Reality shows have taught us much. If you watch Jersey Shore, you know what the youth of today mean when they talk about ‘GTL.’ If you are lucky enough to be chosen from the thousands (and in some cases millions) of contestants that apply—and then win the show—you can even win enough money to live a pretty comfortable life.
There used to be a show where one person could win a high-paying job with none other than Donald Trump at the end, but it is more focused on celebrities and charities now. However, the star of one show thinks that his give people an alternative when it comes to trying to make ends meet.
Troy Howerton, a professional picker, is the star of a new reality show on the History Channel called The Real Deal. On it people try to make deals with each other. They aren’t your typical deals though. Rather than provide a service or product for a certain amount of cash they negotiate a trade.
Howerton is also the official picker for StorageTreasures.com, a leading website for information on auctions being held at self storage facilities all over the country. As a picker, his job is to find the diamond in the rough; to ‘pick’ out the valuable antique from all the clutter in the attic, garage, a relative’s estate, or the contents of a self storage unit purchased at auction.
The concept is a pretty simple one—just a little out of date. Buy a self storage unit at auction and trade the contents online. There is bound to be someone out there that will find value in what you have.
Howerton thinks that shows like his and Storage Wars: Texas on A&E have a show that if people really want to they can make a decent living simply from learning how to become better at finding the real treasures that exist inside things like self storage units.
“It is fascinating to see the dramatic increase in traffic and registrations on the website.” Lance Watkins, President and Founder of StorageTreasures.com stated. “In this economy, we have seen many unemployed people turn to trading online as a new career.”
Howerton, the author of a book called Picking for Profit, a guide to help newcomers try to ‘pick’ their way to a new way of making a living, echoed Watkins comments when he said, “The feedback from the show has been amazing. It takes hard work and dedication to become a ‘Picker’, I’m delighted to see how many people have the determination to start, and then follow through.”
Sources Used:
“Troy Howerton Teams With StorageTreasures.com to Offer Unemployed Americans a New Path.” PRWeb; 14 December 2011.
What is Picking? History.com.
The Real Deal; History.com.