MACOMB COUNTY, Mich. — Whether you’re in the market for a classic car or home furnishings, the items that you seek may well be available much closer than you think — and often for pennies on the dollar. Billed as the ’Modern Day Treasure Hunt,’ storage unit auctions are held regularly at storage facilities throughout the country and are truly a very interesting – and potentially lucrative, way to spend a day.

Blair Auction & Appraisal of Grand Rapids, Mich., is one of the Midwest’s largest storage unit liquidators. Already a presence in 18 states, Wayne Blair is steadily working his way across the country. His associate auctioneers currently cover states as far as Georgia, Kansas and Missouri with plans to expand further.

A relatively new law in the state of Michigan allows storage facilities to publish auction notices for delinquent accounts online instead of in the newspaper. Blair Auction & Appraisal has a website to facilitate this required notification, which, in turn, helps the storage facilities streamline their business.

Simply Self Storage is just one of the many storage franchises that contracts with Blair Auction to liquidate unit contents when the rent becomes delinquent. For the Simply Self-Storage units on this day’s auction schedule, renters receive notice of arrears after 30 days and are subject to lose their unit to auction after 60 days of non-payment. The renters have until auction time to pay their delinquent accounts and often procrastinate until the last minute. So, you just never know how many storage units will be sold on a given day.

My recent jaunt following auctioneer, Wayne Blair, through Macomb County began with 29 storage unit auctions at seven locations on the roster. The final count was whittled down to 18 units at six locations by the time the day was done. When the lock is cut and the door rolls up on the unit, bidders gather on tiptoes with high-beam flashlights to scope out the contents and ponder what might be stored in the unmarked bags, totes and boxes within. Buyers must bid on what they see without crossing into the unit and may not poke around in bags or open the boxes until the unit is sold.

The first unit offered some useful items, as well as some tempting black bags whose contents are not visible. A bird cage, a sofa, large television, tables and Christmas items were visible. The contents of the 5 by 10 foot unit sold for $225. The buyer rolled down the door and slapped a lock on the door immediately. A unit with an old electric stove in avocado green, a piano, chairs and some bedroom furniture only reached $5. But $500 was needed to take a unit that was full and appeared to an entire household. Boxes full of old records, ladies hats, a Sony cassette player, computer printer and luggage were all within sight. Dozens upon dozens of bags were piled inside and some vintage clothing could be seen spilling out of several.

A short ride down the road found two units that were both in arrears from the same tenant. When the doors were rolled up, miles and miles of yarn were found along with some yard tools, trellises and a Compaq Presario computer. A few mystery boxes completed the unit, which went for $500. The smaller unit next door held a huge china cabinet with matching table and chairs, as well as even more yarn, and sold for $200.

Three units were unveiled at the next storage facility on Twelve Mile Road in Roseville. The first offering held some large snack-type vending machines and many boxes. The vending unit rang up $225. Next stop at this location held a Kenmore refrigerator and many tools and chains. Sitting right in front of the unit was a Rockwell 11-inch drill press, which helped instigate a final call of $1,100. The last unit here was rather sparse, with some shelving, wood and a box of buttons, bringing $2.

Fourteen registered bidders were on hand at the Eight Mile Road facility, which offered three units for auction. A unit that sold for $300 contained a queen size mattress, table and chairs, television, dishes, books, a baker’s rack, bicycle and some tote boxes. For $10, a buyer purchased a storage unit that held a quantity of carpet and linoleum remnants. A bid of $55 picked up a Christmas tree and decorations, a Huffy bicycle, bed and exercise equipment at the last sale here.

At the last stop of the day in Gratiot, a unit holding household items including a television, pictures, tables, dresser and stereo system sold for $45. Another unit looked hastily vacated with little left. Some books, cassettes, an old microwave and some clothes took in $22.50. The last unit held some nice newer store display items: shelving, two showcases and mannequins and went for $110.

The next day a larger crowd gathered to bid on 12 units at the Simply Self Storage near Eight Mile and Groesbeck. The first unit housed a newer washer, dryer and refrigerator, among other items. It reached $475. A floor fan, DVD player and many, many bags littered the second unit, which sold for $55. A nice floral print sofa and love seat had a mattress stacked on top of it. Pans, kitchen items and mystery boxes filled the rest of the space, which went for $425. Some fairly nice furniture, including a leather sofa, inspired bidding that stopped at $400 in the next unit. Lots of shoeboxes were visible in this one also, as well as some chafing pans and several tote boxes with contents unknown. A whole bunch of bags that looked like they were filled with clothes were stuffed into another locker. A television, stereo and hand truck rolled the bids to $125 for this one. The storage unit that won $450 was full with a variety of belongings: a Schwinn 10-speed bike, two loveseats, lamps, coolers, file cabinet, a bag of charcoal briquettes and a stack of tote boxes. Bringing $575 was a space that held several bikes, a Craftsman lawnmower, portable air conditioner, chainsaw, clothing and some furniture. The last three units at this location were held by the same tenant and housed most all that’s needed for a roadside vegetable stand, including picnic tables. There were benches, long tables, large umbrellas and signs. One had a shopping cart filled with wood kindling. The units sold individually from $5 to $75 each.

While these items may not be on your ’most wanted’ list, the stories from regular patrons and Wayne Blair himself, perpetuates the thrill of the hunt and the items that have been found. One woman opened a box in the unit she had purchased and was shocked to find $44,000 in cash stacked inside. Only problem was that the bills all had the same serial number. A bidder just last month discovered a winning $50 lottery ticket in her unit and one of Blair’s storage auctions in a neighboring state netted the buyer over $5,000 in cash — all found in a unit that was purchased for $5. A Dodge Viper recently went for $8,000 and a 1978 Camaro in another unit sold for $800. Though Blair regularly recites “The more you pay, the better you like it,” sometimes you don’t have to pay very much to get more than you bargained for.

There are a few things you should know before attending or bidding on storage unit auctions and it might be best to observe the first time. Blair clearly stated the rules and expectations at each location prior to auction. Additionally, you should bring a bright spotlight or flashlight to help see the contents better. It is wise to bring a lock to secure your purchase after bidding. Note that some facilities use cylinder locks instead of padlocks. Know that you are responsible for clearing out the entire unit and you may not use the facility’s dumpster to dispose of unwanted items. You must haul it away and can be barred from future auctions if you do not adhere to this rule. Bidders have 48 hours to remove the items from the storage units.

Contact:

(616) 457-5303,

www.blairauction.com