Storage auctions are almost always held because storage customers quit paying their storage charges. The companies involved need to make the storage go away so that they can use the space for paying customers. Generally, the storage customers have until the start of the auction to pay their charges. Because of this we can seldom guarantee exactly how many lockers or vaults we'll have to sell.
These auctions are like treasure hunts. People normally do not go to the trouble of paying to store, and in the case of moving & storage auctions, paying to have things professionally packed, moved, and stored, unless the property has value. In a large part, bidding on storage is gambling; the bidder is betting there are items of value in the storage without being able to actually see what's there.
People store amazing things, cash, coin collections, jewelry, antiques, collectibles of every stripe, art, musical instruments, audio and video equipment and recorded media, tools of all sorts, computers, laptops, motorcycles -- you just never know. In a famous case, someone bought a storage locker in Florida and found personal letters of Malcom X, which he then sold for a huge amount of money. You just never know...
Self-Storage:
With self-storage auctions, almost always everything in the locker or space is sold as a single item. Bidders are allowed to look inside the storage space, but nothing may be touched or handled, boxes are not opened, things are not moved. Whatever is inside is sold as is.
There are occasionally exceptions to this. Sometimes there may be so much in a storage space, it will be broken out into lots and sold that way. This is rare, but generally we know in advance when it will happen and it is publicized as such.
Moving and storage auctions:
Moving & Storage companies generally store items in large wooden containers called "vaults". There is no preview for a moving and storage auction. A crew opens each vault, removes the items and puts lot numbers on each lot. Boxes and other containers are NOT opened. They are sold closed with the contents unknown.
As much as possible, Absolute Auction Co. insists on protecting the integrity of storage lockers and vaults. We do not "cherry pick" storage and we will not work with a storage company that does. Bidders at storage auctions need to know that the good items have not been removed or hidden, because many of them depend on the contents of storage for their income.
