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Monday, January 30, 2012

It's Friday, Friday, Gotta Get Down on Friday

On Thursday, we told you about one of our most epic days of buying storage units in our company's history.  On Friday, we got to remove all of the items from each location!   Here, without any more delay, is that story:

Friday

9am:  Brian is working at Java House Imports this morning, so it's up to me to run things until noon when he leaves the French Quarter.  I'm supposed to go unload the van (full with the things from Unit #1 and Unit #2), but my phone has rang about 45 times this morning with questions about our garage sale this Saturday.  I think it's more important that I clarify the ads and list our other items, after all-- without customers at the sale, there is no point in moving around furniture and things today.

12pm:    Everyone's finished with their respective duties, so it's time now to go.  We head to the warehouse and unload the van, and get ready to go back to Unit #2 to get the rest of it.   We left the lamps, the sex machine... I mean, Bowflex or whatever it is called, and the wardrobe and a few other things because we were out of space in the van.   We got those things out quickly and let the facility manager know that we were finished with both units.

1pm:   We were going to head over to the New Orleans facility to get our two units there (Unit #4 and #5), but we get a call from the previous tenant of Unit #3 which we were pretty sure would end up happening.  Ever since our competitor gave her our phone number out of spite several months ago, we always end up getting phone calls when one of her units has been auctioned, regardless of whether or not we purchased it.  We did actually purchase it this time, so we agreed to meet her at that facility (on the Westbank) for her to take her things.  The agreement was she had to pay us what she owed the facility (not a penny less-- we are not encouraging people to default on their storage lockers) and SHE had to move out the items-- not any different from what she would have had to do had she shown up at auction and paid.  We just bought her an extra few days.       So... we go about an hour out of our way, and she's more than 40 minutes late.   We wait and wait, call her again, and while we wait, we start loading the van with stuff.   She finally shows up-- without a penny on her.  Brian is livid, and he has a right to be-- I'm pretty frustrated myself.  I tell her that she now owes us more money for our time and trouble.  She says no problem and she will let us know when she's going to pay-- we let her know it needs to be SOON.  We don't hear anything from her, and I'm pretty sure we may have sold a few of her items at our garage sale on Saturday.   Whether she wants to contact us or not is entirely up to her, we'll make our money back regardless.

** Update:  we did meet with her tonight, and she did indeed buy her things back!   We are happy we were able to help.

3:30pm:   We're now way off schedule, and we've not eaten lunch (or breakfast, either) and we are trying to figure out how we're going to go get the remaining 2 units, switch out cars, make it back to the store in the French Quarter, get back across town into Metairie AND make it to a friend's surprise birthday party in time to not ruin the surprise, and we have no idea how to proceed.  I stop for a minute to get a Storage Hunter lunch:

Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!

4pm-7pm:   We dig out all of Unit #4 and part of Unit #5.    While we're there, the guy we bought Unit #4 from drives in,  tailgating another tenant in order to not have to use a gate code.  We found a part of a jewelry box in that unit, so now it's pretty evident that he went in there and "stole" an item of the golden persuasion-- I confront him about it, and he doesn't deny it-- whatever.  I tell him he missed some gold (which he did) and show it to him...  it was worth it to see his eyes get huge right in front of me!   We go back to our unit and find THOUSANDS of toys, including boxes and boxes of dinosaurs, Hot Wheels (which are worth a ton depending on years and models), and baseball team equipment.  Oh, and did I mention, about 1800 Burger King Happy Meal toys?   Stay tuned for this blog, entitled "Toy Story,"  coming later this week.   PS - How ironic is it that I was wearing a KIDS MEAL CROWN when we bought that unit at auction?

7:00-8:00pm  Brian and I both head our separate ways to shower & change & etc before the party begins. While I'm home, I get a phone call from the competitor we ran into earlier.  I ignore it.  I get another one.  I ignore it.  Finally after the 4th or 5th phone call, I answer to see what he wants.   He followed us in to the gate, but didn't leave when we left (or when anyone else left for that matter).   He does not have the gate code and doesn't realize that at this facility you need one to get out as well.  He is now LOCKED IN the facility without a gate code!  Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.  Isn't karma a bitch?   He asks me for the gate code and I remind him (again) that he took gold out of our unit.   He asks me again for the gate code and I ask him what he's going to do for me.   Finally, 10 minutes later, he promises us a share of the gold profit and a free lunch.  I doubt I'll never see either of those things, but it was fun to listen to him beg.

8:30pm:  I reconnect with Brian, and we're both exhausted, and both know we have a sale tomorrow at 6am, but we go to our friend's birthday party because we love her and it's a surprise.  So we say our hellos, party for a bit,  watch her cry at her surprise (which was so cute & touching) and move next door to the neighborhood bar to sing karaoke.    Here's what Brian looks like when he's delirious:



10:30pm:  We didn't make it very long, but we did leave this memento on our way out for the party girl to find on her way home:




1am:   We got home around 11... but we stayed up an extra two hours working on the blog -- don't YOU feel lucky, readers?   Now it's time for bed, finally!  Another 15+ hour day!  And only 5 hours before the wake up call for Saturday's sale!

Until next time,

Storage Heroes

Storage Heroes Tip #30:   Dealing with a prior tenant is never recommended, but if it's someone you have a  relationship with and/or there were extenuating circumstances and you feel sorry for the person, you always have the right as a buyer to decide your own course of actions for what is now your legal property.  It's an honorable thing to do, just prepare yourself for a burn--  if they couldn't honor their obligations or promises to the storage facility the chances that they will/can honor their obligations or promises to you are slim to none!

What if a storage unit could speak....ok...I know....a little too much...ok...what if it could think?

Questions.....answers....contemplations...revelations....what does a storage unit think?  At first...I was going to ponder the question of a storage unit speaking...and then I realized....THAT'S JUST PLAIN NUTS...A STORAGE UNIT COULDN'T SPEAK!!!!  But in all fairness to the universe and our friends the units themselves....I wonder what they THINK!  I see it like this....we KNOW they can't speak per say (outside of the occasional groaning metals noises and shifting internal building pressure when outer doors are opened and elevators are "elevating"!!)  Maybe we should do like the Ghost Hunter people and set up night vision cameras at facilities with motion sensors and test this hypothesis JUST TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!!  Finally we could put to rest the minds of those tortured 2-3 souls who KNOW our "A X Z" friends chat it up in the witching hours!!!  But I digress...


Now I used to be a scientist (I guess I still am)...and in all fairness once again to the universe (and scientific dogma)...I don't KNOW that the units can't think!  I can't PROVE or DISPROVE either way that they don't THINK per say...so that being said....I wonder what they THINK.  Now just stay with me on this...the train is going to start moving pretty fast....and ALL the stops before the end are gonna be in far off cities like MADNESS...and CRAZY TALK....and through LUDICROUS the capital of BRIAN'S MIND!

(For the record, Rebecca has NO IDEA I am going down these set of tracks...so don't judge her SANENESS based on my GENIUS!!!)

I imagine that units start off being born...per say!  You know...when the facility is built!  And start off with a profound sense of lonesome sadness...an EMPTY feeling that needs to be FILLED for love to take hold.  They think to themselves..."If only I could have a five bedroom set...then I won't be empty inside!  And then the day comes....when the door opens and someone begins to fill them with love!  They probably think how lucky and happy they are!  That sense of excitement....something new....what will I get!  Like a kid Christmas morning...waiting to see what presents are under the tree!!  They probably think...."I hope they have nice furniture!"  Or, "I hope the boxes are well packed and labeled correctly with jewelry, and collectibles, and art work!!!  And as they are filled up....they think to themselves "This is awesome, I now have meaning.....the void is filled....I AM LOVED!!!"

On the flip side.....there is also a possibility that haunts my dreams, and yours as well I am sure!!  The possibility that the door will open, and the poor units EMPTINESS will be filled with debris, junk, unwanted CRAP.....bullshit!!  Bags and boxes of broken glasses and used plastic containers, paperwork, and receipts from chain stores!!!  Furniture that looks like it was plucked out of a scene in Animal House, along with multitudes of outdated and dirty clothes, cloths, and FOOD PRODUCTS!  Oh.....THE HORROR!  Poor units probably think to themselves..."Why....oh why!!!"...."What did I do to deserve such filth!!"  The EMPTINESS is filled with despair and malign influences!!!

And then one day, as the units are resting....lots and lots of people show up at once.  The units must think to themselves....."Why are all these people staring at us?  Our doors are closed, protecting our FILLED EMPTINESS of love/filth from spilling out into hallways.  These people can't see anything...why are they staring?"  And then it happens!  Someone opens the door, the light comes through....and the unit hears something and thinks...."why are they calling out numbers....125....200?"  Someone calls out a 201....even the unit thinks to themselves...."what a bonehead....who bids $1.....DUH!"  But I digress.....

SOLD.....is what the unit hears.....as it thinks "Sold....what does that mean?"  The door is closed down...and once again...darkness resumes.  Then within 24-48hrs.....the door opens again.  "Who are these people?  Oh wait....these are the people that had the highest number!  Cool....people are coming into the...WAIT.....what are they doing?  They are taking my love/filth!  WHY?!!!"

Now, in all fairness....if the unit was full of beautiful gorgeous items, I am sure the unit is thinking depressing thoughts!  And a unit filled with filth is thinking with mixed emotions....someone IS removing this garbage....but I will still be empty!......A dilemma to be sure!  Finally, the unit is void, and the EMPTINESS returns....the door is closed...darkness takes hold....and the unit awaits.  "What will I be filled with next?  I like unicorns!!!"

(I had to like the I LIKE UNICORNS part just for Rebecca....it's a Storage Heroes thing....I will let her explain the joke someday to y'all!)

So, in a nutshell...that is what I believe that units think...and the other 2-3 tortured souls who KNOW think!  Until next time, when we will discuss the difference between a north pole elf and a south pole elf and how THEY WOULD BUY A STORAGE UNIT, I bid you all a GOOD NIGHT!....;)

Sincerely,
Brian
(Storage Hero Captain Trash Bag AND resident STORAGE UNIT MIND READER!!!)

REMEMBER...Don't judge Rebecca on my ramblings....respect her for sticking around!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Princesses, Poo, Crowds & Toys/"Toys": An all-day Storage Unit Buying Bonanza

Welcome!   We each started different blogs today, not realizing that the other one had done so-- here is a combination that nearly perfectly sums up our grueling 17 hour day!    Here goes...


Thursday


7:00 am


Brian:  Hey everyone...Brian here...about to begin a fun filled day of caravan auctions with Rebecca!  Woke up to the crashing thunder of a Deep South Thunderstorm/Cold front moving through...and all I could think was...."WOW, I wonder if this weather will deter some of the competition from coming out!"  More importantly...will it deter some of the looky-loos so that we can actually have a decent AND FASTER moving auction schedule today!  Only one way to find out!

Rebecca:  I cannot believe I am up this early.  Brian should at least be proud of me.  He scared the crap out of me when he called me to wake me up because I forgot I had changed his ringer from "Windchimer" to "Darth Vader's Song" (whatever it is that you call Darth Vader's song).  But it's not the first thing you want to hear in the morning regardless.   Off to bring Lola to the dog groomers (no idea how long the poor thing is going to have to stay there, either), and then time for auction!

9:00 am

Rebecca:  First auction in New Orleans East was fine-- unfortunately Brian was driving like a bat out of hell to get there, and I feared for my safety just a little tiny bit.  We were still slightly late and almost missed the first unit.  It's okay though, it wasn't really anything much, even though I did throw a bid or two down just out of curiosity.  It was kind of a mystery and there were some fishing poles inside.  I have some Wheel of Fortune money now, so it's rock and roll time.  These people who have angered me over the last few months better watch out-- I am not letting ANYTHING go for cheap today!  Best part of the entire first auction was when a crowd of about 8 left the facility (we ran into them on the way in) and they kindly let us know that the "auction was over" -- yeah, okay, whatever.  It turns out that they were still auctioning off the first unit!  Don't ever believe anything you hear in this business!

10:00 am


Brian:  Well, so we race back across the city to the second facility...TONS of people....(so much for the rain being a factor FOR us!)  The first unit they open is this little LITTLE one with just a handful of boxes...but we BOTH spot the box o'CD's and what not...Becca puts on her poker face and the bidding begins....!  I think it started at 25 or so, and we quickly take it to 100...a couple of guys are still bidding and we take it too 130...(Becca is doing the bidding and I am off in the corner doing my complaining maneuver about "how I can't believe she is buying this "SHIT" that I am going to have to cart downstairs!  The others back down...(and Rebecca is making no bones about the fact that her WHEEL OF FORTUNE money has come in...and if they thought we had abilities before to buy...they should reevaluate!)...and we do our ceremonial high five!  At least 200+ cds and dvds among all kinds of stuff!  A good locker to be sure.  We immediately go to the second locker that is same floor right around the corner and spot some nice items...well packed...in the facilities boxes!  We love it....bidding commences...and Becca is NOT letting this one go either...others take it to $400 and Becca puts out $425...done...ours....!  Lots of great items...not a lot of time to look at that time...needed to get onto another facility!

Rebecca:   The crowds are crazy.  Over 80 people here.   We're lucky to be getting anything at all!  The first unit, I just had THAT feeling... I knew something good was inside.  Plus, the ALDO and Banana Republic bags helped.  I also saw that box fully loaded with CDs.     As for Unit #2...  it was nicely packaged and the furniture that I could see was small, easily moveable, and nice.

11:00 am 


Rebecca:  No time for lunch, only a quick stop at Burger King where it's off to auction #3.  Because I literally only had 2 1/2 minutes to eat (and I have a really small stomach), I just got a Kids Meal.  I didn't know this at the time, but Kids meals come with pincher toys and crowns, these days.   I put my crown on and wore it for the rest of the auction.  Everyone made fun of me, especially the cute auctioneer.  It's okay though-- I don't mind bringing entertainment value to the masses!  Plus, I was having fun.  Here's a picture:

And yes, admittedly, I was referring to myself as the "Storage Princess" -- in my defense though, I wasn't even in dress/heels today like usual!  I had a feeling we'd be doing a lot of digging, so I have my bum clothes on.  Notice my Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run for The Cure t-shirt!

Brian:  After we eat our five course KING meal....Rebecca puts on the Burger King crown and proceeds to wear it!!!...ALL DAY....she had a pair of Saints Fleur de Lis sunglasses in her purse and put those on as well...not that she needed to take it over the top or anything!  Auctioneer direct quote to Becca..."...are you serious!"....;)  It was a great moment in time!


Noon


Rebecca:  We get to a particular facility where one of the lockers up for grabs belongs to a tenant who we've seen up several times before at different facilities.  She just has a ton of units.  I don't even think it's a financial concern, just that it's impossible to keep up with that many units.  Anyway, she is super organized and very friendly, and we have worked with her before-- so when we did our research about the tenants we made sure to make a reminder note when we found a unit that was hers.  On the off chance that she wanted it back we'd be able to sell her the things back and do something nice for her, and if she didn't, we'd still be able to sell the items and make a profit.   Let it be known though that whenever she calls us (if she does) to buy units back we never let them go for less than what she owed the facility-- that way it's a win for everybody.   That unit made our Unit #3.

Brian:  What's funny about that is that EVERYONE thought, because of how nice it looked that it was a "company" or "build-up" unit and that it was "staged" - ha.   A little research goes a long way.

1:00 pm


Rebecca:  We hit a little snag in the auction at some point, when we arrive at one facility with the auctioneer, and everyone else is at a separate facility.  With caravan auctions you ALWAYS have to pay attention to the newspaper listing- even if it is typoed, and in an geographical order it has never been in before or one that doesn't make sense-- they legally have to proceed with it the way it was written for the sake of the tenants who may be trying to follow along and save their items.   We were super excited when we found out that there were TWENTY-TWO units and only FOUR bidders.   It didn't last that way for very long.

Brian:  Yes...and then one after another after another at high speeds EVERYONE showed up and trickled in...so that two full pages of bidders filled up...20+!!!  Oh well...for 4 minutes...it was nice to think that 4 of us were going to split 22 units.....of which we would have probably acquired over half of the 22!!!  Give me a moment....it would have been hauntingly beautiful!!!!

Rebecca:  The first unit that opened up, I fell in love with.  I just had a good feeling about it,  it had some fishing stuff, sports stuff, some model airplane boxes, just seemed like someone with a ton of disposable income.  I took it all the way to $400 and Brian encouraged me to back down.  I did, but I was heartbroken.  I think I bitched at him for the next 45 minutes.  I tried to make myself feel better by saying that there WAS one large item in the unit, a dryer.  Then, when I found out that our competitor who had purchased the unit was running low on funds after buying 8 rooms, I jumped at the chance to make a deal-- I offered to purchase the unit from him for my $400 bid (his winning bid was $425),  he said no to that, but wanted the dryer-- so he paid me $50 and took the dryer and I paid $425 ($375 out of our pockets total) and purchased the unit.    Win win.    The best part is, when we opened it up, there was some gold, and OLD silver, and jade, and lots of kids toys (at least 500 dinosaurs, and power wheels) and a coach's entire lot of baseball equipment, 3 laser printers, books, all sorts of amazing things-- and we haven't even hardly dug into that one yet.

Brian:  Becca did broker a magnificent deal that left us with TONS of toys and assorted "parade" style items such as folding chairs, coolers etc.  I have a feeling there will be more to tell about this unit in the blogs to come!!!

Rebecca:  There was a unit along the way that I took up to $125 but let it go-- it had Mardi Gras beads and DVDs/CDs.  Thousands of them. I realized that the CDs were pirated so I backed down--- no amount of $ is worth Federal charges!   Turns out, I was right-- the guys that bought it have absolutely no avenue to sell those in!

Brian:  As the pirated CD unit was being auctioned...a group of kids were playing in an adjacent backyard...but they were playing by swinging a full weighted shovel at each other...!  Now when I say kids...I mean 5-6 years old!!!  The shovel weighed more than them!  We were trying to get them to stop before someone got hurt, with little success I might add, when one of the older ladies...mother figure and all....spoke up!  "Hey, you kids...put that shovel down NOW!"  And they stopped immediately, dropped the shovel...stared for a moment...and then ran around the corner out of view!!  It was hilarious and cute at the same time!  They then kept coming from around the corner and taunting us, but when she would look at them...away they went again!  I now know who to send bad children to in the future!!!

Rebecca:  The kids thing was hilarious--  it was like that scene straight out of "Tommy Boy" - you know the one!  And as if this day can't get any stranger, we also start noticing at this facility, although we love it and have never had problems with it or it's cleanliness--  that there are piles of dog poo on the floor.  On a 2nd story floor.    We notice the first one right away, I take a picture,  then 3 or 4 units later we notice another one, in a separate building.  I'm not sure WHAT is going on there, but it can't be good!

Here's a picture:



2:00 pm

Rebecca: We ended up with 2 units (Unit #4 and Unit #5), the one that we got for $75 and the one from our competitor.  We ended up having to wait in the office for what seemed like FOREVER because there was paperwork on 22 units and there were about 8-9 different buyers (Ironic right, after the crowd of 50+?)   --  plus, even though we were first in line, we had to wait for our competitor to get his paperwork to do the "switch" of ownership.   It was okay, we weren't complaining-- we know the facility people were just doing their jobs as quickly as they could, plus, any break is a good break.  Well, this one lady (I personally can't stand her, if your remember a couple of weeks ago she's the one that bid me up $200 and won a unit because she saw a MacBook box... plus, she always acts like she knows everything and she's only been going to auctions for the past few weeks, but I digress) --  anyway, she's super impatient and asks for the gate code (to bring the vehicles into the facility to load), which I had just asked for and they didn't have it yet.   They explain nicely to her that they are trying to generate one for us.   She asks about 3 times and on the third time, says "okay, i'll just come back and get it LATER-- here's your pen!"  and THROWS the pen she had in her hand across the counter into the face of one of the Storage Unit employees.  This is NOT a smart move.   The storage unit employee, very calmly (kudos/ "cud-does" to her, because I personally would have been NOT calm at all)   says "That was not necessary, you almost hit me in the eye."    You can tell the lady was suddenly embarrassed as she realized what she had done, in front of everyone, she apologized and gave some crap about how "she didn't realize her own strength" or something like that... and quickly walked out.  I doubt she'll be buying there again!  After her "forgetting to pay"  that one time, and now this, she's very quickly eliminating facilities that she can buy from again!   That's okay, less competition for us!

3:00 pm -

Rebecca:  We weren't able to get a good look at both units, but we were able to stick our heads into the one we bought from our competitor.  We realized right away that he took a box of jewelry out somewhere during the middle of the auction before he had paid for the unit, which is total crap and we will never trust him again and shouldn't in the first place--  (Brian was 100% right when he warned me not to buy the unit from him) -- but we also realized that in his haste he left some gold and jade behind and even potentially ivory-- plus a lot of silver-  and not only silver but really OLD silver (goblets and things in boxes marked early 1900s)... so that's a win!  At least if you're going to try to pull one over on us, be thorough.  I'm still pleased with the unit though and know that we have way more than $375 worth of stuff.   Of the 20 or so boxes in the unit, so far it appears that every single one of them is FULL of toys,  little cars, monster trucks, trains, airplanes, baseball equipment, and dinosaurs.  I have never seen so many dinosaurs in my life.... there have to be at least 500 dinosaurs.  Not kidding.  Here's a video about one of the more persistent little guys:

                                                Aren't Dinosaurs Supposed to be Extinct?

4:00 pm -

Rebecca:  We play with our toys for a few seconds and then realize how late it is--  this facility had SO many units that we are now late to pick up our wife and dog, respectively (poor Lola has been finished at the groomers for over 5 hours now, and Lily was waiting patiently as well)--  so it is definitely time to go.  We skip the last 3 facilities of the day-- we have 5 units at this point, so enough is enough!

5:00 pm -

Rebecca:  Okay, everyone's picked up, and normally we would call it a day and pick up all of our units tomorrow, but we have a couple of problems.  1) We are having sales on Saturday so that day is not free, plus I have our Mystic Krewe of Nyx (a brand new Mardi Gras Krewe that I'm a member of-shout out!) ball that night, so that's a definite no.   2)  We have 5 units, so even if we did have Saturday free (which we don't), we'd have to spend at least part of Thursday and Friday to get them out.  3)  Friday is one of 2 days per week that Brian ACTUALLY works in his store in the French Quarter, Java House Imports,  and finally 4) (and most importantly) - the first facility that we purchased from  is at 95% capacity and therefore, instead of having 48 hours to clean out the units we only have 24.  And we bought 2 of them.  Oh snap.  So...  the facility is open until 9--- we rush over there and figure we can get a few solid hours of work in tonight.  That's exactly what we do.

7:00 pm -

Brian:  A storage facility at night can be like walking on the moon...but with more refined metal!!!  It is silent and echoing all at the same time...like going to a haunted house...where there is better lighting...and the scary stuff is locked behind big doors....waiting to be unleashed!!!  Even the carts are "chained" to the walls to either protect them from us....or us from them!!!  Can't tell!   Animals.....animal carts!!  And then, there is the elevator ride into the unknown.....or as I like to call it...the 3rd floor!  Where two of our units awaited....begging to be freed from their tombs!

Rebecca:  Storage Facilities are SCARY at night, y'all!  I actually got there 5 minutes earlier than Brian and waited in my car because I was NOT getting in there by myself.   When there's not a soul around, and it's pitch black, it's very eerie.  I realized how lucky I am to have a partner in this, because there is no way I'm brave enough to do it on my own at times like this!  And the elevators at many of these facilities have broken down on us before... so the last thing I need is to be stuck in an elevator where no one even knows I'm in there!     But anyway...  we found an unlocked cart, went upstairs, or up-elevator, and the first unit was exactly what we thought it was, and more.   200 or more CDs, all new in their cases, with the inserts and (thank goodness) the CDs are all inside.   I can't tell you how many times you just find jewel cases with nothing in them --  because I saw the records and other things though, I thought it was a pretty safe bet to assume the CDs were inside, and they were.   We had about 40 records,  some VHS and DVDs and Cassettes, and a lot of super collectible music things-- signed albums, old albums, one of the original Star Wars albums.  There's also a super lot of Depeche Mode stuff- so if anyone is a fan, we have a lot of really rare collectible things from them too, i'm pretty sure. On top of some kitchen stuff, and some other good stuff ( I'd tell you what, but I can't really remember, it's all sort of running together)-- it was a pretty snazzy unit.  We'll post individually about that one in the near future.

The second unit... well, that unit was a complete other story.   Everything had been nicely packed and it was clear that it was an entire home (without furniture) which was a good for a 24 hour move.  They had purchased ALL of the boxes from the storage facility (See how I go out of my way to avoid mentioning which company we bought from?  Hopefully they appreciate that!)  ...    that's a great sign, see our tips below for details.   I will tell you this about our tenant.  He was a gentlemen, who was married (perhaps separated or divorced) with children.   He is gay.  I'm not sure if anyone knows that he is gay or not.    The reason that this is important to the story at all, is that in addition to the really nice table, and chairs, and super amazing top of the line microwave, and Williams Sonoma brand new in bag utensils, and amazing perfectly wrapped art, and really nice wardrobe complete with very well kept clothing, etc, etc, etc,  were (this is where you need to censor or stop reading if you are easily offended)--   lots of evidence of his dark side.     I mean--  transvestite items, like boobs, dresses, makeup, and instructions to put on the makeup.  Dildos, cock rings, lube, gay pornography, condoms, lube, that sort of thing.    It even goes a step further-- because there is also bondage tape, torturing devices, a Bowflex machine type thing that was obviously used for some sort of sex chamber, whips and chains, devices that bind and lock, and things I couldn't even understand what they were for even after I looked them up on the internet.  (By the way, I know I'm digressing, but I really have to say, that every time I go to the Apple Store Genius Bar, they look at me like I'm INSANE when they see my history.  I can thank Storage Wars for that!)   But back to our current story--  there was also transsexual porn, which I had never seen before, and also the biggest dildos I have ever seen in my life.  I am serious.  They are the length of my arm and the width of my thigh.    Here's a video  (be warned, again, it's adult material!):






9:00 pm  -

Rebecca:  Finally home, eating dinner, watching The Big Bang Theory.  (I love that show, plus I guess it was appropriate after the dinosaurs.  Not to mention, when you have been around Brian too much and then aren't around Brian, it's comforting to listen to Sheldon ramble on about his nerdy things! ;) )   It's quickly back to work, because time to list Craigslist and Garage Sale ads for our super sale on Saturday (the toughest part is listing what you have to sell when you don't even know yet)-- but if I don't I'll miss the deadlines and we won't have any customers and that will be bad.  It's also blog time and I've spent the better part of the last hour uploading pictures for you lovely people to look at later.  You're welcome.


11:50pm 

Brian: Moral of the story... work smart not hard... but sometimes you might have to work smart not hard late!  You do what you have to do!

Rebecca:  It's only 11:50?  Is that all?  It feels like 3am. I am EXHAUSTED, and still need to go get the other 3 units tomorrow plus set up for our Saturday sale.  Goodnight, everyone!


Until next time,

Storage Heroes

Storage Heroes Tip #27:    When you look into a unit and see that all of the boxes have the facility logo on it, that is an excellent sign.  It usually means three things... 1) the person had money to spend on their pack/move  2)  the person was organized and planned OR in a hurry and maybe purchased the boxes last  minute (but usually the former), and 3) the person really cared for their things.   It's a very good sign to see facility boxes in a unit.  

Storage Heroes Tip #28:   It is NOT a good sign to see OTHER facility boxes in a unit (For example, maybe you're at Jim's Storage Company and the boxes read Sure Storage) - Yes, those are both made up names.  The point is that THIS means that the tenant has bounced from facility to facility and you can then assume that they either move around a lot, or they don't pay their bills and get evicted a lot-- either way, not a great sign.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Can we have what is behind door #3????

Brian here....I figured Becca does almost ALL of the blogs...so I might as well MAN UP and do at least something!!!  And boy...have I got a rant...I mean story for you!!  So, we go to an auction today, and we have started to get really REALLY good at the logistics part of auctions.  Let me explain.  When we first started in this...we would arrive for a 9:30 auction at 9:15 and proceed to sign in and wait...for another half hour while the powers that be got ready!  Now...if it is a 9:30 auction...we pull up to the door at 9:29:37. (Just to make sure we are actually there BEFORE 9:30 in the off-chance that it starts at 9:30:00 on the dot!!!)

It is a slippery slope actually...the pros/cons of showing up early.  Pros are that you actually get to meet and greet with people that you like and do business with.  An obvious Con of this is that you get to sit around with the other miserable bunch of depraved souls who, for one reason or another, have decided that the entire universe, and thus YOU, are against them and it is their singular purpose in life to smile at you while they are plotting your destruction!!!  Now, in all fairness...I am not perfect!!  (I know...you are stunned right!)  But I do try to do the right thing AND make money and succeed at the same time!  But I can't stand those who live and die by the philosophy that "NOT ONLY MUST I SUCCEED...BUT EVERYONE ELSE MUST FAIL"!!!  And trust me...they are out there...and they like NOTHING more than to see someone go down and NOT get up!  But I digress...

So we get to the auction at 9:29:37 and of course wait for another 15 minutes for it too start!  Now, in the facility/auctioneers defense...they do often try to do the right thing...and get their ducks in a row!!  (This not only includes paperwork, but often allowing the tenants one last final chance and often times involves long phone calls.  In essence...they are trying to do whatever is humanly possible to help these people, and that is commendable!)  Now the auction is about to start...YAY!

We get to the first unit...which is a build-up unit.  Now, if you don't know, this means that a facility might have a bunch of different things that have been leftover from many MANY other units of abandoned items, and the facility holds it all together until they get enough to auction it off as a unit.  The door opens, and it is a bunch of Mardi Gras beads in bags, some mixed furniture, nothing big...just some end tables and such with a dresser...one of our friends who rides in a parade wants the unit for obvious reasons and it goes for $90 to her!  Awesome, but still looking for OUR unit that will make us do cartwheels in the driveway and dream of chocolate gumdrops falling from the sky!

We get to unit number 2...a bid and hold unit!  Now, this means, in case you don't know, that the facility/auctioneer has decided to give the tenant just a little more time.  So if they gave them until the end of the day at 5, they must pay before then or the unit goes to the highest bidder.  Kinda sucks because that means you CAN'T put your lock on the unit and have to wait until the time is expired to pay AND dig!  There are SO many pros/cons to this, but that is for another rant...I mean blog!  But...I digress...AGAIN!

So the door opens to the bid hold unit, and it is a lot of nice chairs in EXCELLENT shape with lots of well packed boxes all neatly organized and maintained!  Someone has taken the time to preserve these items in great shape...so of course...we are interested....and so it begins!  We bid $100...someone bids $200...and we are off to the races...before you know it...it is at $400!  Becca and I are continually in communication over this one, and we decide it is worth it...so we bid $425....someone else bids $450 and then a $475 comes out....and at that point...we both agree...we are out!  Don't get me wrong...it looked like a good unit...at 250-400 or so...but 500+, I will "gamble" some other way!  You see...we try to make a judgment call on WHAT we can see.....and I can't see inside the boxes!  I know they are nicely packed...but might be nicely packed kitchen items/glasses/dishes!  And unless it is a bunch of new Calphalon pots or Waterford crystal, or fine china plated in gold...it's just not worth it!  And the boxes were marked "glasses" and "blankets"...so that may have very well been what they were...or it could have been new Chanel purses with tags!!  (WHO KNOWS!)  Just not our day to buy....so then we are ready for the next unit when we realize....THAT'S IT!  DONE!

Only 2 doors to choose from....PERIOD.  A quick auction indeed.....and we are left pondering the question....CAN WE HAVE WHAT IS BEHIND DOOR #3???????

Storage Heroes Tip #113  Sometimes, the yellow brick road just comes to an end for the day...and you don't even get to see the man behind the curtain!  That being said,

Storage Heroes TiP#114 is always make sure to look away from the fantasy of the Emerald City every once in awhile and check precious metals prices...silver is over $32/oz. right now!  (Make sure to read our guide to gold and silver, if you haven't already.  You can do so by clicking here.)

Until next time, take it easy,

Storage Heroes

Monday, January 23, 2012

The Redneck Picker

Quick post today live from auction...

We've seen 4-5 units and a vehicle (in the pouring rain)--  some pretty interesting items.  As for the truck (we use that term loosely), it literally looked like it had been through a chop shop.   The only parts left of the vehicle that were usable were 2 wheels.   I'm not kidding.  The hood was missing, the engine was missing, the doors had their insides missing (gutted),  fenders were missing.  Quarter panels were dented, so they were left behind!   There was a unit with an older gentleman's briefcases and file cabinets, filled with military memorabilia,   a family's unit with a bunch of kids toys and an antique rocking chair,  a unit filled of nothing but tiny boxes (our favorite kind), and one with about 5-8 pieces of antique furniture.  Finally, there was one with a gas stove and some random construction materials.  That one went for over $365.    We probably could/should have bought at least 1 or 2 of the units, but prices were pretty high.  The tiny boxes unit went for over $500, and believe it or not, the "truck" went for $350.     Maybe another day!

One of the bidders is this guy who probably reads this blog so I'll go pretty easy on him-- but I will say that he is getting ridiculous with his bids.     Bidding in 50 cent and $1 increments when the bid is over $250 is a little bit too much.  Or too little, I guess I should say!

In other news, do you like our new shirts?   Brian and I are sporting "Picker" and "Picker Chick"  shirts, courtesy of our friend The Redneck Picker.  Thanks RP!






Redneck Picker can be found on Facebook,  or YouTube.   His videos are great and a ton of fun-- he encourages everyone to always "keep your head on a swivel!"   He has a lot of experience in the industry and it really shows-- but he explains it all in an easy to digest, down-to-earth kind of way. RP also can be seen on the new hit TV show Real Deal, on the History Channel.  Check your local listings for times.  Thanks again, RP for our shirts!   We're also glad we're friends!

Until next time,

Storage Heroes

Storage Heroes Tip #6:   When bidding on lockers, keep your increments appropriate.  If the bidding is under $25,  bids of under $5 are okay.   When the bidding is over a couple of hundred dollars, don't waste everyone's time and patience by bidding ridiculously low and foolish amounts.   A bid of $1000 and 1 cent might be cute on The Office or The Price is Right, but it's NOT cute at auction.    Oh, and it's also bad technique-- just like in poker, "shy bets"  mean that you're not confident that you're going to take home the big prize!

Giveaway:  If anyone would like a "Keep your Head on a Swivel"  Redneck Picker sticker,  post a comment here!  We'll use a random number generator to PICK a winner!  Ha!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Our first video blog!

Mark this date as a date that lived in infamy, folks-- we decided to try our hand at video blogging!  In this first one, we tell you what happened to us the week of January 22nd.  Meet Rebecca's pomeranian Lola, find out about our 3 new units,  our new potential customer,  auctions for next week, our new slogans, and more.   And when Rebecca challenges Brian's knowledge of Eric Clapton, can he keep up?   Watch the video to find out!



Until next time,

Storage Heroes

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Special Sale-- Pay $20, Take as much as you want!

 We don't normally post our sales here but this one is special so we decided to let you know about it!

When:  Thursday, Friday, and Saturday   1/19, 1/20, 1/21  By APPOINTMENT ONLY
Where:  ** Location has been removed out of respect for our clients because this sale is now over.
What:  Special Estate Sale.  $20 Entry Fee buys you anything and everything you can fit into your vehicle. ($20 per trip)

Items for sale include:  sewing patterns, fabrics, craft items, 1X and 2X Ladies clothes,  Ladies shoes new in box and used size 8 and 9,  Glassware, housewares, end tables, blender/microwave/coffee pot/fondue pot, shower curtains, pillows, card table, chairs, fishing equipment, camping items, picture frames, candles, gift items, kids toys, Christmas decorations, Halloween decorations, Easter decorations, costumes, Mardi Gras supplies, an aquarium, lamps, electronics, and much much more.

To make an appointment, e-mail storageheroes@gmail.com or call 504-535-HERO

xoxo,
Storage HEROES (Help Everyone Remove Old Extra Stuff)

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

An Open Letter to People who Read Craigslist

Dear "People who Read Craigslist",

We understand that some of you (the two of us included), just read Craigslist for fun when you're bored at work.  We know the beauty of the missed encounters section, and the joy of reading about ridiculous items for free (our favorites are the treadmill that only goes backwards, and the feral cats that are so vicious the writer was offering to pay people $20 each to haul them away).   This letter is not targeted at you.  Instead, we'd like to focus our attention on those who surf Craigslist actually looking to buy.

First and foremost, you are presumably on Craigslist NOT because you're looking for a super rare item that could only be found in certain unlikely places.  It's not like you've searched high and low at the auction houses and antique stores for the 18th century item that you just have to have that you're hoping to find listed in someone's backyard.   You are more than likely, for lack of better terms, cheap.  You want some common household item (rug, blender, couch, TV) and don't want to shell out the money you'd be expected to spend at Target, or god forbid, Walmart.  THAT just would be too expensive.   OR, worse, you're a wholesaler who is trying to buy low and sell high.  Either way, you want a DEAL, right?

Well here's your deal of the day--  We're going to give you some tips.  That's, right, tips.  You can thank us later.

1.  Don't be stupid-  items are priced according to their condition and value -  If we write on Craigslist that a fridge is $50- don't whine and complain that it's dirty, or old, or the wrong brand, or not the right color for your kitchen.  It's a fridge.   It sells new in the store for a couple hundred.  Didn't you wonder why it was $50?    Did you think *we* were stupid?    Either you're dumb, or you're purposely taking advantage of people.  We don't like you either way.

2.  Don't expect everything to be brand new and perfect in every way-  Duh.  This isn't Saks Fifth Avenue. This isn't even Sears.   If you want something brand new, go to Sears, or Target, or God-forbid, Walmart.   If you can't afford to pay $19.99 for a blender,  you can't afford to be uppity about a fingerprint or a crack.  (We aren't saying there's anything wrong with being poor, just with being snotty and poor.) You're lucky it still works.   If you keep complaining, we might just hit you over the head with it.  THEN maybe you'll get the discount you're asking for because it's "faulty."  This especially goes for kids items.  If you're looking to buy something that's for 3-year-olds, don't be surprised if it has crayon marks or drool on it.  What did you expect?  Besides, what do you think YOUR 3-year-old is going to do with it, use white gloves and inspect it under a microscope?  You'll be lucky if they don't pee on it.

3.  Along those lines--  Craigslist HAS A PLACE to list the price  --  So, when you respond to an ad that lists an item for $50, and you show up,  BRING $50.  Do not ask how much it is, and do not ask us to take another amount.   You're probably the same bozo that walks into "Everything's A Dollar" and asks how much something is, aren't you?   The other day, true story, a lady emailed us about a 4 piece solid wood bedroom set that we had price dropped (over time) from $500 to $250.  She actually asked if we would take $50 for all four pieces.   Our response to her was "Are you serious?!!?!(@*%)(@"

4. The pictures are there for a reason.  Use them -  If we post a picture of a bed, inside a bedroom, with linens on it,  why are you going to act surprised when you show up and it's inside a bedroom with linens on it?   Do you think we photoshopped the picture to make it look more realistic?   It's a marketing ploy that we use to lure in the customers that are going to spend, well, $19.99.   Yeah.  Right.  Believe it or not, this has actually happened too (the questioning, not the photoshopping!)

5.  You purposely try to take advantage of us, and we will own you -  Craigslist trolls, you are the worst.  You are professional scum, yet are so unscrupulous you don't even have the prestige of being called a true criminal.   You list things by blatantly lying all the time ("Drew Brees game-worn jersey"  for example, that was worn by someone WHILE watching Drew Brees at a game),  yet you flag and remove our post because you don't like us.   You haggle with us for an hour on prices that were more than reasonable to begin with, and then miss your appointment with us to pick up the items.   You call us every single week, because you're too stupid to realize that we're the SAME PEOPLE who had the garage sale last week, and ask us again if we have "costume jewelry" and if you can come see a "preview" the day before.  Then you bring your gold tester kit trying to take advantage of us, complain at prices of $1, and spend $8 total even though you made us come all the way out the day before our sale just for your stupid ass.  Be warned, we're not as stupid as you think we are, and we have your number saved in our phone.

Don't get us wrong- we love Craigslist.  It's been very valuable to our business.  Today, for example, we had a lady and a man both respond to ads, who each showed up within 30 minutes, when they said they were going to, and spent over $600.  In return, we treated them very kindly and gave them huge discounts.  It is a good system and does work when it isn't abused.  BUT, for those $600- we first had to deal with 25 other people who no-showed time after time, showed up late when they finally did show up, and who whined and complained the entire time leaving without spending a single dime.   They also did every one of the above five things.   True story.

In other words-- if you're going to use it, use it, but don't abuse it.  If you do, we'll have something to say about it.  And you can better believe you'll end up on this blog.

Sincerely yours,

Storage Heroes

PS - Thanks for sticking with us on this rant.  We DEFINITELY "put the RAGE in Storage" today!

Monday, January 16, 2012

A Penny Saved is a Penny Learned... part 1

 This unit was the 2nd of the 3 that we bought last week.  The tenants actually had two units directly next to each other, both 5 X 15s--  we bought this one for $285, and were about to buy the other one but we were outbid by someone who was actually a tenant (not THIS tenant)-- he had showed up to pay his bill and stayed for the auction.   There was no way we were going to go over $285 on the other (his winning bid), which was the same size as ours, but only half full.  

This is what the unit looked like when the doors rolled open:


Another picture:

Another picture:

And a video:



You can't see it from the picture, but there was a jewelry box behind the TV and on top of one of the dressers. This is one of the reasons we wanted this unit.  Here's a closeup of the jewelry box:


Another picture of the jewelry box.  There was nothing inside (minus some costume jewelry, pennies, and things like that)-- but it did come with the key, and is a great looking box. 

A picture of the rest of the unit.  We have a little boy's dresser (red and blue), another dresser, a real locker (super cute and cool) and a bed that could be bunk beds but I'm not sure yet.  There's also a washer, and about 10 assorted boxes and bags.

Another angle of the unit.

The first bag I opened was just bedding--  so we're going to trash that.

The next box I opened had varnish and paint, and some other junk so we just threw that box away.

At this moment,  the guy who had purchased the locker next door had shown up to collect his items as well... and he let me look at a few of his things (honestly because I think he wanted my opinion on their value).    Fortunately for us, our locker had all of the items of value in it.  Unfortunately for us, his locker had all of the interesting items!   This one bag, for example, was filled with sex toys, a bong, and something wrapped up in foil that I'm pretty sure was black tar heroin.   I was going to ask the guy what he planned on doing with this stuff, but honestly, it was none of my business and I hate when people ask me that kind of stuff so I just snapped a few pictures, answered his questions, and went back to my locker.


Here's a closeup of the bag:






His mystery, almost assuredly, drug-like substance:

There were also prison letters in his locker.  Of course.  I'm always bummed when I know I've missed out on some good prison letters.

Back to our locker.   It might not be as interesting as the other one, but at least we have SOME strippers this time! :)


It also appears like one or more of our tenants was ripping off people of their car stereos and navigation systems...  either that, or they are REALLY bad at wiring! :)

More electronic equipment:

A 50 cent novel:
Oh, you thought I meant the PRICE was 50 cents, right?  Joke's on you!

And another book, called "Knockin' Boots" -- wonder what THAT's about


This next tote had a lot of personal items in it, scattered, randomly, so I decided to take my time with it.

I found a TON of photos, and some gift certificates.  This one is for a free drink (with food purchase) at a bar in the Marigny area of New Orleans.  If anyone would like it, feel free to comment.   We'll do a random number generator on all of the comments (if any) to pick a winner.  Otherwise, Brian gets it :)

I spent seriously an hour on this one box.   I realized after about 2 minutes that she had dumped out the jewelry box into this box,  so on top of trying to sort out pictures for the tenant, I was also literally trying to sort out trash from treasure.  There were quite a few pieces of gold and sterling silver, so I was happy I didn't just dump this box.


See how large this stack of photos is?  This is one of five stacks this size.  Sheesh.  I still don't understand why, if photos are so important to people that they take, keep, and save, thousands of pictures, why they don't keep them in a more secure place.

Another stack of photos:


Anyone have any idea what this is?  A piece to a speaker?

No storage locker party is complete without a funky red lightbulb!

Speaking of light, our tenant had a huge lighter collection.  This was one of the more memorable ones.


At some point throughout reading all of the notes on all of the backs of all of the high-school dance photos (you know the ones),  I realized that our girl got pregnant somewhere during high school (along with about a half dozen of her friends).  All I can say is, at least they were seeking medical advice and taking the proper prenatal vitamins!


This keychain says it all!  Pretty sure that's why I'm knee-deep in a storage locker at this moment! :)

Either our girl travelled a LOT or she had great dreams to travel a lot-- there were hundreds of unsent postcards.   I'd find 10 or 12 from the same city at a time.  These are all from/of New York, and I'm assuming they are pretty old, because the Twin Towers are very evident in the one on top.  9-11-01, we'll remember forever.   One good thing about storage units is you're forced to remember (and reflect on) things like that (and Katrina for us), more often than you would normally, because you're constantly going through pictures and scrapbooks and diaries and letters, etc.

So, where's the baby daddy?    Well, according to our records, he's in jail.  Not sure for what (not sure if I ever will find out), but the bail/jail fees are pretty intense.


Another high-school prom photo.  Only it's a picture of another little (precious) newborn.   In the note on the back the mom is complaining about... well, here's the text of the note:  "She was very white looking, you know the picture taker was a hater. They made my baby darker"    Super cute little baby, though!



Here's another lighter.  Self explanatory.

Lots of Betty Boop purses, collectibles, and postcards also.  A LOT of our tenants collect Betty Boop.  Not sure what the correlation with that is.

Hand-drawn picture.  I get what it's trying to say, but I'm not sure I want to.
The tongue ring just makes it.  Don't you think?


A-HA... well here's one of our perpetrator's offenses....  (I assume there are more because I'm not sure that "Theft of Utility Service"  has a $25,000 bond... that seems excessive).


All of the photos and personal items I've collected are now in one box.   Can you see how much is in there?
Also, see those red and green bordered things? Those are the photos you take at Chuck-E-Cheese in the photo booth.  There are probably 100 of them in there.


I got really excited to find a letter, only to realize that it was just a child's drawing.

This box is entirely full of disposable cameras

The pile of jewelry and costume jewelry so far:


A McDonald's Arch Card:

No idea what was in this particular picture.  I'll blow it up so you can try to figure it out at home.  Sometimes when you're in a unit and you open 40 boxes and take 200 pictures, sometimes the minor details and un-exciting finds just pass by you.

A book of Prayers and Poems to God.  We find something similar to this in a lot of prison units.  Usually implies repeat offender, because they hand this out in prison, and the fact that it's in the unit usually means the offender has repeated.   I hope this guy is doing okay and is on the right track now!

I found this strange looking black mesh thing:

And then I realized it must be the back to the mystery item I found earlier.  A perfect fit:
So, I guess it IS a speaker.

Hair supplies.  Another super-duper common find.

Poker chips, still wrapped up in the original cellophane.

Ahh, the Crown Royal bag.  Ask Brian if you don't believe me, but I swear we find one of these in every locker.  I don't know why.  Sometimes we find the bottle too, but usually just the bag.  People can't throw them away.  I guess because if you're booze is fancy enough to come with a drawstring fake suede like baggie, you sure as hell better save that for a special occasion.
And by the way, this entire bag was filled with pennies.


A picture of the pennies inside the bag:

A really nice cedar jewelry box.   Any guesses what is in this one?


Pennies and screws.

More purses.  Filled with?
Pennies.

A cute little screw set:

At this point I found this metallic suitcase that looked like what the casino chips come in, and since we already had a roll of chips I was excited... but it turns out that it was filled with (You'll never guess in a million years)...


.......



Floppy disks.  Of the 3 1/2 " variety.  I had no idea they still MADE those.


Maybe our guy was a DJ?   Or maybe the girl was, who knows.  Here are a bunch of sound effects cds.


Another shot of the cds:



Lion King snow globe!   My day is now complete. Yes, I'm being sarcastic.  I do want to see the Lion King show though (shout out, it's at Mahalia Jackson theatre in New Orleans through March and I heard it's really great.  Feel free to send us free tickets.)

A combination CD changer. If only it took 3 1/2 inch floppies, too!


A close up:

Job history.  Poor girl, it really did look like she was trying to support her son the best she could, and that she was saving every penny.   I'm sure the bond payments didn't help her keep to her budget.
Oh yes, and line #1  DEFINITELY explains the hundreds of Chuck-E-Cheese photos.


Someone worked at Texas Roadhouse (another Storage Hero favorite).  We were so excited by this that we went and ate at Texas Roadhouse that day!  But, no coupons were found in this holder :(   If someone wants to send us Texas Roadhouse coupons, again, feel free :)


Cute little baby frame:

More electronics, including a DVD player.



Someone was also studying for a CDL license:

More random auto electronics:

A box of tool and tool like things:

Pink flip flops!

Another DVD player and a box of stuff we decided to keep:  (Actually, I think at this point I was still there by myself because Brian was working in the store... but I knew it was stuff that he'd want to keep).

Close-up of our DVD player.  Still no slots for 3 X 5 inch floppy disks :)

She really loved pink.  Even the cut-off lock was pink!

Another random box of stuff to dig.  Brian was back by now, it was POURING RAINING, and we were ready to go to Texas Roadhouse to eat.  I think this bin is still in the back of my car waiting to be processed.  We'll let you know how that goes.  Mainly tools, I think.
I do remember by going through this briefly that there were just random things-- really heavy tools and jacks, for example, on top of fragile cds that had broken under the weight.


Here was one such CD.   And no offense or disrespect to Pastor Tilton or any of these other pastors who make these types of materials-- but why is it that I always find cds like "Keys to Prosperity"  in repossessed storage lockers?  Hmm...


Another CD.  Read the title.
Now, it is REALLY "Ghetto"  when you can't even SPELL ghetto.

A Louis Vuitton looking bag, but NOT, definitely not.  Still cute though.

My newfound purses. We'll probably play a round of "what's in the bag"  in our next blog on this unit!

Another bag:



Contents of purses and bottoms of boxes.  PENNIES EVERYWHERE.

Another box filled with randomness.

Cute onesie!  It says "When God created me, he was just showing off!"




Anyone need a Cleopatra-ish headpiece?  Comes with free fake snake!

At this point there was a little tiny thing wrapped in about 5 different plastic bags.  It made me highly curious so I immediately unwrapped it.

Turns out, it was just a bottle of heart shaped nailpolish.


That's it for today... you can see this is a long blog on a pretty small unit... but lots more interesting stuff to write about!   (Oh goodness, I sound like Brian!)  Next thing you know, I'm going to start mis-using the ellipsis.   (you know, the dot dot dot in-between things, like this...  Brian thinks the number of dots you use is completely subjective and dependent upon how excited you are about something, and that is just NOT THE CASE.)  But I digress!

Until next time!

Storage Heroes Tip #14:   When buying companion units (different units that belonged to the same tenant)-  try to get all or none of them.  If you can't, make sure to be cordial and respectful of the other person, and give him/her your contact information in case one of you has an item the other person needs.  It does no one any good if you each have half of a piece of furniture!

Storage Heroes Tip #15:  If you are unsuccessful in buying all of the companion units, and you can, try to show up at the same time as the person who bought the other unit so you can scope out their stuff :)

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