable and had a good turn over. Unlike other places that had /have stale inventory.
A dumpster was a top priority. No surprise there.
What you could see was what you bid on.
Yes we all would like a windfall. But gamble too much on luck or unreasonable returns and you're going to get burned . Despite an occasional surprise if you buy enough.
Where then is any successful business model? Gambling? Or buying what you see at a price you can discard the trash and your time and labor and still make a reasonable profit?

The T.V. shows....I wouldn't base my hopes on.
Nothing wrong with bidding on storage units. Real value can only be based on what is in them though. And I'm not bidding on what I don't see!

Disclaimer . I've not "bought' a storage units contents when attending auction. i have been to some auctions though. Storage and beyond. And one auction site knows me well enough from my funding them over the years. Other bidders. Whew! Some stuff gets sold for more than it's worth when they get enthused.

Maybe being the party recieving a cut from the auction is where it's at...

Laws vary state to state. A friend has storage business. He told me there is NO WAY he’s selling a unit sight unseen. He said if there’s valuables in it, he has first shot, since he was stiffed for rent. “Why would I let you buy it at auction for $400, and find it has a 58 corvette in it with a few antique guns.”. He does sheriff auctions, AFTER he has cut the lock, looked through the unit and replace the lock with his own.

 

[SnakemanBill]

So I went to a online site that lists storage unit auctions near me.

Some of the auctions have 8 photos. Most are from the same storage unit place. Just try and tell me the people who own this place isn't going though everything first to find valuables.

It's hilarious how storage wars act like they are popping the lock for the first time

I’m sure some do but not all.
The locker I won this week had a crapload of power tools, hand tools, a liquor decanter full of change, a computer, and a Ruger 9mm (which unfortunately had to be turned in🤬).

 

[TORRERO]

I used to buy a lot of storage units, and I can tell you that although there is a concept that this happens, the reality is that its probably Extremely RARE, for several reasons. 1. Liability, A customer has the right to pay their bill up until the last second of the auction, and reclaim their property... If management goes through their stuff and steals something they can be liable for anything that's missing from the unit, 2. The law requires them to OVERLOCK a unit when its locked for non payment, and they can't take the original lock off until auction time to inventory / photograph the unit for sale.
3. What your referring to is basically a crime of opportunity, but there are so many units, not just the ones for auction but ones that have been locked for non payment, it would be a huge time consuming process to go through all of them and try to pick good shit out of the tons of stuff in multiple units.. No, I really doubt it's happening...
I can only see this as a possibility if the owners KNOW the unit has been abandoned and the owners are dead or for sure not coming back. Take a look at the picture of any random unit and imagine there is a gold chain or diamond ring inside... Sounds good right ? how long do you think it would take to go through a unit to find that one good thing before selling it ? And as a buyer, do you think I can tell if a unit looks like its been gone through ? '
I would lay odds any day that they have not done that.. so buy with confidence !!