It's another case of reality television impacting reality.
Two cable shows, revolving around the world of storage unit auctions have led to an increase in folks here in Hawaii taking part in bidding wars.
When someone fails to pay for their storage unit after 90 days the items in those lockers can be auctioned off.
Just like you see on T.V. - locks cut off, locker door rolled up, and let the inspecting begin.
It's at that moment that some of the strategy starts.
"The box is not open. Because when the boxes are open, 9 out of 10 chances somebody's been in there already. You're going to find junk," said James Ortiz, who's an regular at the auction. "Could be gold bars, you never know."
"They have their own strategies, each one of them, depending on how the boxes are arranged. What's the markings on the boxes, what's sticking out. They all have their own strategies of how they go about auction hunting," said Shaun Salvador of Hawaii Self Storage.
The bidding can be fast and furious with each bidder hoping to strike it rich.
"Well I found money collection, you know coin collections, jewelry, I found rifles and things like that," Ortiz says.
But often the reality is less glamorous.
"Let's say I spend a thousand dollars on a locker, hoping that there is going to be jewelry in there, maybe gold, silver, that I can make my money back. That's what makes it really worthwhile," Ortiz says.
"And that's the name of the game, it's not what you can buy, how much money you have, how much lockers you have. It's if you can sell it," said Cory Asuncion, another auction regular.
Shows like Auction Hunters and Storage Wars have made storage auctions more popular than ever.
"Since the shows have come out we've gotten a lot more popular, more people are coming to visit us at our different sites. And it's fun," said Brett Hitzemen of Hawaii Self Storage.
"Sometimes you'll buy a locker and there is something in it. But everything can be sold if you know how to sell it. You see what I'm saying. So, it's always a win-win situation with me, because I can sell everything," Asuncion says.
Usually at flea markets.
But if you're interested in attending one of these auctions, be prepared.
"So they want to compete and then they get burned. Maybe one, two times you don't see them no more they're gone," Ortiz says.
Tomorrow, our reality of reality TV series will look at what its really like for pageant kids and their parents.
