Storage Clutter Or Valuables?
Self storage for the domestic user is ideal for putting to one side all the items that you feel you ought to retain, but which do not have an immediate day-to-day function in the family home. Quite often items that have been passed down the family are a prime candidate for self storage in order to make room in the house. Or there may be any given range of gifts and possessions that have clear importance but could end up simply cluttering if you were to have them all out on display. The biggest issue is that, whilst demanding being kept, those items are seldom used or even looked at, and are simply retained in many cases for decades in cupboards, attics and finally the storage unit – they may retain some personal value, but have they been kept long enough to have accrued some considerable financial value as well?
One way of finding out is by having an valuation done by an expert, although this is not going to be the best use of your money if your collection of potential valuables is fairly modestly sized, like most of us. Perhaps a more preferable method, which requires more time but can be done entirely by yourself, is to use pricing guides and directories of antiques available in book format or on the internet, where you may be able to cost up what you have. There are also websites where you can get a quick personal valuation done online. You may then be able to decide whether the items you are storing may be of more interest to a collector who can pay you rather royally for the work you have done keeping these items safely stored for many a year. Or, if that prospect is not tempting you yet, you will certainly know which items you really need to ensure are being kept in prime condition as they may be worth even more one day, and you might be thinking about paying a bit more insurance on top of this as well. Bear in mind the value might be in something rather unobvious and rather recent, a book, a record or a toy, rather than an 60 year old dinner service.
And of course, this is exactly why storage unit auctions exist. Defaulting tenants may not even be aware of the value of the items they have for one reason or another kept for many years only to eventually end up in the receivership of the storage company, and once sold off a winning bidder may have their hands on some interesting buried treasure – definitely the thrill, suspsense and surprise of the game for all those that participate. Although it has to be said that those incidents where an item fetches an astonishing amount of money at auction are few and far between, and for most people the sale of an antique will give them money for the back pocket that could at least be found useful, but certainly not enough to retire and jet around the world
The key for many though is simply reducing the amount of unneeded items that they are storing away, perhaps making space for newer items that demand more purposeful storage. Just as you might declutter your home, it might be worth decluttering your storage and you never know what financial rewards that might bring.
Posted in: Auctions