http://www.natgeotv.com/ca/doomsday-preppers/videos/auction-preppers.
Call me ignorant but we'd never really heard about these before. Now that we are aware we think that this is an interesting idea for preppers. Even if the items of the unit you bid for end up being of little value in regards to prepping specifically, if you can manage to sell off these items you could obtain money to help you afford future preps (but as with everything-it's going to be a bit of a gamble). For others, like us, who don't know much about self storage unit auctions, this is generally how it works (as described on the show and on a website I found).
Auction Rules: (May vary per facility-but this is generally how they work)
- Once unit door is opened potential buyers have 5 minutes to view contents
- Potential buyers cannot enter unit or handle contents
- Bids are for the complete contents of the unit
- Personal items (photos/albums, financial records, etc.) must be returned
- Unit will be sold to the highest bidder
- Immediate payment is required (cash, debit card, Mastercard or Visa)
- Purchaser has 48 hours to remove contents and leave unit clean
- All units sold "AS IS", "WHERE IS", "IN PLACE", and "WITH FAULTS", (No Exceptions). All sales are final and absolute.
Things to consider:
If you were to attend an auction and successfully bid on the contents of a unit you would need to consider the following:
- There are a lot of everyday household items in these units...items that may be difficult for you to resell and may pile up on your property.
- You will need something to transport items with preferably a truck or trailer.
- Other handy items you may want to bring with you could include tie downs, a dolly, a broom or rags for clearing dust and spider webs.
So...are there any readers out there who have attended a storage auction? If so:
- What were some of your better finds?
- What were some of the more unusual items your unit contained?
- Have you had any bad experiences with this sort of thing?
- What advice do you have for someone who might be interested in attending an auction?
- etc.