Self Storage Auctions

First, The Good

A November 4th 2013 article in The Cary News written by Cindy Schaefer demonstrates what can be done with what is found in storage lockers won at auction. Many times, auction buyers will end up with a large amount stuff that will take some effort to sell. This is the ugly part of auction hunting, getting rid of what you find in a locker.

What I do is have garage sales and that works out for me just fine. If I find that the items I have left over have not been sold at the end of the second or third yard sale I look at other ways of cleaning out the garage. I usually call up Goodwill or throw the stuff out.

[sc:adsense]
I figure that if nobody wants to buy something after seeing it a couple of times I don’t need to hold on to it. I know, I’m leaving money on the table. However, storage space is expensive and floor space in my garage is a premium. I think it is costing me more to store something than it would cost donating or throwing it out.

The Cary News article describes what Jim Bennett, the owner of Peak City Thrift, does with his storage auction finds. By the way, Peak City Thrift is located in a small strip mall in Apex, North Carolina. Check out the article for more details about how to contact Mr. Bennett.

Mr. Bennett has gone all in with his storage auction locker purchasing activities. He is one of the lucky few that can sustain themselves and keep the doors open on his thrift store. Many have tried to do what Mr. Bennett is doing only to find that they are closing shop in a few months. It is a tuff vocation in the current economic atmosphere we are experiencing. However, maybe it is the hard times we are going through that is helping Peak City Thrift stay open. Only time will tell.

Take a look at the picture attached to the article. It looks like Peak City Thrift sells a bunch of nice home goods. Nothing there that screams high-end, posh, posh but instead, items that most everybody might need in their home. Mr. Bennett should do well if he can continue to get lockers in his area at a good price.

I do know however that the prices in my area are still higher than I like and the quality isn’t all that great sometimes. Still waiting for the hoopla because of the TV shows to simmer down a bit. If it ever does – LOL!

Now, On To The Bad

I’m always looking for stories like this one about people that are making it in the Self-Storage Auction Buying industry. That is how I found this article. After reading it, I realized that I know of a forum that Mr. Bennett hangs out at because I recognized his store name. The forum is called Storage Auction Forums. Click the link to visit there.

It has been a little bit since I visited Storage Auction Forums so I decided to stop in and see what was going on there. What I found was absolutely repulsive. I found a thread there that left me thinking, “Who are these people?” I’m glad I haven’t posted there in a while and I readily realized why I don’t anymore.

There is a thread there titled, “Locker Owner Wants Leg Back.” It starts off relatively harmless and it looks like it might have the ability of showing people what to do if the previous owner wants something back from a locker. However, it goes south real fast and the subject in the article above, Jim Bennett, is one of the main offenders.

It turns out these people get their rocks off on making fun of people, that for whatever the reason, have lost their leg. Here is what Mr. Bennett (Screen Name: HomeGrownPromos) was kind enough to Post in the thread:

You should give the lady a break, she’s already been cut off at the knees.

Are you sure there were no valuables in there? I think you should shake a leg..

Lots of silver, Asian vases.. Maybe she was a pirate! You must have her sea leg!

Thanks!

I know it’s tough losing some of your belongings in a locker, but sometimes you have to look at the situation, and get back up on your foot.

To be honest, if she didn’t drag her foot, she wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with!

You may not want to see her.. The last thing you need is for her to fall head over heel in love with you..

HAHA!

You don’t know what it’s like to walk in her shoe.

She would have paid her bill, but she got off on the wrong foot.

She wasn’t able to get a foothold on her bill.

When she was pressured to pay her bill, she got cold foot.

She’s trying real hard to find a job. She just wants to get a foot in the door.

She would take any job, she just wants to get her foot wet.

I heard she went toe to toe with the property manager.

During the argument, she said some things that she shouldn’t have. She really put her foot in her mouth.

I’m sure she’ll be okay. Everything will work out. She’ll land on her foot.

After all, this may all be a big joke. Way to pull our leg, Travis!

………..and I’m done..

I would post a snarky reply and really put my foot down, but I’ll put my best foot forward and take the high road. After all, if the shoe was on the other foot, I may feel the same way. So now I will go, and wait on my wife hand… and… I forget how that saying goes..

At the risk of shooting myself in the foot, I will continue rather than set foot onto a different topic. Before the end of this horrific topic, I may need to stretch my legs, but I may end up sweeping someone off their feet. Or perhaps someone will run with their tail between their legs.

Not to step on anyone’s toes, but I think this lady should get her prosthetic back. I’m sure she would come racing back to you with a lead foot. Good thing she doesn’t have 2 left feet.. But what do you really want her to do? Throw herself at your feet? Cool your heels! So kick up those heels and celebrate the rest of the locker, because that prosthetic is not worth a whole lot.

What kind of person goes off with comments like these? I mean, IMHO, it takes a very sick person to keep going on and on with this stupid crap. And here is where I think it gets worse. In a time of war, we have Wounded Warriors coming back from fighting for our country with wounds similar to what he thinks it is okay to poke fun at. How insensitive can a person be?

At least we now know what Mr. Bennett thinks of people with disabilities like this. Good Job Mr. Bennett [sic]!

And this brings me to the forum where these comments are posted. Travis Lane, you should remove the thread from Storage Auction Forums because of the insensitive nature of the messages from Mr. Bennett and others (yourself included). You are located in the Fort Hood Texas area dude. This could easily be a prosthetic of one of our Wounded Warriors that you found in that locker. Maybe the locker belonged to a family member/friend of a Wounded Warrior and is trying to get the prosthetic returned to the original owner.

Our Wounded Warriors have fought and given life and limb for the freedoms that you enjoy Travis and are granted by your creator. Have respect for their and their family’s sacrifices to not post awful content like this on Storage Auction Forums.

I think there are many other topics, Storage Auction related, that can be discussed instead.

Note:
Click the images below to see the screen captures of the forum messages.

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