OK, so tomorrow is our auction and it should be fun!

Let's throw some numbers out:

Three weeks ago the first ad ran in the paper - at that time we had 29 units listed with a total of about $10,000 in back rent and fees.

Today - three weeks later (the night before the auction) we are down to 5 units totaling about $1,500!!!

The units that are left are pretty sad - If I make $100.00 on all of them together I'll be lucky!!

Two of those we're just going through the motions as they are almost empty. Sunday they go into the dumpster as I know they will not sell.

Just goes to show that phone calls and e-mails do work!!



Just got two phone calls -- two more may be paying before the auction in the morning!!!

It's gonna be a VERY short auction!!

__________________
Wayne
All American Self Storage
Palmdale, CA.
webmaster@all-americanselfstorage.com

That's the way, Autodoc, congratulations! There was an interesting article in the SSA Legal Review re. a court case involving U-Haul that may be decided upon whether the store followed their own policy of phone calls. The article is worth reading.

I really encourage y'all, when you have an abandoned unit, but the customer still has their lock on the unit and they are not responding to you, go to their last known address, follow up, locate them and get them to sign off. Be assertive, not aggressive. Then you can sell the "valuables" at your next auction. Our inventory is space, and we need to get it back on the market.

Yesterday, I went to several locations, found my customer, had her sign off, got two hugs from her, and left happy.

I gotta ask dirk -- is your facility located in Disneyland?

No advertising cost, no auctions, 95% occupancy ...

And I thought I had a good place to work -- does Mickey great your customers as they enter the place too?

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Wayne
All American Self Storage
Palmdale, CA.
webmaster@all-americanselfstorage.com

Colleen -- the "abandoned" units - I have contacted the tenants and they both swore up and down that they would be in to pay - once I cut the locks and found that the units were mostly empty I decide to continue with the auction to make sure everything was handled legally. Of coarse now the tenant is avoiding my calls. Maybe someday I can convince the owner to use a collection agency!

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Wayne
All American Self Storage
Palmdale, CA.
webmaster@all-americanselfstorage.com

Hay Dirk -- the owner is sending me to the (dare I say it here? ) SSA EXPO in Vegas in September - if you're going maybe we can get together for a drink? The only reason I agreed this year is that they moved it to the Rio -- never stayed there yet so it's a good chance to check out the pool!!!

If anyone else is going maybe we can all get together and swap stories. I just hope it's better then last year!!!!

And yes I WILL be attending the ISS Expo in Feb (?) -- wouldn't miss that one for anything!!!

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Wayne
All American Self Storage
Palmdale, CA.
webmaster@all-americanselfstorage.com

autodoc:

For the first time in many years, I have been invited to speak at the SSA Vegas meeting. I am doing a session with Robert Chiti of Open Tech Alliance entitled Re-Engineering Your Rental and Payment Processes for Profits. Always open to people’s suggestions!

I hope that unlike at the ISS Expo when I got so sick, that we will have a chance for some time together. I am staying at the Rio. I will email you my cell number so that we can catch-up with each other. Maybe we can hold an informal SSTalk members gathering at the ISS booth.

Just got an idea for a “Sign In” sheet for ISS. It would be fun to see just how many SSTalk community members attend the SSA program. Stop by their booth and just sign-in Maybe I’ll suggest that to Troy and Teri.

Look forward to it Autodoc. Are you both coming?

MisterJim444

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Learning Never Ends

Jim - The wife and I will both be there -- driving over early Thursday and staying till sometime Saturday. We will definitely have to get together!

The wife already has your session down on her list - Me - I'm torn between attending the session or hanging at the pool??? Decisions, decisions -- what to do

Teri - I like Jim's idea about a sign in sheet for ISS members -- don't forget to have a line for the screen name to help identify them

Haven't stayed at the RIO yet - looking forward to a Mi Tie at the pool.

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Wayne
All American Self Storage
Palmdale, CA.
webmaster@all-americanselfstorage.com

Well, the auction was fun - as expected.

I had about 20 people show up (about normal) and had 5 units to auction.

As expected the two units did not sell (just to be safe I bid $1.00 on each), but the others sold -- high was $105.00 and the low was $20.00. Actually made more then we expected!

Glad to have this behind us and looking forward to a slow week!

Next sale in about 3 to 4 months

__________________
Wayne
All American Self Storage
Palmdale, CA.
webmaster@all-americanselfstorage.com

Jim, that's a great idea! I won't be at that show, but Troy and Danica will be there. I'll send a sign-up sheet along for the booth. Interesting experiment! Tell you what ... if you come by the ISS booth during the SSA show and sign our Self-Storage Talk list, we'll hook you up with a Self-Storage Talk mousepad or pen. Isn't THAT exciting?!

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Teri Lanza
Business Development Manager/Ed Director
Inside Self-Storage

Whoo hoo!!!! More pens and mouse pads!!!! I'll be there

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Wayne
All American Self Storage
Palmdale, CA.
webmaster@all-americanselfstorage.com