AuctionZip

My years of experience on eBay has piqued my interest in actual, old school LIVE auctions. I have never attended one for my own purposes-although I once accompanied my brother in law to a Sotheby's auction years ago. I remember the adrenaline rush of watching him bid and win the watch of his dreams. Now that I have the time, and a legitimate business purpose, I am thinking of giving it a try.

Of course, I want to start small and local. I have discovered a great tool for locating live auctions in any given area. AuctionZip is a site where you can search for auctions within any given miles of a zip code. The results can also be limited by category if desired. The results are presented in a useful calendar format. What really caught my eye are the self storage auctions in my area. While I have never attended, I have heard that one box (which may or may not be representative) is opened from each room. This is what the group bases their bids on.

Bidding on a room full of mystery boxes of junk is my idea of a good time! Especially after Paris Hilton's overdue balance of $208 on her storage locker caused its contents (sex tapes, diaries and other scandalous items) to be auctioned off, and chaos ensued. A perfect example of how ANYTHING can be in those boxes...

AuctionZip looks like a keeper for finding such events. Within each box lies potential treasure (or at least a good read a'la Ms. Hilton's diary) . I will certainly report back should I "slip though the eBay lookinglass" and attend a real LIVE auction.