“Oh! Do you have those auctions like I see on TV?” Those are the famous ringing words that I’m sure every employee in the self storage industry hears once they tell someone what they do for a living. This question, depending on my mood at least, is usually followed up by an explanation of why most people in the storage industry find these shows comparable to nails on a chalk board. Of course, Storage Wars and Auction Hunters is exciting and interesting and if you never knew such auctions existed then it is mind blowing to realize that all these treasures could be yours for a minimal cost.  While there are some similarities and you can find some great items at times there are some big differences between what you see on TV and what really happens during a storage auctions.

From the beginning, what you don’t know…

What the show doesn’t tell you about is the 3 month long process that our Property Managers go through with sending certified letters, making weekly phone calls becoming daily as the auction approaches, making deals, and contacting emergency contacts to try to help the tenant save their belongings. This is crucial because most self storage facilities do not want to auction someone’s things. If the person has legitimately abandoned or refuses to pay then they will end up going to auction.

Picture Perfect…

On the shows you watch the auctioneer cut the locks and open the unit for the first time revealing to everyone the contents of the unit. In real life, we cut the locks prior to the auction. We then photograph the unit from the outside the contents of the unit and the unit number, close the door and overlock and seal it with a numbered seal.  No one is allowed to enter the unit, even employees.  So the day of the auction we remove our overlock and make sure the seal numbers still match and then remove the seal.  There really is no fun in standing around for 10 minutes watching our maintenance guys trying to saw through high security locks.

Not every storage unit holds a gem…

In order to draw in viewers shows like Storage Wars and Auction Hunters have to show every unit as a winner. In reality there are most likely only one amazing unit for every 20 units auctioned.  We once auctioned a unit for $5 that contained only a mirror, some empty boxes and a container of bean soup that may have been in there for many months.  Our bidder was convinced that the soup was actually fingers in a solution and that was why he was so determined to have the unit. Although that makes for a funny story, it is certainly not worth any value.

Additional Costs…

While the shows are sure to show you how much the unit was sold for and then how much the bidder would receive if they sold the items inside, they do not include the additional costs that come with auction hunting. While most bidders on TV have shops that they will store the items in until they sell them, many local hunters sell their items on eBay or Craigslist thus incurring storage charges for items purchased.  You also need to keep in mind the costs of a truck rental if you do not own one, trash removal and disposal and any security/clean-up deposits that you will need to come up with up front. Most storage locations charge a $50 – $100 security deposit to ensure that the entire unit’s contents are removed.  So, an $800 unit could ultimately end up really costing you closer to $1200 after all is said and done.

Here are four points that show how real life storage auctions differ from those that you see on TV, but don’t take my word for it, look-up your local storage auction in your local paper or online at StorageTreasures.com and decide for yourself. Good luck and happy bidding!