Archives for posts tagged Winnipeg Storage Unit Auction

How To Find Our Online Storage Unit Auctions

Storage units are used across Canada as a way to provide a solution for individuals who need to store items such as furniture and clothing. When an individual does not have enough room within their home to store their belongings, a storage unit can come in quite handy. The user then pays a monthly fee to ensure their items are stored. However, in situations where the payment is not made and the account goes into default, eventually, an auction will occur with the belongings inside. Popularized by reality television shows such as A&E’s “Storage Wars” and Spike’s “Auction Hunters”, if you are interested in going to storage unit auctions, the first step is to learn how to find auctions in your area.

Find Online Storage Unit Auctions – Contacting Local Storage Facilities

To get started, you can look up local storage facilities in your area and find out their process for hosting auctions. While some storage facilities might post an upcoming auction online, others might place an ad in the local newspaper. By making a list of storage facilities in your area and figuring out how they announce upcoming auctions, you can stay on top of any auctions that will take place near your home. Once you have a schedule of storage unit auctions, you can attend!

Find Online Storage Unit Auctions – Attending an Auction

If you are attending an auction for the first time, it is important to note that you will need to have cash on hand. Most storage facilities want their bidders to pay cash for what they win. The expectation is for you to pay up once the auction has been won. It can be beneficial to go to an auction just to watch for the first time. This will give you an idea as to how the bidding process takes place and to see how many people are attending. Even if you do not bid, having the experience of going to a storage unit auction will be useful when you partake.

Find Online Storage Unit Auctions – Online Auctions

Like most things, the Internet has disrupted the way a storage unit auction occurs. Many storage facilities offer online auctions for units that have gone into default. Storage facilities often prefer the online method of hosting a storage unit auction. Because it is online, people can bid in advance if they are busy – increasing the competition. At the same time and it greatly reduces the amount of foot traffic onsite – which can be concerning for actual customers.

An online auction would take place the same way as an on-site auction would, but you don’t have to actually be at the facility to take part. The benefit of not having to attend in person is two-way – when an auction takes place at a time when you cannot attend. You can find out if a storage facility offers online auctions when you are conducting research on the auction options in your area.

Total Storage’s Online Storage Unit Auctions

At Total Storage Winnipeg, we fully believe hosting our storage unit auctions online is the best route. As previously mentioned, it reduces onsite traffic for our customers. However, at Total Storage Winnipeg, we do online storage unit auctions the right way. For each auction held online, you will have the opportunity to watch a clear, comprehensive video outlining the contents of the storage unit for auction. All of our online auctions are listed on our storage unit auction page.

All of our online storage unit auctions are announced through our website. Visit our storage unit auction page to find available auctions and a listing of past auctions. Read the descriptions, watch the video. If the contents in the storage unit pique your interest, simply click the ‘unit number’ placed above the video for the storage unit auction you’re interested in.

If you have any questions about our online storage unit auction process – please feel free to contact us!

How Can I Bid on Online Storage Unit Auctions on your website?

See something you like and want to submit a bid for the storage unit? The process is so easy! We work with an excellent technology partner for online storage unit auctions – Bid13. All of our online storage unit auctions are powered by their easy to use and intuitive website. To place a bid, visit Bid13 Auctions’ auction page, and find the Total Storage unit you want to bid on. Click ‘Bid’ and then either create an account or log-in to your existing account.

If you haven’t created an account before, you will need to go through a short verification process which will involve submitting your phone number and billing information. Once your account is verified, which occurs in a matter of seconds, you can bid and be part of the storage unit auctions in the future. Should your bid be outbid by another user, a notification will be sent to you informing you that you’re no longer the highest bidder. At the end of the auction, the individual with the highest bid will win the storage unit auction.

Besides the robust technology of Bid13’s system, they also have customer-friendly support through multiple different contact channels. If you encounter an issue while trying to win a storage unit auction, you can contact Bid13 by phone, web form or live chat.

The Top 10 Weirdest Things to Come Out of a Storage Unit Ever

A storage unit is often used by individuals to store unwanted belongings or priceless treasures. You never know what might be hiding in a storage building and this is why storage unit auctions are becoming so popular. It can be quite exciting to bid on a unit and win, then get to work digging through the items to see what treasure you might find.

Sometimes units are filled with old clothes and trash, but other times, unique antiques and memorabilia can be found inside. There are various reports of odd and unusual items being found in storage units, a few of which we will list below. Read on to see what unusual items were found hidden away in storage units.

An Amputated Leg

One storage hunter purchased a unit in 2007 and was able to reveal an amputated human leg. The leg was located in a smoker of all places and was quite the odd find. Apparently, the former owner of the unit had lost his leg after a plane crash and kept the leg in his unit so he could be buried with it when he died.

NASA Rocket and Countdown Clock

Another unique find came in 2011 during the Auction Hunters show of Spike TV. A locker included a NASA rocket and countdown clock. Not something you expect to find in a standard storage locker!

First Superman Comic

It is not uncommon for comic book items to be found in storage units as those articles are highly collectable. However, it is uncommon to find rare items like the first edition of a comic book. In 2011, it was reported that a man had purchased a storage unit in San Fernando Valley and came across the first Superman Comic, an Action Comics No. 1. The comic was stolen from Nick Cage in 2000 after the actor purchased it for $1 million in 1995.

Empty Lock Boxes

Lockboxes are often used to store valuables, so it is no surprise to find one in a storage unit. However, the majority of lockboxes found in storage rooms are empty which is quite odd!

Live Hand Grenade

A man from Michigan reportedly found a live hand grenade in a storage unit. The bomb squad had to be called to remove the grenade safely.

Jackson Legacy

A storage unit said to be owned by Joe Jackson, the infamous father of Michael Jackson, was found to have 250 original songs by the pop star.

Aretha Franklin clothing

After a fire, singer Aretha Franklin used a Michigan storage building to house her clothing. After stopping payment, the clothing was auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Deliverance

One of the most infamous movies to hit the big screen is one titled Deliverance, starring Burt Reynolds. Mr Reynolds decided to keep the canoe from the 1972 movie, and it ended up in a storage building, found among several other odd keepsakes.

Cash

A man from San Jose purchased a locker and found a ton of gold coins, silver ingots and rare coins that totalled more than $500,000 in value. All of this was purchased for just $1,100!

Beach Boys Music

Just a few years ago, a blind auction took place where a Florida radio station bought documents and papers that ended up belonging to the Beach Boys. Original lyrics, royalty checks and the like were inside. After a long battle, the lot ended up selling at another auction for $10 million!

All of this is just an example of what you can find in storage units. Check out our Auctions section for upcoming events, maybe you’ll find something to add to this list!

How Do Storage Unit Auctions Work?

How Do Storage Unit Auctions Work? Have you ever wondered what treasures you may find in someone’s storage unit that they left behind? You see those shows on TV that show people making thousands upon thousands of dollars, and think, if you just put forth a little money, that could be your return, right? Well, maybe, but you first need to understand how the entire process works.

Each Storage Company Has Slightly Different Rules

When it comes to bidding on abandoned storage units, each company is going to have their own set of rules. These rules will be explained prior to the start of the auction, so make sure you are there early enough to hear all of the rules. Most auctions require you to have the cash on you to pay for at least 10% of the unit’s cost, and they will give you a few hours to produce the rest of the money, but again, that may differ depending on which storage company you go with.

At the beginning of the auction process, the unit will be opened up and you will be given the opportunity to peer inside. Usually, you cannot step inside the unit, but if the unit’s contents are all in the back, a step or two is sometimes allowed just for you to get a view of what the unit contains. Each potential buyer is allowed to take note of what the unit contains, then a live bid will begin. People go back and forth with their bids until the highest possible bid on the unit is found. From there, the winner is written down, and the next unit is opened up. This continues until all of the units are auctioned off.

When the Auction is Over

Once all of the auctions have been completed, it is time for the winners to pay up. Once payment has been made, the unit can be entered and you can go through what you have won. You will often have a short time to empty the unit, which should be covered in the initial rules. This varies, but is often around 24 hours. You can keep what you want, and toss the rest. If you get lucky, you may have won something that earned you your investment back and maybe a bit more.

The Total Storage Way

We run our auctions a little differently than other storage facilities in Winnipeg. Instead of spending your time standing in the lot waiting for the right unit to come up, you can browse our available storage units for auction on our website https://totalstoragewinnipeg.ca/auction. Once you find a unit you’re interested in bidding on you can do so online! Once your signed in or created a free account you can set a minimum bid for the unit and be notified if you’re outbid.

After the auction is completed and the unit has been sold to the highest bidder you can come to our facility at 21 Blumberg Trail in Headingley to pay for and collect your items. It’s that simple!

Steve Grass

2021-07-08

Super helpful and reasonable rates. Extra help with movers too!

Travis Murray

2021-06-26

Total storage is super clean and the climate control for the units is top notch 👌 super friendly staff as well!. Would highly reccomend this place to anyone.

Kevin Brown

2021-06-21

Great place. I kept some of my sporting goods in my storage unit after my wife was after me to make some extra space on our house. This was an easy choice to make after meeting the staff and getting a tour of the facility. It is really easy location to get to from my home in Charleswood, just a quick stop off the perimeter on my way to the lake.