Auction Heroes: Storage Unit Auction Business TV Shows

"Auction Hunters" is a TV show airing on Spike TV cable channel. This was the first of two competing storage locker auction shows to air on cable. The other show airing on A & E is "Storage Wars". Both of the shows are good at highlighting the excitement of finding hidden treasure among some-one's abandon storage unit. The A & E show focuses more to the actual auctions at the storage facilities. The Spike show focuses more on the sale of the storage unit contents after the auctions.

If you are interested in learning about storage unit auctions both shows have something to offer from different viewpoints. I first heard of storage lien auctions about 20 years ago. But never really gave them much thought or consideration like most of the population out there. With the economy the way it is, lots of people out-of-work, looking for a new and different way to make a living - it's no wonder why these shows seem to be taking off. One man's junk is another man's treasure right? Or one person is hoping to find treasure hidden in all of the junk.

The Spike TV show "Auction Hunters" is focused on following two guys around the country having access to one of the largest mini storage chain's properties'. The basic rules of these auctions are: No opening or going through the boxes - you just get to peek inside with a flashlight. The highest cash bidder gets all of the contents of the storage unit and has to remove ALL of the contents good or bad.

These auctions aren't for the uninformed, the regular guys, that have been doing this for many years really know what they are doing and they break even or lose money purchasing some storage lockers. That being said it ain't rocket science either. Just don't take your last dollars down to the action and expect to make a fortune. You could just gamble and bid low on units where nothing is able to be seen from the door way. You can bid based on what you can see. Or you can make a guess based on clues you get from what can be seen through the doorway. Look out for the auction regulars. They don't seem to like newbies and will bid the price up on you just so you don't come back.

Poking around in some public storage industry forums I noticed that not all storage businesses follow these same rules. The storage unit owner-managers' do know about what's in the lockers before the auctions. Their only motivation is to get what is owed in back rent for the stuff. In most areas the overage goes back to the tenant. However the reality is that most locker auctions don't cover the cost of the back rent. And most of the stuff is junk that is not worth much.

This could be a great business, however now that it's all over more than one cable TV network there will be a ton of competition. Don't expect to be welcomed by the insiders' who frequent these auctions.

If you are still considering this as a way to make some money you'll need a plan in place to sell the contents of these units. You will need to have good knowledge of what the quick-sale price of everyday used goods are. You may have an advantage if you have knowledge of collectibles value. You should love moving since this is what you'll be doing a lot of if you win a storage locker auctions. You'll need a place to keep all of the stuff until you can sell it. You'll also need a truck and trailer to move the stuff around. Don't forget about the most important thing - cash to bid with and money for all of the expenses listed above.