Tag - Texas

How Can I Find Shipping Container Auctions in Dallas, Texas?

shipping container auctions

If you've caught the new show Container Wars on TruTV, you may be wondering how these container auctions work and whether you can get in on the action in your area. Although the show takes place in a commercial ship yard, similar types of auctions may occur in any area where items are shipped, stored and abandoned. Even if you live in a land-locked city like Dallas, you can still find certain kinds of shipping container auctions in Texas.

Shipping container auctions take place when a shipping or cargo container is left unclaimed. Once these containers reach their destinations, they are unloaded and stored for a predetermined amount of time before going up for auction. The proceeds of an unclaimed container go toward reimbursement for the shipping costs and other associated expenses, like duties on international goods.

The shipping container auctions Dallas auction-goers can find will generally be for ground-shipping cargo containers. These are sometimes used for commercial purposes, but they are more commonly used by private parties as a way to ship items from one location to another as part of a move.

In many cases, the cargo companies work closely with storage units, and many cargo containers are placed in storage after arriving at their destinations. This means that some shipping container auctions Texas auctioneers host will actually occur at storage facilities. If you're a regular at storage auctions in your area, you may be able to find shipping container auctions as well just by attending auctions and talking to the auctioneer or facility owner. You can also check the Dallas auction calendar for your favorite auctioneer to see whether any auctions are scheduled in the future.

The best way to find out about upcoming auctions is to network with fellow auction hunters. You can also check an online listing service for your area for a Dallas auction calendar. If you're in the Dallas area, you can use our service to locate storage and shipping container auctions in Dallas, Fort Worth and other major Texas cities.

Do I Need a Business License?

Business License

Operating a business without the required license or permit can get you into trouble with the local government, but determining whether you need a license can get tricky. Different states handle laws differently, and some counties or cities may have specific laws relating to licensing that differ from the state's. Making matters worse, different industries have different licensing laws. For example, food-related businesses nearly always require licenses, but non-service industries often do not. Before starting a resale business, it's a good idea to check with your state and local laws to make sure you're running things legally.

There are a few situations where business licenses are always necessary:

  • Service industries where you perform a service on a customer, such as a tattoo parlor
  • Food industries where you prepare or sell homemade food items
  • Any time you request bank financing for your job
  • Whenever you open a bank account under the company name

In Texas, there is no “general” business license. There are about 250 licenses for different types of occupations, including auctioneer and salesperson. The salesperson license primarily refers to major sales, like cars and real estate, rather than home-based resale businesses, but it's something you should look into before opening a store. Most counties do not have any additional licensing requirements, but you should check with the state of Texas at Texas.Gov to make sure.

In general, a small-scale resale business will probably not require a license, especially if you're operating out of your home. If you're just selling a few items over eBay or Craigslist, you can get by without obtaining a license. Once your business expands or gets its own premises, though, it's generally a good idea to obtain a license to make your business more official. This will allow you to open a bank account and do business under your company's name, and it makes it easier to handle your taxes at the end of the year.

Also bear in mind that even if you don't need a business license, you are legally responsible for a few other things when running a home-based small business:

  • You'll need a sales tax permit to sell anything in the state of Texas
  • You need to make sure that your home is zoned for business use
  • You might need to modify your insurance policy if you'll have buyers in your home

These extra expenses need to be taken into account when starting your business. It's also a good idea to consult with an attorney and a tax professional once your business starts to get serious; they can advise you about the best route to take to protect yourself and keep the most of your money.

Traders Village – Selling Merchandise at the Flea Market

Traders Village

Although you can make a living from selling items on Craigslist, eBay or through your own yard sales, venturing to a flea market can help you sell your wares to a wider group of buyers. Becoming a vendor at a flea market is a good first step to building your own store front. You can connect with a lot of collectors and other interested buyers, and your overhead is lower than if you had to lease a storefront.

In Texas, one of the best-known flea markets is Traders Village. The first location opened in Grand prairie in 1973. Since then, locations have opened in Houston and San Antonio as well. There are literally thousands of vendors who set up shop at each location, and Traders Village is a popular destination for shopping and even cultural events as they come through town.

To become a vendor, you just need to pay for a space. You can rent a space by the day or weekend, or you can make a long-term arrangement for a month or even a lifetime membership. This gives vendors plenty of flexibility and makes the lease cheaper than owning a shop premises would be. You'll also need a sales tax permit in order to sell items through the flea market.

A few items are restricted from sale at Traders Village:

Food and drink, as the market has its own food vendors
Anything with copyright infringement
Anything religious or political
Items that are not family-friendly, like adult-related materials
Fireworks or firearms

Aside from these items, you can sell anything you'd like from handmade crafts to electronics or antiques. This makes the flea market a great destination for auction hunters since your merchandise will vary so much from one week to the next. As you meet buyers, you can figure out different people's unique tastes and make lasting connections with your top buyers so you can contact them in the future for a quick sale of certain types of items.

Although Traders Village only exists in three Texas cities, there are hundreds of flea markets throughout the state. For example, Austin has several large flea markets, including the Country Flea Market on U.S. 290 and the swap meet at Bergstrom Airport.

You can find a flea market, swap meet or vendors fair in your city by searching online or asking around from other vendors. Check to see if there are any limitations on what type of items can be sold, since some locations will have different requirements than others. Before you decide on one, try visiting to get an idea of what types of wares are sold and who shops there. This will help you figure out which location will be best for you.

What Is The State Requirement For Sales Tax?

Sales & Use Tax Permit

Emily recently asked the following question:

What is the state requirement for sales tax, is it required or not? I have heard different stories.

Emily, as far as the sales tax is concerned, you have a few different options. Let me start out by saying that I'm not an accountant or an attorney and you should consult with a professional if you have specific question regarding this issue. 

If you don’t already have one, you can apply for a sales tax use permit on the Comptroller’s website. With a sales tax use permit, you don't pay sales tax when you purchase a storage unit, but you are responsible for collecting sales tax on everything you sell. If you don't have a sales tax use permit, you will need to obtain one or pay sales tax on any storage units that you buy. Even if you pay sales tax up front, you must still collect or pay sales tax on everything you sell.

If you are asking whether you have to pay sales tax or not, the answer is yes. Sure, this is an all cash business, and some people do try to cheat, but why take that chance? Records are being kept by the storage facilities and the auctioneers of every storage unit purchased. This information could be used against you if you ever got audited by the state.

I hope this answered your question.

Meet Some Of Texas’s Best Storage Auctioneers

Texas Storage Auctioneers

The following auctioneers specialize in storage lien sales in Texas. I decided to highlight these auctioneers for two purposes. The first reason is to familiarize new storage auction buyers with the auctioneers in our area. The second reason is to provide a resource for storage facilities who are currently looking for a professional to conduct their auction. We did not receive any compensation from these auctioneers for this endorsement, we are recommending them based on their professionalism alone.

Luther Davis AuctioneerDavis Auctioneers is a family owned and operated business that has been in the auction profession since 1988. A large portion of their business involves conducting lien holder sales for storage facilities, including a majority of the U-Haul storage centers located throughout Texas. Besides storage unit auctions, Luther Davis also handles estate auctions, real estate auctions, online auctions, benefit auctions & farm, ranch & business liquidations. In June 2008, Luther Davis was selected as the 2008 State Champion Auctioneer at the Texas Auctioneer Association's annual meeting and convention. Luther is a member of the following associations; National Auctioneers Association, Texas Auctioneers Association, Texas Self Storage Association, Burleson Area Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, Greater Fort Worth Area Realtors & the Fellowship of Christian Auctioneers. For more information, you can reach Luther at luther@davisauctiontx.com.

Buddy Thomas is the owner and principal auctioneer for Thomas & Associates Auctioneers. He specializes in self storage lien auctions and currently services over 60 locations in Texas, from Sherman to McAllen. Buddy has been licensed as an auctioneer by the state of Texas since 1993. He also is a past President of the Texas Auctioneers Association, having served as President in 2006-2007. He has conducted auctions throughout the United States, while employed by a national auction company. Auctions conducted include major business liquidations for Fortune 500 companies, FDIC, hospitals, machine shops, IRS, hardware stores, major banking entities, farm liquidations, and large & small estates. He is a member of Texas Self Storage Association and Texas Auctioneers Association. You can contact him for your storage auction needs as well as on site business and estate liquidations. Update: Buddy Thomas passed away on October 31st, 2014. He will be greatly missed. Chad Larson has taken over Buddy's accounts. You can reach Chad at Auctions@BuddyThomas.com.

Colonel Walt Cade retired from a position in a tax accounting firm where he specialized in tax law and financial planning. He completed the program at the Texas Auction Academy under Mike Jones, and now works full-time as an auctioneer. As one of the most productive auctioneers in the country, Walt runs about 50 storage auctions each year. In addition to storage auctions, he also works on real estate and ranch auctions. Walt appears as an auctioneer on Storage Wars Texas and maintains a website that shows his upcoming auction schedule. You can reach Walt at taxman14865@sbcglobal.net.

Terry Waters Auctioneering is a family-owned business located in Aledo, Texas that services cities throughout the state. Terry Waters handles storage, consignment and estate auctions as well as business liquidations. His wife, Lou Ann, assists with bids and handles check-in/check-out with Auction Flex software. They both work with other auction companies to provide bid calling and ring work services. Terry and his wife are graduates from the Texas Auction Academy and a professional member of the Ringmen's Institute. You can contact Terry at terry@twauctions.com.

Schertz Texas Storage Auctions

Schertz Texas

Texas Storage Auctions Schedules & News provides the storage auction schedule for all storage facilities located within Schertz, Texas. Join now to get instant access to the San Antonio area auction list.

3009 Self Storage 17305 Interstate 35 N Schertz 78154
A-AAAKey Mini Storage 17497 Triton Dr. Schertz 78154
A-OK Mini & RV Storage 200 FM 3009 Schertz 78154
Covey's Happy Mini Storage 999 Fm 1518 Schertz 78154
I-35 Self Storage 18913 Interstate 35 N Schertz 78154
Mobile Mini 18780 Interstate 35 N Schertz 78154
San Antonio Self Storage 1128 Morning Rose Schertz 78154
Storage King 9482 E Fm 1518 N Schertz 78154




San Antonio U-Haul Storage Auctions

U-Haul

Texas Storage Auctions Schedules & News provides the storage auction schedule for all U-Haul storage facilities located within San Antonio, Texas. Join now to get instant access to the San Antonio area auction list.

U-Haul Moving & Storage 6745 FM 78 San Antonio 78244
U-Haul Moving & Storage 4502 Rigsby Ave San Antonio 78222
U-Haul Moving & Storage 6414 San Pedro Ave San Antonio 78216
U-Haul Moving & Storage 17875 Blanco Rd San Antonio 78232
U-Haul Moving & Storage 7950 Bandera Rd San Antonio 78250
U-Haul Moving & Storage 3817 Parkdale St San Antonio 78229
U-Haul Moving & Storage 8029 Fredericksburg Rd San Antonio 78229
U-Haul Moving & Storage 13923 SW Loop 410 San Antonio 78224
U-Haul Moving & Storage 5026 Sinclair Rd San Antonio 78222
U-Haul Moving & Storage 6730 Fairdale Dr San Antonio 78218
U-Haul Moving & Storage 9423 Perrin Beitel Rd San Antonio 78217
U-Haul Moving & Storage 2390 Austin Hwy San Antonio 78218
U-Haul Moving & Storage 12534 Nacogdoches Rd San Antonio 78217
U-Haul Moving & Storage 8708 Marbach Rd San Antonio 78227
U-Haul Moving & Storage 2410 SW Loop 410 San Antonio 78227
U-Haul Moving & Storage 5420 Grissom Rd San Antonio 78238
U-Haul Moving & Storage 5950 Eckhert Rd San Antonio 78240
U-Haul Moving & Storage 6075 De Zavala Rd San Antonio 78249
U-Haul Moving & Storage 5810 San Pedro Ave San Antonio 78212
U-Haul Moving & Storage 2626 Harry Wurzbach Rd San Antonio 78209
U-Haul Moving & Storage 7743 Eckert Rd. San Antonio 78240
U-Haul Moving & Storage 1826 SW Military Dr San Antonio 78221
U-Haul Moving & Storage 2562 NW Loop 410 San Antonio 78230

San Antonio Public Storage Auctions

Public Storage Auctions

Texas Storage Auctions Schedules & News provides the storage auction schedule for all Public Storage facilities located within San Antonio, Texas. Join now to get instant access to the San Antonio area auction list.

Public Storage 10652 N Interstate 35 San Antonio 78233
Public Storage 12710 Nacogdoches Rd San Antonio 78217
Public Storage 1314 Austin Hwy San Antonio 78209
Public Storage 13403 Wetmore Rd San Antonio 78247
Public Storage 13800 Nacogdoches Rd San Antonio 78217
Public Storage 1425 Austin Hwy San Antonio 78209
Public Storage 14815 Jones Maltsberger Rd San Antonio 78247
Public Storage 15267 Huebner Rd San Antonio 78231
Public Storage 15889 San Pedro Ave San Antonio 78232
Public Storage 16639 San Pedro Ave San Antonio 78232
Public Storage 2505 S Hackberry San Antonio 78210
Public Storage 2550 Thousand Oaks Dr San Antonio 78232
Public Storage 3440 Fredericksburg Rd San Antonio 78201
Public Storage 4343 Callaghan Rd San Antonio 78228
Public Storage 4622 Center Park Blvd San Antonio 78218
Public Storage 4910 S Zarzamora St San Antonio 78211
Public Storage 555 W Sunset Rd San Antonio 78216
Public Storage 600 W Sunset Rd San Antonio 78216
Public Storage 6014 NW Loop 410 San Antonio 78238
Public Storage 6624 Fm 78 San Antonio 78244
Public Storage 7106 Bandera Rd San Antonio 78238
Public Storage 7234 Blanco Rd San Antonio 78216
Public Storage 8630 Broadway St San Antonio 78217
Public Storage 8726 Fredericksburg Rd San Antonio 78240
Public Storage 9529 Fredericksburg Rd San Antonio 78240

Pleasanton Texas Storage Auctions

Pleasanton Texas

Texas Storage Auctions Schedules & News provides the storage auction schedule for all storage facilities located within Pleasanton, Texas. Join now to get instant access to the San Antonio area auction list.

ABC Storage 1515 Bensdale Rd Pleasanton 78064
Budget Self Storage 2013 W Oaklawn Rd Pleasanton 78064
Downtown Storage 413 W Goodwin St Pleasanton 78064
Maverick Self Storage 1254 W Oaklawn Rd Pleasanton 78064
Pleasanton Mini Storage 1415 Encino Dr Pleasanton 78064
Texas Mini Storage 1722 W Oaklawn Rd Pleasanton 78064




New Braunfels Texas Storage Auctions

New Braunfels Texas

Texas Storage Auctions Schedules & News provides the storage auction schedule for all storage facilities located within New Braunfels, Texas. Join now to get instant access to the San Antonio area auction list.

A Storeroom 2975 Fm 725 New Braunfels 78130
AAA Mini Storage 1375 Wald Rd New Braunfels 78130
Aaron's Mini Storage 1155 Loop 337 New Braunfels 78130
ABC Mini Storage 7981 Fm 482 New Braunfels 78132
Access Self Storage 452 Fm 306 New Braunfels 78130
American Mini Storage 1150 Loop 337 New Braunfels 78130
American Storage 675 S Business Ih 35 New Braunfels 78130
Anytime Storage 150 Ferry Boat Ln. New Braunfels 78130
B's Stor-All 868 S State Highway 46 New Braunfels 78130
Brauntex Storage 726 N Walnut Ave New Braunfels 78130
Brookfield Mini Storage 3736 Fm 482 New Braunfels 78132
Country Self Storage 2275 Westmeyer Rd New Braunfels 78130
Cramm-N-Scramm Mini Whse. 1466 Churchill Dr New Braunfels 78130
Discount Storage 1545 S State Highway 46 New Braunfels 78130
Gruene Self Storage 1150 Fm 306 New Braunfels 78130
Lagerhaus Mini Storage 4510 Fm 1102 New Braunfels 78132
Lock Haus Mini-Storage 1306 E Zipp Rd New Braunfels 78130
Lone Star Storage 1674 S Seguin Ave New Braunfels 78130
M & M Mini-Stor Co 267 Landa St New Braunfels 78130
Memorial Self Storage 1890 S Walnut Ave New Braunfels 78130
Nevitt Moving & Storage 3116 W San Antonio St New Braunfels 78130
PODS Moving and Storage 10101 Fm 1102 New Braunfels 78130
Preferred Self Storage 267 Trade Center Dr New Braunfels 78130
Ranger Self Storage 5321 Fm 311 New Braunfels 78130
River City Storage 219 Trade Center Dr New Braunfels 78130
Safesite Inc 19385 N Interstate 35 New Braunfels 78132
Stor-Haus 1146 Eikel St New Braunfels 78130
Storage Depot 125 Gruene Rd New Braunfels 78130
Store More Warehouses 123 Schumans Beach Rd New Braunfels 78132
Stow-Away 2090 N Interstate 35 New Braunfels 78130
U-Haul Moving & Storage 1936 Fm 2722 New Braunfels 78132
U-Haul Moving & Storage 1674 S Seguin Ave New Braunfels 78130
U-Haul Moving & Storage 150 Ferryboat Ln New Braunfels 78130
Wald Rd Business Park 1335 Wald Rd New Braunfels 78132
Walnut Business Ctr 839 S Interstate 35 New Braunfels 78130