It's every auction-hunter's dream: Opening a storage unit and finding out that it's full of exclusive celebrity paraphernalia. Who wouldn't want to see original photographs, unreleased recordings, hand-written song lyrics or other one-of-a-kind items from famous people? Not only that, but many celebrities are huge collectors in their own right, picking up souvenirs from filming locations or hoarding valuable items. Sometimes, these items end up in storage units, and sometimes, those units go into default.
Celebrity storage auctions aren't the most common occurrence, but they do happen. Recently, Lindsay Lohan's belongings went up for auction. There was also the famous Paris Hilton storage auction, and of course the lost Beach Boys memorabilia auction that occurred recently. So, if you're an enterprising storage auction-goer, you might be eager to predict when and where the next celebrity auction will occur.
Unfortunately, this isn't always easy to predict. First, there's no telling when a celebrity might default on his storage locker. Most celebrities have people who handle their finances for them, so even the most irresponsible celebs usually avoid major financial trouble or at least forestall it for a long time. Many storage lockers are also prepaid, so even if the celebrity goes broke, the locker will be protected.
There's another complicating factor, of course: many celebrities don't store items under their own name. They do this for privacy reasons and to deter curious thieves and vandals. Instead, they'll put their units in the name of an agent or assistant. This can make it hard to tell where they do their business. It can also make it hard to know for sure who owned a unit that goes up for auction; it's always possible that a random unit might actually belong to a celebrity using another name.
Still, there's a few things you can assume. A celebrity will usually use a nicer, higher-security facility in a good neighborhood. There's also going to be a higher chance of items being stored in a city known for its celebrity population, like Hollywood or Nashville. Don't think those are the only places where celebrities are keeping things, though: They might also keep their belongings in their home town, or they might have picked up a storage unit in a different town while filming there. Also, don't forget that the parents and other relatives of celebrities could be storing their items as well – it happened with Kobe Bryant, it could happen again.
Overall, it's probably best not to obsess too much over a celebrity's storage unit. Your odds of finding one are extremely slim. Still, it can be fun to think about, and you never know – an amazing celebrity auction might be just around the corner.