Did you know that nearly 10 percent of American households rent out a storage unit? And, that there are about 50,000 storage facilities in the US?
It’s really no surprise that storage units are so popular. Storage units are a great way to keep your life organized and clutter-free. Plus, most storage units are cost-effective and convenient to get to.
For the most part, people use storage units to store old furniture, clothes, books, toys, and other household items that they don’t need on a daily basis but aren’t ready to get rid of.
However, over the years, people have encountered some pretty strange things in abandoned storage units.
Check out this guide to learn about the weirdest things found in abandoned storage units.
1. A Rare Comic Book
Many Hollywood celebrities have so much money that they don’t know what to do with it. As a result, many celebrities make some crazy purchases, and Nicholas Cage is no exception.
Nicholas Cage has made some pretty interesting purchases over the years, including a pyramid, a haunted murder mansion, a private island, two albino cobras, and a 67-million-year old skull.
However, just one of his lavish purchases (that we know of) made its way into an abandoned storage unit.
Back in 2000, Cage filed a police report after realizing that an extremely rare comic book had been stolen from his home. Over a decade later, the rare comic book (worth over a million dollars), turned up in an abandoned storage unit.
While we don’t know who stole the comic book in the first place, the comic book was able to eventually make its way back to Cage through some bizarre circumstances.
The man who purchased the abandoned storage unit came across the comic book and then contacted a comic book dealer. The dealer he contacted happened to be the same person who sold Cage the comic book in the first place. The dealer instantly recognized the book and was able to safely return it to Nicholas Cage.
2. Aretha Franklin’s Clothes
Aretha Franklin fans will be bummed to know that they missed out on these rare finds.
After a fire in her Michigan home, Franklin apparently rented out a storage unit to store some of her clothes. However, she eventually stopped making payments on the storage unit, which left her iconic wardrobe up for grabs when it was discovered.
Apparently, hundreds of people attended the auction, and items were sold piece by piece for anywhere between $10 and $2000.
3. A Live Hand Grenade
Most people don’t associate storage units with danger. However, after a Michigan man found a live hand grenade in a storage unit, you may think twice about rifling through one.
Luckily, the man recognized what he found and called the police immediately. And, police were able to detonate the grenade, and thankfully, no one was hurt.
4. Grandma’s Body
We could write an entire article about the urns people have found in abandoned storage units.
But, we’ll spare you all the gruesome details, save for this one story about a family in Florida.
Apparently, a Florida family decided that instead of burying their grandma, they’d keep her body in a blue casket inside of a storage unit.
And, they weren’t planning to keep it there temporarily – the body was there for 17 years!
When the family eventually stopped paying rent on the unit, the storage unit owner got in contact with them and told them that their unit would be up for auction.
But, the family responded by telling that the owner couldn’t possibly put the unit up for auction, as it contained a dead body.
5. Burt Reynold’s Strange Belongings
Burt Reynolds was an iconic actor known for movies like Smokey and the Bandit, Deliverance, The Longest Yard, and Boogie Nights.
However, what many people don’t know is that Burt Reynolds was also a collector of weird things.
Some oddities found in Burt Reynold’s abandoned storage unit include:
- A canoe from his 1972 movie, Deliverance
- A framed letter from his doctor regarding his spleen surgery
- A bill of sale for his Roy’s Roger horse trigger
- A horse carriage that was apparently built by Dolly Parton herself
Perhaps if Reynolds had known about these reasons for renting a storage unit, some of his items would have been a little more normal.
6. Old Space Equipment
Some items uncovered in abandoned storage units are truly out of this world, as evidenced by Spike TV’s show, Auction Hunters.
During one episode, a bidder won an auction near Florida’s Cape Canaveral.
In the unit he purchased, he uncovered both a NASA rocket as well as a countdown clock.
Apparently, the belongings were stored there after the space program an astronaut was a part of was discontinued.
7. Cold, Hard Cash
While a lot of people who win storage unit auctions wind up with a bunch of junk that they have no use for, some are luckier and end up with cold, hard cash.
Such was the case with a man in San Jose who bid for a storage unit and uncovered thousands of dollars in rare coins, as well as silver and gold ingots.
The gold mine he struck inside that storage unit was worth over half a million dollars.
However, it was all kept inside a rather unusual treasure chest- a blue Rubbermaid container.
And, to make his win even bigger, the buyer apparently only paid $1100 for the unit.
Abandoned Storage Units: Who Knows What You’ll Find
As you can see, there have been some pretty crazy things found in abandoned storage units.
If you’re looking to uncover some crazy things, then it’s time to get yourself to a storage unit auction.
And, be sure to check back in with our blog for more weird stories like this one.