HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) -
Bidders from all over the Tennessee Valley headed to Huntsville for a storage auction.
Storage auctions have been popularized in recent years because of reality TV shows like A&E's "Storage Wars."
The Execuplex Mini Storage in Huntsville held its very own on Saturday. Residents from Scottsboro, Hartselle and DeKalb County drove to Huntsville for the opportunity to bid on storage units.
Storage property manager Cristie Clark said she's seen increasingly more bidders come to the auctions in recent years, largely because of the TV show.
"It's brought a lot more people out. Before, we would have ten or 15 people now we have 60 or 75 or 100 people show up," she said.
Items inside the units range from drawers, desks and TVs to floor cleaners, furniture and toys and other items.
Clark said bidders have been going to storage auctions not just out of curiosity or to browse, but because they are a main source of income.
"Many people use this to make a living now. Since the economy's gotten bad and jobs are scarce, this has been a new way for a lot of people to have an income and provide for their families," Clark said.
DeKalb County resident Dale Wooten said he's been going to storage auctions for years, even before the TV show made them popular. He said this resulted in bigger competition among bidders.
For Wooten, such auctions aren't a shopping opportunity; it's a means of income. His entire business rests on buying items from the auction and re-selling them.
The auctions are held to remove items from units that are late with rent payments.
Clark said Alabama law requires a 30-day notice to tenants before their belongings are auctioned off. Clark gives her tenants 90 days.
"That's the toughest part of my job. People call every day up until the day of the auction. People are paying up until the very last minute," she said.
Clark said no profits are made from the auctions. Money gained from them goes back to the storage business to cover missed rent costs.
Copyright 2012 WAFF. All rights reserved.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and WSFA, a Raycom Media Station. 