Someone put a whole model train town in a ministorage unit one day. It had fake grass, hand-painted mountains, and an exact copy of the conductor’s house. Why? It got too crowded in their room. That’s how a hobby can take your attention away, right?
Let’s talk about rare things. Life-sized movie props are kept secret by some people. Someone once put away a Stormtrooper outfit and a DeLorean from “Back to the Future.” Guards still talk about the time they saw Darth Vader and Indiana Jones talking over a comic book.
Did you know that artists sometimes use these units to store old organs and boxes of old records? Imagine going to pick up a box and all of a sudden it feels like Woodstock 1969, but without the mud.
Someone else kept their wedding cake for every occasion. Yes, a cold shrine to happiness in marriage. I wonder if they ever sneak a bite. Would you? With a little hope that there won’t be any freezer burn.
Sporting goods—not a big surprise, right? Not right. Try a fencing set from the Middle Ages that comes with full armor and a lance like you’d see at a Renaissance fair (but only on weekends).
Pets are the weirdest things that people store. Not real ones, don’t worry. Dozens of stuffed taxidermy animals, from squirrels wearing cowboy hats to a bear that has been painted to look like a clown. That day, I’d give anything to see the mover’s face.
Finally, someone used a small storage box for…beehives. Real hives that buzz! They came late at night, dressed like bees, and collected honey by the light of the moon. The neighbors never figured it out, unless they saw a lot more bees than normal.
There are also new homes for old video games and pinball machines that are hidden away. Some stack up dust, while others hold the quarters of sneaky midnight curlers who get lost in the time.
One person kept only bowling balls in his storage space. There are hundreds of them, in every color and size. He was sure that each one had its own “personality.” The sound he made when he opened the unit’s door was like a rockslide.
Things that have been passed down through the generations? Of course. But sometimes the heirlooms are just plain dramatic. For example, there are love letters from the Civil War, porcelain dolls that look at you like they want to trade souls, and once a prosthetic leg from the Victorian era with an engraver’s name on the heel.
There are a lot of stories hidden in mini storage units. You have no idea what’s behind those moving doors. Remember that the next time you drive by: it could be anything from grand pianos to honey bee hives. And who knows, there might even be a piece of wedding cake ready to be eaten.