3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Storage hunter stunned over rare find after opening up £1,500 newly-bought unit
A bargain hunter has gone viral after spending $2,000 (£1,500) on a storage unit that has been left abandoned by its previous owners - with hidden gems lurking among the tat
For most storage unit auction hunters, the thrill is in the unknown. But for one buyer, a recent $2,000 (£1,500) gamble turned into a jaw-dropping windfall after discovering hidden gems lurking inside the unit.
The man, a regular bidder known online as Wades Ventures, shares his finds with followers across social media. His latest purchase - a red-doored unit stacked floor to ceiling with boxes - has already racked up more than 11.3million views on TikTok after revealing what he called a 'vintage gaming goldmine'.
'I've opened maybe five percent of the boxes in here,' he told viewers, suggesting there could be far more treasure lurking inside. Among the first items out of the dust and darkness were stacks of Pokémon cards from 1999–2000, alongside Magic: The Gathering cards from the same era.
In today's resale market, common Pokémon Base Set cards might fetch $1 to $20 (£14) each, while older Magic rares can reach $100 (£74) or less. That means even the bulk cards he found could be worth a fair amount.
But the real potential lies in rarities, with any graded Pokémon holos in top condition commanding anywhere from $1,000 (£741) to $20,000 (£14,000) each. One commenter said: 'They made their money back just on the Pokémon cards.'
Digging deeper, Wade unearthed a Nintendo Wii U console with a resale value of about $100 (£74), a standard Wii, and a Sega Dreamcast.
There was also a first-generation Nintendo DS, worth about $30 (£20), a limited-run boxed Xbox One Jedi Edition worth roughly $250 (£185), and an arcade-style TV joystick for retro setups which can fetch up to $100 (£74).
The haul even included a replica Pip-Boy prop - a coveted Fallout series collectible - worth around $150 (£111). Wade admitted he didn't initially recognise it and was surprised by its value.
Other boxes revealed PlayStation 3 and GameCube games, LEGO sets, and vintage Sonic and PC titles - all adding to the mounting tally.
Based on what's been uncovered so far, resale values could land between $850 (£630) and $1,000 (£741) - not counting any high-value graded Pokémon cards. A single rare card in pristine condition could rocket the return into the five-figure range.
'What you showed is at least 20k,' one TikTok user claimed. Another calculated: 'Investment $2,000. Investment return $60,000.'
But some felt sad for the previous owners, with one person writing: 'That's a whole 30-year collection and it's gone, so it's sad'. Another added: 'Sad to see someone's entire life collections just sold to someone for pennies.'
Wade didn't disclose the previous owner's situation, but storage auction companies stress that these sales only happen as a last resort.
