We were in pretty good spirits before the dirty work began.
After reading our last two posts about our storage auction adventures, chances are you are already soured on the idea of storage auctions all together. If you don’t mind grimy, dusty piles of junk, then maybe you aren’t. After seeing (and smelling) the unit from the outside, we decided to take safety measures and suit up before digging in and sorting (left). We realized this was a good call the moment we saw a cockroach scurrying around inside one of the dresser drawers found in the unit.
While we feel like tackling this unit was a pretty heroic feat, we can’t take all of the credit. After sorting through the unit for nearly two hours, we realized there was no way we clear out the unit in the time allotted by the storage facility. We had to call in reserves. Luckily, we were able to get moving helpers out in less than an hour from the time we called. They were a HUGE help and had us all packed up and done with this yucky mess in just a couple of hours.
But, one can’t dispel the reality of TV shows like Storage Wars based on the experience alone. We knew there was hard work involved from the start. The question is, despite a very unpleasant experience, was there still value in purchasing the storage locker? To answer that, let’s take a look at what we actually won inside of the storage unit, and what (if anything) was of value. Did we confirm or bust this myth?
An Old Armoire
Value: up to $8
This looked like it could’ve been a fairly promising piece from the looks of it, but once we got our hands on it, we realized that it was falling apart. The doors and drawers did not close correctly, and the shelving inside was less-than sturdy. We decided to donate this item, as someone less fortunate may be willing to repair it.
Plenty of Blankets
Value: $0
There was no shortage of blankets in this unit (although, they certainly could’ve used a laundering). While these were a great find to donate, we determined we would not be able to sell them.
A Sewing machine
Value: up to $10
Whether or not this sewing machine worked or not was unknown. But, we figured that something like this could be sold somewhere, even if only just for the parts.
Mattress& Box Spring
value: $0
Personally, I would give these items a negative value if that were an option, because this thing was dingy. We struggled with whether or not it should even be donated, given the state it was in. Ultimately, we trashed them both.
Lunch?
Value: $0 (not including your co-pay after a trip to the doctor if ingested)
This was a very interesting find, to say the least. There were various condiments, snacks, spices and toppings stashed throughout this unit. We wonder why the owners could not bring themselves to part with these items? Where did they end up? Trash.
Play Station 2
Value: $20
By far the most valuable treasure in this storage unit was this Play Station 2. Because we’ve seen newer models of Play Stations being sold for as low as $30, we give this item a generous estimated value of $20. We aren’t certain if it is in working condition, but, if held on to for another decade or so, maybe this could become a valuable antique!
Kitchen Items
Value: $5
These items were in decent shape, and probably could’ve each been sold for a few cents at a local garage sale But, because we don’t have the time to plan one, or the space to store them, we give the whole box a value of $5, and into the donation pile it goes.
A Couch
Value: $0
Much like the mattress and box springs, the smell of this couch alone was enough to put your senses on red alert. Not only did we feel unsure about donating this couch, we also felt a bit apprehensive to ask the moving helpers to handle the stained cushions without gloves.
This was a large storage unit, so we could show you everything, but we hope this gives you an idea of the value of the items we found. You can likely see how this ends (not well). Let’s take a look at the numbers. Here’s how we made out at our real-life storage wars experience once everything was said and done:
Myth BUSTED! Not only is the myth busted, but we will also never forget what we saw and smelled this day. In real life, what are the chances that someone who has something valuable inside of their unit will actually let it go to auction? Our conclusion is that the chances are slim. These shows may have to glamorize the process and glorify the winnings just to boost ratings, but after trying it for ourselves, we aren’t buying it (again).
If you want to see what the experience of bidding was like, check out this post. Or, read an interview with a real industry veteran here.
We’ll leave you with some more photos from our journey:
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- It’s a dirty job!
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- Parmesan Cheese anyone?
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- So grateful for our Moving Helpers!
What do think of the experience that moving insiders had? Was this what you expected? Have you had any experiences at storage auctions? Let us know below in a comment!
