\n Volume<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Whether people use self storage to better organize their homes or they rent a self storage unit for business purposes<\/a>, one thing is clear: self storage serves many purposes. Storage units can be home to regular belongings, such as furniture, clothing, appliances and decorations but they can also house truly valuable items. We wanted to find out what are the most extraordinary things that people store. So, in addition to surveying self storage owners<\/a>, we went to auctioneers \u2013 the next best group of people to really know about the treasures one can find in storage. Here\u2019s a list of the best self storage finds and the stories behind the storage hunt as reported by auction participants.<\/p>\n What is the most common valuable item found in storage units? Art seems to win, hands down. If you\u2019ve recently bought a storage unit and found a painting or sculpture, it\u2019s important to take a closer look at your find, as you really might have a treasure in disguise. This was the case for Elisabeth Miller<\/strong>, a storage professional and quality supervisor at Move N\u2019 Go<\/a>, who was lucky enough to find two canvas art pieces depicting abstract scenes in her storage unit. She sensed that they might be more than the work of an amateur, so she consulted a specialist. \u201cAfter speaking with a friend who is an art specialist, it turned out that they were the work of an eminent Italian painter,\u201d she told us. According to Elisabeth, each painting was worth around $2,000. \u201cWhen it comes to art, I usually prefer to sell, as I\u2019m pretty sure someone else will find true value in some of the discoveries from storage units,\u201d said Elisabeth. Even though she prefers to sell the art pieces she finds, she has kept other objects, such as games and books, for personal use.<\/p>\n Caroline Lee<\/strong>, the growth marketer and co-founder of CocoSign<\/a> also found two beautiful, old paintings which she now uses as wall d\u00e9cor in her office. We\u2019d say that\u2019s a serendipitous find that is now in its perfect home! Another lucky finder of art, Harriet Chan<\/strong> from CocoFinder<\/a>, stumbled upon some pieces of art that she believed dated back to the 1920s. As for selling or keeping said items, Harriet takes on a personalized route, deciding whether it\u2019s worth it to keep them for sentimental value or to sell them if they are extremely valuable: \u201cThe selling of the items depends on their value, both monetary and non-monetary. For instance, certain antiques are unique with rich historical value; selling such an item can bring more fortune but keeping it in my collection gives me some excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n At the same auction, Caroline Lee also found a couple of blank hand-sewn notebooks. We wonder whether the original owner meant for the notebooks to be gifts for loved ones or if they were merchandise for a business stopped in its tracks from its early days? Either way, Caroline decided to keep them. \u201cChildren liked the notebooks and were very much fascinated by them, so they kept a few,\u201d she said. It seems that these notebooks were quite special, as they also stole Caroline\u2019s heart. \u201dI saved one notebook for myself that I now use for noting tasks and creating the schedule(s),\u201d she told us.<\/p>\n Art wasn\u2019t the only interesting find that Harriet Chan told us about. In one of the units she bought, she found a fascinating collection of antiques dating back to the 1920s. It was a fantastic find, as one doesn\u2019t stumble upon real gold that often. Silver tableware, brass, furniture, medical equipment and car engines also featured among the eclectic treasure trove.<\/p>\n Historical items are winners in our list of best self storage finds. Elisabeth Miller once found ancient coins in one of the storage units she bought. She believed they had significant value in the antique world. An ancient coin collector or even a museum would probably have a field day with such items!<\/p>\n Since we\u2019re on the subject of historical finds, retro pens are another type of item that sparks the interest of self storage buyers. Alina Clark<\/strong> from CocoDoc<\/a> told us about this interesting find: \u201cI kept some and flipped the rest on eBay for some cash.\u201d Depending on the brands she found, it does seem like she hit a small jackpot, as some of the vintage pens, such as the Tornado Pearl White ballpoint pen, can sell for a steep price on the bidding website.<\/p>\n Alina Clark also stumbled upon a stash of old electronics, mostly phones. \u201cAccording to a few fellow storage unit users, old phones are becoming the most common find in auctioned storage units,\u201d Alina told us. We wonder why people are holding on to old phones. Perhaps they\u2019re tech geeks looking to scrap phones for parts, or they intend to reuse them at some point. On the other hand, flip phones might become a prized historical artifact a few decades later, so perhaps collectors are on to something.<\/p>\n A vintage Atari video game system is pretty hard to come by, but it\u2019s what Matthew Tenney<\/strong> from \u00a0Double M Marketing<\/a> found in an abandoned storage unit that he purchased. For non-gamers, Atari video games dominated the video game market, but it declines in the 1980s. Matthew told us that they are rare finds. In fact, even eBay<\/a> isn\u2019t very generous with this type of item, making this find all the more valuable.<\/p>\n The same Elisabeth Miller who found paintings and vintage coins also came across an engagement ring<\/a>. She told us she was unaware whether the owner forgot it or left it there intentionally. We see a story with an ending open to speculate here: Did the fianc\u00e9(e) put it into storage or was it a family heirloom that someone deemed too cumbersome to keep at home? Either way, we\u2019re sure we haven\u2019t exhausted all possibilities, and the mystery surrounding it lingers on with no resolution in sight.<\/p>\n You wouldn\u2019t expect to find sentimental items in a storage unit, but Harold K. Hardesty<\/strong>, flooring specialist at The House Wire<\/a>, did find one, which he touted as his best find. \u201cThe best thing I ever found was a wedding album that \u2014 and this is the wild part \u2014 it had pictures of my uncle in it,\u201d said Harold. He also told us that wasn\u2019t the surprising fact, after all his uncle lived in town. What surprised him was that nobody in his family could identify any of the wedding guests featured in the photos nor the bride and groom. As he can’t ask his uncle about it anymore, Harold will never find out who the bride and groom were or why his uncle attended the wedding. As an unexpected family heirloom, he kept the photo album. It sure makes for a fun story to pass on to the next generation!<\/p>\n One of the most fortunate finds, if we can say so, is a motorcycle discovered by Thomas Jepsen<\/strong>, CEO of Atlantic Aspiration<\/a>. \u201cI found a 1940 Indian Chief at the back of a storage unit, which I couldn\u2019t even see from the outside. I\u2019ll say as much that it was a great day!\u201d Thomas told us, obviously excited with the outcome of his buy. A 1940 Indian motorcycle costs, on average, close to $39,000<\/a> making it probably one of the priciest items on our list. Thomas usually sells the items, but he decided to keep the motorcycle instead. With such a rare and valuable find, who could blame him?<\/p>\n Another two-wheeled find was a scooter discovered by Harold K. Hardesty, who has been attending storage auctions since childhood. \u201cMonetarily, my most valuable purchase was a 1960 Z\u00fcndapp Bella Scooter. This was at a storage facility that listed out the contents of every unit, so I knew what I was getting, but I was lucky because not too many people showed up,\u201d Harold let us know. Knowing the contents of the unit was a huge factor in his decision to buy it.<\/p>\n With the knowledge of the Z\u00fcndapp Bella scooter being inside the unit, he made plans not only to purchase it but also enlisted the help of a friend to make sure he could use the vehicle. \u201cAs soon as I saw it on the list, I called a buddy who\u2019s into mopeds and stuff, and he told me that he\u2019d help me get it up and running if I needed. Luckily, we didn\u2019t even have to do that \u2014 just filled up the tank and it ran fine,\u201d according to Harold. As a fan of the type of vehicle, Harold just couldn\u2019t see himself parting with it. \u201cI usually sell the items. However, I definitely chose to keep the motorcycle I found.\u201d<\/p>\n While most of the finds listed so far have been either small or mid-sized (such as the motorcycle), there is one which tops them all: a camper van found by Chris Laan<\/strong> of Designer Sheds<\/a>. \u201cWe have plenty of camper vans and RVs here in Australia, but a low-mileage, Class B Winnebago was a particularly good find at my second auction. These are very common finds in abandoned or auctioned storage spaces, as they depreciate quickly in value and need constant maintenance,\u201d according to Chris.<\/p>\n1. Art, art, art<\/h2>\n
![\"abstract](\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2021\/06\/abstract-art-hanging-on-a-wall.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2. Hand-sewn notebooks<\/h2>\n
3. Antiques<\/h2>\n
4. Ancient coins<\/h2>\n
![\"ancient](\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2021\/06\/ancient-coins.jpg\")
<\/p>\n5. Retro pens<\/h2>\n
6. Old electronics<\/h2>\n
7. Vintage Atari video game system<\/h2>\n
8. Engagement ring<\/h2>\n
![\"engagement](\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2021\/06\/engagement-ring.jpg\")
<\/p>\n9. Wedding album<\/h2>\n
10. 1940 Indian Chief motorcycle<\/h2>\n
11. 1960 Z\u00fcndapp Bella scooter<\/h2>\n
12. Camper van \u2013 RV<\/h2>\n
![\"RV](\"https:\/\/www.rentcafe.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/62\/2021\/06\/RV-on-the-road.jpg\")
<\/p>\n