Storage auctions in the UK?
Comments
-
A lot of the "values" are nonsense.
On one I saw there was a stack of about 10 DVDs and the guy said "there's 50 bucks" and three fishing rods each with a price tag of $129 and he claimed "these are worth $350", as if people really pay retail prices at a secondhand shop.
Rick Harrison would have something to say about their claimed prices!
It is always the furniture that gets me. They get a really tatty bed and mattress, and possibly a side table and say 'and there's $500 bucks'- in the uK that would be dumped as valueless.
Just watched an old 'Storage wars' tonight on the hard drive- they were happily trading rhino horn trinkets and ivory which I always find a bit 'ugh' but they did put the warning up on screen saying this trade was not legal in Europe.I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.0 -
It always make me laugh that Barry always throws away stuff the other guys would value at £100s he is the only one who is probably realistic with his stuff.The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
Arthur C. Clarke0 -
America doesn't have much in the way of markets, carboot sales, charity shops (they are around but in most states there isn't a culture of it), so second hand market is restricted to garage sales, Craigslist and the like, it's probably how Ebay managed to do so well early on.It is always the furniture that gets me. They get a really tatty bed and mattress, and possibly a side table and say 'and there's $500 bucks'- in the uK that would be dumped as valueless.
Just watched an old 'Storage wars' tonight on the hard drive- they were happily trading rhino horn trinkets and ivory which I always find a bit 'ugh' but they did put the warning up on screen saying this trade was not legal in Europe.
The storage places here haven't been around as much as those in the US, so perhaps it will be something that comes around here. If any storage companies are reading and want to give it a go, I'm an experienced auctioneer;).0 -
America doesn't have much in the way of markets, carboot sales, charity shops (they are around but in most states there isn't a culture of it), so second hand market is restricted to garage sales, Craigslist and the like, it's probably how Ebay managed to do so well early on.
The storage places here haven't been around as much as those in the US, so perhaps it will be something that comes around here. If any storage companies are reading and want to give it a go, I'm an experienced auctioneer;)
I love garage sales in the US and Canada, and I did once go to a Canadian auction where my sister and I bought box loads of absolute tat for a dollar a piece and spent many a happy hour sorting through it all.
Having watched these US programmes though made me realise what an untapped market there is , and that's why I started listing on ebay.com again.
If you do start up as a freelance storage locker auctioneer, I'll be there!I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.0 -
I'm surprised they find buyers/sellers to go on these programmes to say what they are earning, there's very few here who would do that. On one auction I held a few years ago I had a newspaper doing a feature, as they went to take a picture of the crowd they nearly all disappeared. So the chances are any programme here would end up featuring people showing how much they lost rather than made from one of the auctions.jasmineswhiskers wrote: »I spent a whole day over Christmas watching 'Auction Hunters'. Shame they didn't intersperse the great finds with a few dud ones
..0 -
Having watched these US programmes though made me realise what an untapped market there is , and that's why I started listing on ebay.com again.
American Pickers always gets me. They travel hundreds of miles across states and spend about $50 on a piece of tat that they think that'll sell for $75.0 -
scheming_gypsy wrote: »American Pickers always gets me. They travel hundreds of miles across states and spend about $50 on a piece of tat that they think that'll sell for $75.
Oh yes, that one and the canadian one as well. Pick up a rusted tatty metal sign that you'd throw in a skip in the UK- and pay $100 bucks for it and claim they will resell it at $200........
As you say they seem to spend days on the road- so I assume they have motel and food costs- and talk about 'profits' that would barely cover the cost of the gas.
I deal in collectables and some antiques and know a great many people in this game, yet the antique market is now dying in some areas as the programmes on the TV give the impression that you can buy something from a car boot and sell it at auction and make a good profit. yes maybe you can once in a while- but not every time without fail, and the worst of it is they never factor in any costs at all- not even auction costs in some programmes. The reality is that most items sell for a small profit if you know your market- but it is a constant round of getting stuff, finding the buyers, churning it over and then back out buying more.
The Antique road trip for instance, they will spend say £750, travel half way round the country selling it to their friends / contacts, and then claim a big profit. Yet for those of us in the trade we have to pay car costs, petrol, parking ( a huge cost in many areas) etc.
It's can be a great deal of fun- I go all over the place on searches- but every single cup of coffee I have in a tea room, every mile I drive, every car park I pay to park in eats into my profits.I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.0 -
I've not seen Canadian Pickers, I try not to watch American Pickers if I can help it but I do like Storage Wars, Pawn Stars and American Restoration (even though the bloke gets far too excited)0
-
It's not just me then! I'm always amazed when they say how well they've done breaking even sometimes. I've never really dealt in antiques but it's staggering how few so-called expert auctioneers haven't got a clue when it comes to buying to resell.The Antique road trip for instance, they will spend say £750, travel half way round the country selling it to their friends / contacts, and then claim a big profit. Yet for those of us in the trade we have to pay car costs, petrol, parking ( a huge cost in many areas) etc..0 -
scheming_gypsy wrote: »I've not seen Canadian Pickers, I try not to watch American Pickers if I can help it but I do like Storage Wars, Pawn Stars and American Restoration (even though the bloke gets far too excited)
The Canadian one is just like the American one- but with hats. They travel huuuge distances though and anything older than about 40 years is treated as though it is a real antique.I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343K Banking & Borrowing
- 250K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.6K Spending & Discounts
- 235.1K Work, Benefits & Business
- 607.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173K Life & Family
- 247.8K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards