Ever dreamed of opening a dusty storage unit and discovering a forgotten treasure chest—or at least something cooler than a busted recliner and expired canned soup?
Believe it or not, some people really do find jaw-dropping valuables in old storage units. From rare collectibles to cold, hard cash, here are a few of the wildest, weirdest, and most wonderful things ever discovered behind a storage door.
One lucky storage auction winner opened their newly acquired unit to find a locked safe. Cue the movie music. They called in a locksmith… and inside was $7.5 million in cash. Yes, million. Allegedly the original owners (or someone very interested in the money) tried to buy it back. But the new owner said “no thanks”—and kept the jackpot.
Moral of the story: Never underestimate an old safe and a little bit of luck.
In another case, someone bought a unit filled with old band equipment and found an electric guitar inside—turns out it was owned by Bob Dylan during his early career. A music memorabilia collector estimated its value at over $500,000.
Moral: That dusty gear in the corner might be history in disguise.
One storage hunter in the Midwest found an actual wooden treasure chest inside an old trunk. No gold doubloons, unfortunately—but it was filled with antique coins, vintage jewelry, and hand-drawn maps from the 1800s. They later sold the collection at auction for over $20,000.
Moral: Some people live the pirate life a little too seriously—and their loss might be your gain.
One art teacher bought a modest unit and found several original paintings… that turned out to be early works of a now-famous regional artist. Another buyer stumbled on a stack of books that included a first edition of “To Kill a Mockingbird”, worth several thousand dollars.
Moral: Never judge a box of books by its dusty cover.
Not all treasures come in gold. Some of the strangest (and oddly valuable) things found in units include:
A full-sized taxidermy bear (sold to a hunting lodge)
Vintage Star Wars toys in mint condition
A collection of classic vinyls worth thousands
An entire vending machine business setup
While these jackpot stories are the exception, they do happen—and they’ve inspired shows like Storage Wars for good reason. Most storage units contain ordinary life stuff: clothes, furniture, old holiday decorations, and maybe a few mysterious boxes marked “misc.”
But every now and then, someone forgets something valuable… and someone else gets very, very lucky.
Thinking about diving into a storage auction yourself? Here's what to keep in mind:
It’s a gamble. You often can't see inside the boxes until after you win.
Do your homework. Only bid at reputable facilities.
Set a budget. It’s easy to get caught up in the thrill.
Have a plan. You’re responsible for emptying the unit (yes, even if it’s full of mannequin heads or bowling trophies).
At Harwich Self Storage, we do occasionally hold auctions (Massachusetts lien law approved, of course!). Who knows? You might be the next lucky bidder to discover something extraordinary—or at least something useful, like a barely-used snow blower.
Looking to store your own future treasure? Call or visit us today—we promise to keep it safe, secure, and treasure-hunter-proof.