Once I found out that "Gold Rush Alaska" was staged and the players getting payed so much per episode, well it just burst my bubble.
Haven't watched an episode since.
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Once I found out that "Gold Rush Alaska" was staged and the players getting payed so much per episode, well it just burst my bubble.
Haven't watched an episode since.
P & M Recycling - Specializing in E-Waste Recycling.
If you enjoy your freedom, thank a vet.
Keeper of the Cooler!
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Supposedly some of the cast on Storage Wars is bank rolled by A&E. I did like Barry on there, not sure why he left..but dude was funny. He never really got any big scores, an never really over inflated the price on items. He was funny as all hell tho at times...an come dude owns a bubble car!
How can you not like someone who rocks a bubble car!?!
The worse part about reality tv..it gave us the Kardashians. I will gouge my eyes out with a toothpick before I watch that **** show.
Sirscrapalot - How do you get famous these days? Release a sex tape, an then deny it while promoting it everywhere you go.
I bought one storage locker last year. I saw 5 orange life jackets in it and needed some for the kids to take on their duck hunting forays. I got the whole thing for $35 and sold a hedge trimmer and three bags full of clothes for $20 before loading it up. I considered it $15 for the life jackets and was happy with that.
There were 20 decent size boxes in the back that I just KNEW contained treasure. They actually had several hundred VHS tapes of kids movies about half of them recorded from TV. I hauled them around a while and finally found a guy with two young kids and a vcr. He was surprised that I would give him over 400 VHS tapes for free!!
I've been to a few other sales, but never bid on another locker. I just haven't seen anything I can justify buying one for yet.
Interesting side note for Sirscrapalot A few years back, I personally demolished Mick Foley's gym in Navarre, FL. I didn't get to meet him though and kick myself when I think about not taking down the sign and keeping it.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
They should rename storage wars " convicted felon wars".
Let's see-dave hester-convicted felon-dui
jarrod schultz-convicted felon-crystal meth dealer.
brandi passante former stripper AND charged with dui.
Wow they really choose classy people to be on this show!lol.
Keeper of the Cooler!
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Not sure why the DWI's should stop them from being on the show. Not like it's a show about driving.
Meth dealer is a new one. An those suck. How anyone could sell that crap to people I'll never be able to understand..I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror, knowing I had a hand in destroying my community an folks lives.
An I got no issues with strippers.
If we're going to ban people convicted of crimes, there went a whole lot of Pro ball players..NFL, MLB, NBA..hell probably toss in soccer an golf to!
Sirscrapalot - Baaaahhh - Some sheep in a field.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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Where I'm at anyways (low population) If you contact some of the storage areas before hand they will just give it you, free sometimes. I've offered 5 of my local ones for free removal and 2 have accepted to give me any unit as long as i clean it out for free. Don't know how it'll work in your area but its worth the offer.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
Speaking of American Pickers, I went to Nashville a week ago and while there, I went to the shop that they have there. It was a lot smaller than I thought. The retail area was about 20' x 35'. They had 3 people working on the floor. I did catch a glimpse of the manager that I've seen on the show before; she was leaving out the back door of there warehouse area. There were items that they had from the show for sale, and some not for sale. They had really commercialized the show though. They had all kinds of things with their name on it: mouse pads, post cards, magnets, t-shirts, coffee mugs, glasses, guitar picks, and signed artistic pictures of their finds in frames selling for hundreds of dollars. All in all, pretty cool though.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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I've never bought a storage locker but I have sold on eBay for over 10 years. Its basically a hobby for me. I best I ever did was a mini little clasped picture book full of little clipped tinned photos from the 1800s of long unknown relatives of my mom's. I got a $176 for that. I've had a couple of badger taxidermy mounts I've done that have gone over a Ben Franklin but that's without counting the costs of the materials I had in them. The worst I've done is going about -$15 in the hole on a Thai brass & wood silverware set I bought this spring at a local rummage for too much money, although I've been burned on shipping heavier stuff before, like chine, before I got postage priced out for EVERYTHING before its listed.
This spring & summer I've ramped it up a bit and did more rummaging & thrift store shopping trying to find unusual things/collectables that people might like to have. Bought some more modern consumer items after watching a number of youtube vids but they have had mixed results. But my through put has only been about 20% this season so some stuff gets donated or thrown but I also tend to buy stuff for only a little money so not that much of a loss. THat 20% sales volume also includes things that I've relisted multiple times, each time at a lower price, as ebay now has up to 3 times relisting for no additional fees. So, perhaps my through put this season would go up to about 33%. I used to have about a 66% selling average before I pushed it harder this year. Probably actually more in gross sales than before by trying the "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" philosophy. Still apprising if it was worth it (or at least learned more about what sells and what doesn't this year).
My best score of the year was a 1980s Pioneer car auto equalizer that I bought for 75 cents and sold for $76 but those are few & far between. Most of my items are "smalls" (maybe it just what we have & what I like buying in my smaller metro) so the margins are slim. If I can double my money after paying for all costs (purchase price, ebay & paypal fees), I consider it a successful sale. But again there are those deals where I would never want to figure out my price per hour because it would be depressing. But then again its a hobby and I get to meet some different people from different places. Recently sold a bread machine pan to a lady in Azerbaijan. Go figure. I no longer ask people what they're going to do with things, such as wildlife products that I can sell. Too many strange-os out there.
After a decade of eBay selling, the only thing I know for sure is that can sell all of my dried pheasant skins each year (typically over a 100 but I have a partner who supplies me with most so he gets a cut) and decent deer antlers (with or w/o the skull) will sell. Most everything else is a crap shoot. but its the thrill of the hunt that I guess keeps me coming back, just as it is in real hunting or trapping or for you guys that get a lot of curb picking in (we just really don't have that much around here--maybe too small of a metro or the culture is a bit different).
But its like anything else. There is work involved. Just like when my parents used to try to sell Amway when I was a kid. There are very few true things out there where lots of cash flows in for little work. As scrappers, you all know that to be true in spades. Take care!!
Last edited by DakotaRog; 09-25-2014 at 08:50 AM.
Metal Recycling Entrepreneur
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I found that most storage unit auctions I went to were junk or way overpriced. It seems when people know they are going to lose their stuff, they show up a day or two before and remove most of the things they feel have value.
I have always been far better off just buying items at auction, I know what I'm getting and not paying to haul off someone else's junk.
I did meet one guy that told me he always does well at storage auctions. I asked him what he usually buys, he said nothing. He just shows up with his truck and people often would give him scrap because they didn't want to haul it off.
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I have also heard rumors many times that the storage unit STAFF are able to get in and pick goodies before the auctions.. Less good stuff when it's been plundered beforehand!
I'm so into scrapping.. When my Steel Toe Boots Wear out, I cut the Steel out of them and recycle the Toe!
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technically that is illegal (going through units like you mentioned Sledge)....AND the regulars that come to the auctions tend to figure it out or it gets out...INSTANT death for your auctions...I know it goes on, but alot less than what you think these days...people will SUE you for **** near anything....
PROFIT is made when you BUY/ACQUIRE NOT when you sell
Experienced Scrapper
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One place here got caught moving items around so that people would buy them. Like they would take items form an over stuffed locker and move some of it to a locker full of garbage so someone would buy it and they would have to clean it out. They would also move thing around in better units to get the price up. Once there was a bunch of jewelry just laying out on a perfectly placed table. Very dirty tricks and they get very low turn out at their auctions now. The regulars stopped going and last I heard they also couldn't find an auctioneer.Originally Posted by webuyselltradestuff
Last edited by pwajunkie; 09-26-2014 at 09:50 AM.
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Illegal- Yes
Do they do it- Sadly- Yes!
Hard to get a fair shake in a lot of things in life anymore. Someone darn near always has the drop on ya.. and with a mentality of "Me Me ME!" that opportunity for them to prosper before you do.. sometimes is just to great to "not take advantage of!"
Keeper of the Cooler!
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To Pnut.. I just saw that last part of your post about Mick Foley's gym. That would have been awesome. Dude can write(2 times at the top of the book charts) an he's funnier then all hell. I would have loved to do a job like that. I would have totally marked out if I had met him. I'm not a huge fan of wrestling but it's entertaining at times an I grew up with it so it'll always have a place in my heart, just like football an the other things from my youth.
I highly recommend his books, good stuff an he some good stories to tell. If he ever comes my way or close to it doing his stand up show I'll be there, I've herd great things about it, from people who don't even like wrestling at all.
An to stay on topic..I agree with Sledge it sucks they do it that way at times but..hey..everything out there has a crook in it somewhere we see it in scrapping. Yards that will cheat you, an scrappers that will cheat the yards. It'd be nice if life was fair but as well know..that ain't happening.
Sirscrapalot - Still annoyed over no more bubble mobile.
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I know someone that bought an old Russian sidecar motorcycle that came with a recite renting the motorcycle to storage wars. I saw the episode, the motorcycle was tucked under a tarp in the back of the storage unit. That was the only one I watched, just because I knew about the motorcycle.
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I am sorry, it was auction hunters.
"The agonizing part was that I had to watch every episode of that lame show just to see MY bike.
I have the receipt for the production company's rental from my bike's previous owner, they rented it about one month before I purchased it last fall. They use the same format in every episode and having paperwork proving the PO had the bike for ten years(including photos and a reference by name in Weav's book), I had assumed I would see the bike in the background as proof of their "expert's " qualifications. But no, the whole story was completely fabricated.
Don't believe everything you see :shock:"
This is the episode, skip to 17min [warning you have to watch 5 commercials]
2 problems
1 No one in the world can tell you what year it is, they did not keep thoes records.
2 the rear machine gun mount was for a flag during parades, not a machine gun.
http://www.spike.com/episodes/7ey9m9...eason-3-ep-315
Last edited by Immulmen; 09-25-2014 at 07:28 PM.
Video game ninja
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I have bought many a unit before . Besides jewelry , original Star Wars figures in a nice c3po case and a gary fisher mountain bike , it's mostly dirty clothes,spit up baby clothes, dildos,porn,empty dvd and video game cases . Outdated furniture,mattresses and dollar store items . I buy at least 2 or 3 a month depending on time and location of auctions , most of my stuff 90% is trash . The decent stuff goes to my local auction house . I pay a fee to have it sold but it's gone and I don't have time to flea market .
Check out storage battles website to see what's out here in your area or auction zip to get a list of upcoming auctions in your area.
I don't bid unless it's a live auction , you can't smell unless your in person . And a death stench could make all your items un sellable.
Also watch out for food l buy units that look like people cared about the stuff they put in and don't bid blind or higher than he value of what you see. There is always another auction tomorrow and lately people have been spending stupid money out there.
All in all I usually do well but I have had my share of trash lockers that did not recoup a dime as well. I had a deal with a local storage facility awhile back . I would cut the locks in exchange for a few lockers . Well that deal went sour after they wanted to tell me what lockers I could take . Made me upset being as it was my tools,time and gas out the door now they want me to play free trash guy . No thanks . If you attempt any thing like that get it all in writing ! Gone are the days of payment and a hand shake . Good luck
Buying ewaste and video games !
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