Eighteen-year-old Michael Haskell turned an obsession with Storage Wars into Mike’s Unique Treasures, a side hustle that buys abandoned storage units across the New York tri-state area and resells their contents on eBay and at auctions.
Key Financials & Milestones
- Revenue: Generated ~$135,000 in 2025 and $85,000 through mid-July 2026.
- Biggest Jackpot: Purchased a unit for $450 that previously belonged to an art dealer; inside, he discovered a Man Ray painting and Walt Kuhn sketches that sold for $36,000.
- College Strategy: Started the business to stand out on college applications; his essay on trying to return a Purple Heart found in a unit helped him gain admission to Emory University.
Business Operations & Tactics
- Time Commitment: Balances 20 to 25 hours per week alongside his studies.
- Valuation & Research: Uses AI tools to scan unit listings for notable names, along with Google Lens, ChatGPT, and eBay completed listings to value inventory.
- Storage & Logistics: Manages 2,000 to 3,000 items stored primarily in his mother’s garage and home in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
- Deductive Bidding: Looks for small clues in photos—such as alumni items indicating a higher income background—rather than just high-profile items on display.
Core Mindset Shift
Running the business changed Haskell's personal consumption habits. Seeing how much people abandon has made him favor high-quality secondhand items and focus on clutter-free living over acquiring new material possessions.