The First

I went to a storage auction yesterday, and another today.  I'd prepared myself ahead of time to write a cool, first-timer blog, comparing and contrasting with all three shows, with thrifting, maybe even tell a nice allegorical story about messes and life.

Trouble is, yesterday wasn't my first auction.  I stood at the door of that locker in the steaming heat, and it felt so familiar.  Couldn't remember why, but suddenly, in the middle of trying to decide between Cascade and Finish, I remembered a day about 15 years ago - I was standing in a crowd of 50 or 60 people, staring at rows and rows of stainless steel fryers, cabinets, and shelves thinking "I can't use any of that."  It was a storage auction.  I was there.

Does that make me cool?  Or just old?

Don't answer that.

So what have I run into so far?  Well, I'll tell you one thing - times have either changed (and TV lies) or I happened to be in on a major auction of the sort I have yet to run into (and TV lies).  I found out that in two days' time, ten auctions (with a total of 32 lockers) went down to three (with a total of 6 lockers) within 24 hours before the start time (lesson - call ahead before you leave the house to see who paid their fees at the last minute).  I found out that most of the buyers are nice, cooperative, and kind of fun to be around - drama (TV doesn't lie, but probably exaggerates).  I found out that most lockers, at least in this area, are full of trash the owners don't want to clear (the nice people talk) yet the things still sell every time (for $25 or less) and that very few hunters will let you see what they find inside (TV doesn't lie about that).  I found out that these auctions are exactly like thrifting in that you have to have a little faith that if you keep going and going, eventually you'll find something that gives you that tingle of promise (all woo-woo aside, did I tell you those earrings I found Tuesday are David Yurman?).  And I found I kind of like it all.

Today, one of the winners allowed me to hang around - a couple of college kids, trying out a new thing.  I took a picture of the inside.

Five bucks for all of it.  He sold one of the chairs and some tools, to what Dave (on Storage Wars) calls "vultures,"  people who hang around and pick through to buy any or some of the items without having to clear the locker.  Personally, since the kid doubled his money in about two minutes he did great.  And he was so sweet, so wide-eyed, that I wanted to make sure he ate more (a Mom thing).

Plus, there was more.  While I stood there, talking, they started opening boxes.  Books.  The second one his friend pulled out looked vaguely familiar, so I asked to see it.  First edition Taylor Caldwell.  Not a well-known title, no dust jacket, but a first edition Taylor Caldwell!  And another, a Norah Lofts.  A couple of sconce-type lamps with smoked glass and 70's switches (the kind that are coming back).  I told them to flip through the books (I've found money) and Google the crap out of titles.  They took my number.

So sue me, I'm a compulsive teacher.

Overall, it was pretty fun.  I will definitely do it again.  And I might even buy something ... when my back heals and Acid Trip has time to help me.  I have a feeling I will discover a great prize at the bottom of several of these boxes of crap.

Oh, and before you ask, the footlocker was almost empty.  Just an almost-new, still-in-the-box Ikea table.  Good deal for $5, but no treasure of the Sierra Madre.

That's for me to find.