A 17-year-old American teenager has transformed a modest £330 investment into a staggering £37,000 profit after purchasing the contents of an abandoned storage unit and uncovering a cache of valuable artworks inside. Michael Haskell, from New Jersey, initially pursued his storage locker hobby as a casual interest inspired by television shows like Storage Wars, but his family only began taking his venture seriously following this remarkable discovery.
From Hobby to High-Stakes Hunting
Michael Haskell developed a unique computer program using ChatGPT to identify forgotten storage units that might have once belonged to noteworthy individuals. His strategic approach paid off spectacularly when he acquired a Brooklyn storage unit for $450, approximately £330, which had previously been owned by disgraced New York art dealer Andrew Crispo.
The Lucrative Contents Revealed
Inside the unit, Michael found an impressive collection of artworks, including a painting by surrealist pioneer Man Ray and several drawings by Ray's lesser-known contemporary, Walt Kuhn. He subsequently sold these pieces for an incredible $50,000, nearly £37,000, through his eBay store, Mike's Unique Treasures.
"My family took my hobby seriously after that," Michael told the New York Times. He now earns around $7,000, just over £5,000, per month from his storage unit ventures, with some single items covering the cost of multiple unit purchases.
An Entrepreneurial Spirit From Childhood
Michael's mother, Anna, revealed that her son has always demonstrated entrepreneurial tendencies. "Michael would go to book fairs, where he discovered he could buy books by the bag and resell them," she recalled. "Then he started researching LEGOs that were going out of production, and he started buying those up, reselling them as they got more valuable. Then he saw Storage Wars."
The Human Stories Behind Abandoned Lockers
Beyond the financial gains, Michael often uncovers tragic narratives behind the abandoned lockers he acquires. One unit contained designer dresses and accessories belonging to a New York socialite, alongside empty vodka bottles and divorce papers, painting a poignant picture of personal turmoil.
"I'm always trying to figure out the lives behind the units," Michael explained. "If you lose a locker, usually you're not financially stable, and your life isn't in a great place. Sometimes it can be a sad story."
The Dark History of Andrew Crispo
The story behind Michael's most significant discovery is particularly tragic. Andrew Crispo, once a prominent art dealer and gallery owner, was implicated in the notorious 1985 Death Mask murder case. Although not convicted of that crime, he was later imprisoned for tax evasion and for threatening to kidnap a lawyer's four-year-old child.
Crispo died penniless in a Brooklyn nursing facility in 2024, which allowed Michael to acquire the contents of his storage locker for a minimal sum. "He had a horrible ending," Michael reflected. "I'm not sure what the lesson is. His life seems like a lesson in how not to live your life."
Michael sometimes enlists classmates to help him move his stock, blending his entrepreneurial pursuits with typical teenage activities. His success demonstrates how technological innovation, combined with traditional treasure hunting, can yield extraordinary results in unexpected places.
