Old or Gold? / Storage unit auction
Storage unit auction
When the rent on a storage unit goes unpaid, state law lets the owner sell what is inside. How that works, step by step, then a few things you could find in one.
Good to know
- Under state law, a self-storage owner has a lien on the goods stored in a unit for unpaid fees and can sell them at a lien sale or auction when the tenant does not pay.1,2 #
- Before a sale, the owner must send the tenant a notice with a deadline to pay; each state's law sets the minimum time.1,2,3 #
- A tenant who pays what is owed before the deadline can stop the sale and keep the goods.1,3 #
- Some states require the sale to be advertised first, for example in a newspaper once a week for two weeks in a row (Florida, and one of the options in California).3,4 #
- In some states, such as Florida and California, the lien sale can be held online on an auction website as well as in person.3,4 #
- If the sale brings in more than the tenant owed plus the costs of the sale, the owner must hold the extra money for the tenant.3,4 #
Your sale-day kit
Tick them off as you go; each line links to the fact behind it.
Old or Gold? Guess first
How we checked this page
Checked on October 17, 2026. We kept a fact only when two independent sources agree, and each one is numbered to its sources below; every fact has its own link (#). We never write a price: the listings come straight from eBay and show what sellers ask. This page was written with an AI assistant and checked against the sources below.
Sources
- New York Lien Law Section 182, New York State Senate
- Storage auction, Wikipedia
- Florida Statutes 83.806, Enforcement of lien, Florida Legislature
- California Business and Professions Code 21707, Justia
Other places: Estate sale Flea market Garage sale Thrift store Police and government auction
Rooms: Kids' room Jewelry box Coin jar and stamp album Attic Living room shelves Bookcase and media Kitchen and basement
How we decide
The verdict is our own, written from public sources (coin specifications, maker histories, collector guides). It is not computed from eBay listings. OLD: a typical one found at home is worth little; rare dates, errors or editions are the exception. IT DEPENDS: maker, date, model and condition make a real difference. GOLD: even ordinary ones are worth real money, usually for their precious metal. The eBay listings we show are a few current asking prices, not sold prices and not an appraisal. For anything valuable, ask a certified appraiser.