Yuuup!
Famous catch word by the infamous Dave Hester, a former cast member of the reality television series Storage Wars.
At any storage auction you may find two types of bidders: Intimidator or Stealth.
Dave was an intimidator.
He wanted you to know he had money and lots of it.
Hester would bid up a locker, not because he wanted to win, but because he could. Guess what? Everybody knew it.
How would becoming an intimidator bidder benefit you?
Scares off the newbies and the insecure bidders, which leaves the professional storage hunters to compete against you for the storage units.
You’ll quickly develop a reputation as someone who buys lockers or bids up the competition.
Hester wasn’t the only one who made his presence known at an auction in a reality series. In Storage Wars: Texas there were three cast members ready to shout their phrase:
- Lesa Lewis – Bring it!
- Victor Rjesnjansky – Right here!
- Ricky Smith – Yah!
Do note that the intimidator bidders don’t always win.
Stealth or quiet bids can be so inconspicuous, it may go unnoticed by the crowd. Two cast members from Storage Wars have perfected the art of the stealth bid. Darrell Sheets raises both eyebrows. Nabila Hannis stands in the back and gives a gentle nod to the auctioneer.
Only you can decide which type of bid, intimidator or stealth, will work for you.
To become an intimidator bidder you may need a catch phrase or word that will identify you as a force to be reckoned with. That catch word or phrase will tag you with a fierce reputation.
While it’s not entirely necessary to have a catch phrase, imagine yourself at a storage auction. A guy who wears sunglasses and nods may win every locker, but he will not scare you off from bidding.
Someone who constantly shouts out “Bring it!” may however may annoy you. See where this is going? You may tire of hearing that catch phrase over and over, from auction to auction, as it weeds out bidders even before the auction begins.
“Oh no, not THAT person, again!”
To become a stealth bidder you need to approach the auctioneer first at any auction. Let he/she know you are interested in bidding and let them know “how” you will bid during that auction.
A wink. A nod. A stomp. A tap on your chest. A stroke on your beard. Whatever it may be, just make sure you stand where the auctioneer can see you.
Any good auctioneer will look for your stealth bid once he/she is made aware.
You stay under the radar. How does this help? You can up a bid, make people spend money on lockers you don’t want without anyone knowing but the auctioneer.
You can win a locker without the crowd knowing and have a helper put a padlock on the unit for you as you move on to the next auction. Once the crowd leaves you can always return and clean out your unit.
It’s the quiet ones you may have to worry about more than the loud ones.
Let the competition know who you are or don’t.
Whether you’re an intimidator or stealth bidder, the goal is to win a storage unit and turn a profit. Bid whichever way works best for you in the long run.
Please leave your insightful opinions in the comment box below.