18-year-old American teenager spent $450 on an abandoned storage unit and found paintings worth $36,000; his business has now made over $200,000

What started as an unusual way for an American teenager to stand out from his classmates has turned into a business generating hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Eighteen-year-old Michael Haskell buys abandoned storage units across the New York metropolitan area, sorts through their contents and resells valuable items through his business, Mike's Unique Treasures. His biggest discovery so far came from a $450 unit that belonged to disgraced Manhattan art dealer Andrew Crispo.

As per reports, inside the locker, Haskell found a painting by Man Ray and six sketches by modernist painter Walt Kuhn. The artworks were eventually sold for a combined $36,000, turning the $450 purchase into one of the most profitable deals of his young career.


But the teenager's business is much bigger than that one lucky discovery.

According to CNBC, Haskell's business generated about $135,000 in revenue in 2025, while he earned roughly $82,000 before interest and tax. Between January 1 and July 15 this year, the business brought in another $85,000.

How Michael Haskell started flipping storage units

Haskell began experimenting with making money long before he started buying abandoned lockers. He sold books on eBay and bought collectible Legos that he hoped would increase in value.

The idea of flipping storage units came partly from his desire to differentiate himself when applying to college. With highly competitive admissions and many students boasting excellent grades, Haskell wanted something that would make his application different.

A rerun of the television show "Storage Wars" introduced him to the idea. In early 2024, he bought his first abandoned unit for just $10. The best item inside was a carbon dioxide canister, which he sold for $40.

From there, the teenager began balancing school, college applications and his growing business.

His secret is not simply buying cheap storage units

Haskell says the real skill lies in figuring out who previously owned a unit and what that might reveal about its contents.

A university memorabilia item, for example, may have little resale value itself. But it could indicate that the previous owner was college-educated, potentially increasing the chances of finding valuable possessions elsewhere in the locker.

He also uses technology to improve his chances. Haskell and some school friends developed an AI tool that scans auction information for prominent names. After buying a unit, he uses tools such as Google Lens and ChatGPT and compares similar items on eBay to estimate their value.

He typically tries to spend no more than $500 on a unit.

He spends up to 25 hours a week on the business

Haskell now devotes around 20 to 25 hours every week to his storage-unit operation.

The work does not end when he wins an auction. He has to clear the locker, transport the possessions, sort them, research their value, photograph them, list them for sale and eventually ship them to buyers.

Much of his inventory is stored in his mother's garage and basement in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. His collection includes furniture, books, vinyl records, paintings, sneakers, antique fixtures and Cold War-era objects.

The business has also changed the way he thinks about consumption. Haskell says he now buys very little new merchandise and has become more interested in older, secondhand items.

What happens to storage units nobody wants?

Haskell's interest in abandoned storage units has also led him to start a nonprofit called Storage Angels.

Some lockers receive no bids at auction. When that happens, the facility may have to pay someone to remove everything and dispose of it.

Storage Angels instead clears some of these units with volunteers and donates usable furniture, clothing and household goods to charitable organisations. The group has cleared more than 20 lockers and donated an estimated $20,000 worth of furniture and household goods, along with hundreds of pounds of clothing.

What comes next for the 18-year-old?

Haskell is now preparing to attend Emory University in Atlanta, and he is unsure whether his storage-unit business will continue at its current scale.

He told CNBC that the business could become more difficult in Atlanta because of the area's lower population density. At the same time, he is considering other ventures, including building storage facilities and flipping houses.

Whatever happens next, the experience has already changed his approach to money and possessions.

For Haskell, the biggest lesson may not have been finding a $36,000 collection of artwork in a $450 locker. It has been learning that valuable things can be hiding in places most people overlook — and that sometimes, knowing what to look for matters more than simply getting lucky.