While the concept of Storage Wars is certainly pretty straightforward, it has, nevertheless, captured enough attention and viewership to keep on running for eight years and 12 seasons since it premiered nearly a decade ago in 2010. Check out the behind-the-scenes of Storage Wars, the most bizarre items found inside the units, and the stories surrounding the cast of the show.
David Hester is perhaps the most opinionated personality on the show and he almost always speaks what’s inside his head. In 2012, Hester alleged that Storage Wars was purely a staged act and the that producers would plant items inside the units to make the show interesting. Normally, we don’t put much weight on what Hester says but it seemed quite fishy that A&E didn’t even make an attempt to rebut his claim. The producers simply stated that Hester had the right to express his opinion.
David Hester actually filed a lawsuit against the show on December 2012 after he was booted out of the show exclaiming that it was unjust and also that the Storage Wars was completely rigged. The case was later resolved in July 2014 and following a settlement, the Storage Wars star would immediately return to the show in the same year.
Thanks To His Aunt, Jarrod's In The Business
People help people to succeed. Indeed, it’s difficult to pursue all your dreams in life if there is no who you can rely on for support during the ebb and flow of the process. Bill Clinton notably aided his friend Barack Obama in winning his presidential electoral campaign and eventually in navigating the political scenery that followed. American rap and hip-hop legends Dr. Dre and Eminem were instrumental in launching the music career of their friend 50 Cent.
For Jarod, he had his aunt and partner Brandi to thank for in transforming his troubled past into a promising future. His aunt was, in fact, an owner of a public storage facility where Jarod would spend some time with and ultimately led him to enter into the storage hunting business. Jarod’s partner, on the other hand, provided him the necessary mental and emotional support to accomplish his dreams.
Non-Cast Members Can Sometimes Make Off With The Best Stuff
The appeal of many shows is mostly dictated by its stars. The Oprah Winfrey Show and The Ellen DeGeneres Show wouldn’t have been long-running, hit talk shows without, well, Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres themselves. The same can be said with every TV show or series regardless of the genre. Often, viewers fall in love with one of the show’s stars and this becomes a big part of its success both in the short-run and long-run.
On Storage Wars, you might have observed that the regular cast members will almost always snatch the unit regardless if there are other non-cast members bidding on it at the same time. Understandably so, the show intends to put the spotlight on their stars, although that meant losing out on quality TV. As it appears, amateur storage hunters can also bring home the bacon. The following amateur storage hunter ended up with the best find in the entire history of the show, putting the rest of all the cast members into shame.
The Most Original Storage Unit Treasure Ever
A certain storage unit discovery that wasn’t aired on TV included a bundle of cash that totaled to well… just a whopping $7.5 million! Auctioneer couples Dan and Laura Dotson unsuspectingly unloaded the most valuable locker they have ever sold in their entire lives in Indio, California for a mere $500. The man who purchased the unit discovered a safe inside the locker that stored over $7 million in cold, hard cash!
Apparently, things didn’t go as smoothly as the guy who bought the safe would have thought of though. Shortly after his unbelievable find, he claimed that a lawyer contacted him, declaring to represent the individuals who were the original owners of the storage unit and the $7.5 million bundle of cash inside. The attorney offered a $600,000 reward if he gave back the money. The guy rejected it at first but then took a second offer to retain $1.2 million and return the $6.3 million that’s left.
A Sad Loss
Amidst all the success and popularity of Storage Wars, the show also had its own fair share of tragedies. Everyone in the cast and crew and countless others who watched the show was deeply saddened when one of its co-stars, Mark Balelo, passed away from an apparent suicide. The police discovered Balelo lifeless due to carbon monoxide poisoning just days following his apprehension for possession of the illegal substance. Unfortunately, it appeared that the Storage Wars star endured a problematic life and had been apprehended by law enforcement officers for the same violation back in 2007.
Mark Balelo was the owner of Balelo Inc., a liquidation merchandise business, and became popular in the show for being among the “big buyers” who were adept at bargaining and spotting treasure beneath all the trash. Nicknamed "Rico Suave," Balelo made front page news in 2011 after helping famed actor Nicolas Cage regain a mint-condition copy of a 1938 Action Comics book that got stolen from his storage locker.
The Hand Shrine
Bidders on the show don’t have a clue what they’re going to get after they swap their hard earned money for a storage locker. The network, after all, describes Storage Wars as “modern-day pirates blindly bid on abandoned storage units that may contain junk or treasure”. Indeed, there are units that hold untold riches but there are also other Storage Wars lockers that have housed the strange and truly bizarre.
Of course, cast members of the reality TV series are doing their best to generate the highest ROI (Return on Investment) but along the way, they can also unearth something that is a bit too weird to fathom. One cast member became the next curator of a “hand collection” that included hand sculptures, hand posters, and other items that we probably shouldn’t continue mentioning at this point.
Meeting At The Audition
Dan and Laura Dotson are one of the more widely known casts in the Storage Wars because of their business-like approach when it came to auctioning and for their adorable personalities as well. The two auctioneers first met in 1996 when Laura took part on one of Dan’s auctions to bid on restaurant equipment and not before long, they were already head over heels in love with each other.
On an interview with Huffington Post back in 2013, Laura revealed that she already fell in love with Dan the first time she laid her eyes on him. The couple would eventually go into the auction business together following their marriage and become successful partners for almost two decades, including their renowned duo on Storage Wars.
Barry The Ladies Man
Barry Weiss is easily the most beloved star in Storage Wars and even the ladies would agree. The TV celebrity and businessman is known to be quite popular to women and ladies of all ages would even take the trouble of personally going to the Storage Wars set for a chance encounter with the famed auctioneer. Regardless if Barry doesn’t luck out on a storage unit, there’s always a lovely consolidation prize waiting for him just outside the set.
For some reason though, Weiss is not so blessed when it came to love and relationship compared to his business ventures. The Storage Wars star is currently single and divorced from his anonymous wife 30 years ago. He now shares custody with his two children, a son named Jack and a daughter named Julie, who today, are already adults. Barry did share that he received numerous marriage proposals after he got divorced. He truly is an authentic “Ladies Man”!
The Show Financed Brandi’s Boob Job
Not long ago, breast augmentation was typically reserved for the wealthy and prominent. Nowadays though, ordinary people don’t have to desire what celebrities and models have. Most women can enjoy an extra perk to their overall appearance and, naturally, confidence for just $3,719 with plenty of financing services readily available to cover the whole cost of the operation.
Now if normal, average income people can avail for a breast enhancement operation, it’s easy to conclude that the cast of Storage Wars are more than capable of paying off their own plastic surgery. To no one’s surprise, Storage Wars notorious whistleblower, David Hester, made a stunning revelation claiming that Brandi’s boob job was covered for by Original Productions. Supposedly, the production team wanted Storage Wars to appear sexier and reckoned that investing on a breast enlargement would make a positive impact on ratings.
Jarrod’s Sordid Past
The showbiz industry is filled with stories of stars who triumphed over horrible pasts to reach the pinnacle of success. As a matter of fact, it’s even a widely used plotline in many Hollywood films! Prevailing over dreadful childhoods to become one of the wealthiest, most popular and most influential individuals around the world, has been somewhat of an American dream cliché.
But it does happen and people do rise from their miserable pasts and become something greater than themselves. If you happened to watch all episodes of Storage Wars, you might have observed Jarod indicate a dark past. As it occurred, he was imprisoned for more than a year in 2000 for breaking the law numerous times. When he was still young, Jarrod has done almost any crime you can think off, from DUI to narcotics.
Barry Was Always A Millionaire
For Jarod, Brandi and numerous other members of the cast of the show, storage hunting is their primary source of living. They sort through every single item hidden in the pile of junk to generate as much money as they can possibly make. In contrast, Barry ignores the rest of the rubbish in search only for that single, exceptional piece. A lot of that has to do with the fact that Barry is already a successful business tycoon prior to his appearance in Storage Wars. In fact, he’s already a millionaire in Southern California long before he even engaged in storage hunting, which for him is just a hobby and not a job.
Barry Weiss currently has an estimated net worth of $10 million. The Storage Wars star and businessman also has a house in Beverly Hills at 1977 De Mille Drive in Los Angeles, CA. The Mansion is a Spanish Revival home constructed in 1928 with four massive bedrooms. He’s also the former Chairman of RCA/Jive Label Group, Universal Republic Records, and The Island Def Jam Music Group. Known for his iconic rides, Barry also owns a fleet of luxurious cars including a 1946 Cadillac, Beatnik 1955 ford, 1940 Ford COE Truck and others.
“Budget Cuts” Caused The Break Up Of A Father-Son Team
Storage Wars also has its own father and son duo in Darrell and Brandon Sheets. The two weren’t always lucky with their finds, although they certainly make up for good entertainment. After the show dipped in ratings in its tenth season however, A&E opted to fire one of its casts and they ultimately decided that Brandon would be the one to get the boot. Many argued that the move wasn’t about cutting costs but that the producers weren’t just fond of the duo. But whether you like Darrell and Brandon in the show or not, the pair did succeeding in landing the biggest find in the history of Storage Wars.
Apparently, Darrell Sheets didn’t like getting booted from the show one bit and showed his frustration on Twitter, saying: “Funny how @AETV fired me for lack of budget but they still have their people follow me on Social media and want me to do free stuff 😅😅😅 Lmao”. He exclaimed that Darell would be coming back but he would be shown the door because of budget issues and didn’t hold back from his feelings.
Darrell’s Crazy Art Heist
Among the staple casts of Storage Wars, Darrell Sheets is the one who consistently pulls the trigger on any unit so long as it contains art and purchases “art loaded” lockers like no other in the show. For some reason, Darrell can detect precious artwork from afar. This special affinity for art finally started to pay off for Darell however, following his purchase of a locker worth $3,600 (after spotting art inside it) that happened to contain an expensive treasure-house of art.
That purchase became known as the largest payout in Storage Wars History. Darrell Sheets paid for hefty $3,600 on a storage locker, but ultimately, the move worked very much in his favor! Stored within the unit was an art creation by Frank Gutierrez which was valued at $300,000 and the best part of it was that the piece was 100% genuine. Darrell did his due diligence and called Gutierrez after the find. Gutierrez then confirmed that it was indeed his former locker unit and art creation.
Long Live the King
Storage Wars led the storage rage that swept US television at the start of 2010. During the nearly decade long run of the show, bidders were able to amass an assortment of memorable pieces. Various groups of individuals including those outside the regular members of the cast bid on different storage lockers in California. Just like in the majority of states in the US, it was common practice in California to auction storage units that weren’t paid off by their renters for three consecutive months
Among the most unforgettable and prized finds that Hester ever made on the show was a pile of newspapers that featured the death of the legendary Rock n Roll artist, Elvis Presley himself. Hester made the find in 2010 inside a locker that housed thousands of genuine newspapers reporting the death of “The King” on the day of his passing in August 16, 1977. The bundles of newspapers were exceptionally rare and at the same time still in exceptional state. They were eventually sold for over $90,000.
The Dotsons Don’t Just Auction Stuff Off, They Also Buy Units
Dan and Laura are considered mainly as auctioneers on the show but they do also bid every now and then. The couple managed to rake in their biggest score in Storage Wars after Laura bought a unit for $1,000 which eventually netted her an unbelievable $500,000 worth of Spanish gold coins. The pirate treasure was discovered within the locker and it was later pronounced as 'Pieces of Eight Spanish Gold' which dated back between the 16th and 19th century during the Spanish empire era.
After his historical find, Dan posted a Tweet showing his amazement at the price of the foreclosed locker. He posted on Twitter: “We had no idea! We only heard from the excited buyer and storage facility owner! Great find of a lifetime.”
Brandi And Jarrod And The Creepy Stuff
Scrappy and resolute, the husband and wife duo are often underdogs in Storage Wars who are willing to fight tooth and nail to keep their family business afloat. While the pairing doesn’t always possess the most extensive resources in the auction game, their grit and toughness are comparable to no one in the show.
Brandi and Jarrod’s fortitude are constantly tested on Storage Wars, often in the form of a string of bad luck. Their most unusual buy was a unit that contained an antiquated “My Little Pony” memorabilia. It was an old fashioned collection of giant pink plush dolls and the assortment landed them a total $875. Not bad considering how bizarre and old the locker collection was.
Hester Might Actually Have A Heart
David Hester successfully runs his very own auction house named “Dave Hester Auctions”. When he was still 14 years old, he began participating in auctions in person, purchasing and selling off to military stores in Orange County, California. Because of his extensive know-how in the antique collection, he was ultimately chosen to become one of the casts of Storage Wars and has enjoyed relative success on the show ever since.
Although Hester appears somewhat ultra-competitive, he has only been in the business following a change of heart. The Storage Wars star managed a personal furniture shop during the time he was apprehended for a DUI violation and was obliged to accomplish community service at a Goodwill store. After witnessing various people struggle on purchasing basic clothing, he changed his business into an affordable store and began storage hunting ever since then.
Trey Songz And Hester In Court
On November 2011, David Hester filed a lawsuit against Trey Songz (born Tremaine Neverson) and pursued a court order which would forbid the rapper from "interfering" because of his use of the word "YUUUP!" The two celebrities had their own case over their claim on the signature catchphrase. Songz argued that he used it first but Hester tried to register "YUUUP!" at the trademark office, three separate times in the past, while Songz has made none.
So as it appears, two celebrities on completely different industries found themselves locked in a legal dispute regarding who should have the legal rights to the phrase “Yuuup!” In the end though, the judge practically ruled that both can’t trademark the phrase since it isn’t a distinct word or made-up word, but simply a variation of a widely used phrase. Sorry boys but better luck next time!
Fists Out
A reality show can be a bit dry without some good old fashioned brawl and after 8 seasons, Storage Wars finally had its own in 2015. The scuffle occurred between cast members Dan Dotson and Dave Hester involving a missed bid for a storage locker and unfortunately for them, everything was captured on cell phone video. Mrs. Dotson even joined in on the fight, leaping like a cougar towards Hester’s back. Soon after, a video captured Laura hurling a series of curses at Hester, like he’s an “S.O.B” and “mother-effer.” Things continued to heat up until it came to appoint when Hester was booted out of the set. He also had to visit the hospital due to a small scratch from Laura Dotson’s attack.
The fight was so bad that it temporarily stopped production. Tempers were already boiling between the three cast members and it simply ended up into an epic wrestling match that was captured on camera. It was a good indication of the problems developing for the cast members of Storage Wars. In terms of auctioning storage lockers though, emotions can really heat up. Inevitably, tempers explode amidst the intensity of the moment and sometimes things can get physical.
Picking Pricey Things
With his unique character and vibe, many viewers grew fond of watching Barry Weis on Storage Wars. Barry was already a prominent antique collector when he was still 15 years old and he continues to collect various antique items up until today. He also has a larger-than-life personality with a story for every event. The Storage Wars star’s vibrant personal also brings out the best and the worst of everyone around him.
On one episode, Barry Weiss purchased a whole storage unit simply because he thought that he saw an elaborate gold bowl sitting on top of the pile of junk. As it turns out, the item was a hard hat which had been enclosed in metal and decorated for entertainment purposes. You’d presume that the piece was useless but it resulted in good money, in the end, contributing to Barry’s already growing legend for spotting items of value.
Bending The Rules
Every individual is inclined to compete at his or her very best. This doesn’t necessarily mean playing dirty but there is no written law saying that you should always be fair with your competitors. Anyone can have a good day at the office but it becomes extra special when your fiercest rival is having a bad day. The same goes for the cast of Storage Wars!
In the show, David Hester is considered as the undisputed King of dirty tricks. On one episode, Hester showcased his acting prowess to downplay the value of a storage unit so it would appear useless to other bidders. The truth was, he saw a number of brand new vending machines at the back of the unit behind all the pile of junk. After every potential bidder moved on, he quickly leaped at the opportunity, purchased the unit for $1,300 and then sold the vending machines for $28,000! David Hester is one sly fox!
Vintage Camel Saddles
Mary Padian is known for her performance in Storage Wars. The TV celebrity is also a businesswoman and the owner of Mary finds Shops. Padian found her passion for antiques in 2010 and first started as a video blogger before ultimately venturing to online selling. Based on her profile, she is considered as a treasure hunter who collects antique furniture, trinkets, and artwork that she has amassed for sale.
Mary also starred in the spinoff Storage Wars: Texas and didn’t appear daunted when she spotted a couple of saddles at the back of a storage unit. At a closer look, it was discovered that the items were apparently not horse saddles but camel saddles. The antique camel saddles were dated back in the 18th century and were sold for $1,500 each.
Voodoo Curses Other Buyers
Members of the Storage Wars cast have seen plenty in their years of storage hunting but they were in for the surprise of their lives during their first encounter of the occult. Brandi Passante had the look of astonishment after she purchased a locker that held an array of voodoo equipment which was, nonetheless, disturbing in every word. The $900 unit appeared a bit small and ordinary at first look and surely didn’t appear like it was going to be of great value.
Once Brandi searched through its contents however, she uncovered a torn red plastic tote jam-packed with a variety of pieces that seemed harmless at first glance. After sorting through the useless junk, she was shocked to find a tiny skull and antlers which instantly freaked her out. And that wasn’t all as the voodoo collection continued to unveil itself further with eerie trinkets and statues and chicken bones and beaks.
Faceless Bills Make Money
Another astonishing discovery with a little twist of dark to it occurred when an unidentified bidder purchased a unit from the Dotsons for $400. On the surface, the unit appeared to be filled with just an assortment of junk. To the pleasant surprise of its owner though, there was a vintage trunk that held an amazing $24,000 in cash hidden amongst the pool of garbage.
The amount of cash on the locker alone was already enough to put the find on the list of largest payouts managed by the Dotsons but that was not the most surprising aspect at all. The most shocking part was that every bill had its face cut out from it. Yup… for reasons unknown, the former owner of the locker went the extra mile to take out the face in the middle of every bill, leaving a trunk filled with faceless bills. Fortunately for the new owners, the bills were still considered legal tender which means that they still retain their true monetary value.
Brandi Takes Adult Film Distributor To Court
One of the female stars of the show, Brandi Passante, won a legal battle over a man alleged of propagating a false video of Passante with illicit contents on the web. Federal judge James V. Selna of the U.S. District Court in Central California found Hunter Moore, former operator of the website “Is Anyone Up”, guilty for the violation of contempt. Moore was ordered to eliminate the video of Passante from the sites that he posted them on.
A fine for $50 for every day that he fails to remove the video was imposed by the court. The fine would double after two weeks of non-compliance. The lawsuit was filed by Brandi’s camp in 2013 and originally featured $2.3 million worth of claim in damages. She would eventually end up with just a meager $75 in compensation. For Brandi though, it wasn’t about the money but more on clearing her name and image as a celebrity and person in real life
Darrell The Stalker
Since 2011, Darrell Sheets has enjoyed a long and romantic relationship with Kimber Wuerfel. Storage Wars Darrell Sheets has a net worth of $4.5 million while Kimber Werfel is a successful real estate agent of Orange County. The two first laid eyes on each other while behind the wheel, on the open road, through their car windows when Darrell was making his way towards the 55 and 91 interchange in California.
After they exchanged glances, Darrell wasn’t able to resist the urge to tail her car for a number of miles before finally handing her his number through a piece of paper. So basically, he was driving in California when he accidentally spotted Kimber on her car and started stalking her thereafter. Although it sounded a bit creepy, the move worked and remarkably, Kimber called him on the number he gave. The two clicked instantly the moment they dated. Darrell even relocated to Huntington Beach from San Diego just to grow closer to Kimber. Eventually, the pair got so close that in less than a year they became engaged in March of 2012.
Barry Has A Famous Family
Prior to his appearance in Storage Wars, Barry Weiss already had some idea about reality TV since he is the godfather of Jesse James. If you are not familiar with who Jesse James is, he is a celebrity motorcycle customizer and host of several reality TV shows including Monster Garage on the Discovery Channel and Jesse James Is A Dead Man from Spike TV. James also made an appearance on the Tony Hawk's Underground 2 video game and was the focal point of the a program narrating several of the custom builds at Austin Speed Shop in his own TV show, Jesse James: Outlaw Garage.
Jesse James is also the ex-husband of famous actress Sandra Bullock which practically makes Barry Weiss a Hollywood celebrity as well. James's Discovery Channel website also claims that his great-great-grandfather was the cousin of the notorious Old West outlaw. If this is indeed true, this also makes Barry part of a legendary lineage as well!
One of The Cast Members Got Their Own Show
Kevin Pew, one of the co-stars of the show’s spin-off Storage Wars: Miami, got entangled with some legal problems following a shooting incident involving a woman and his son as the shooter. Based on police findings, the Storage Wars star wrestled his 23 year old son, forced the gun away from his hands and subdued him until law enforcement came.
The police announced that they found a .45 caliber semiautomatic gun which was believed to be the weapon used by Hashim, the primary suspect and Kevin Pew’s son, in the crime. The weapon was later tracked down as the same gun that was reported stolen during a grand theft auto incident in 2008. The victim’s family revealed to the press that they had no idea why the tragedy happened. For Kevin Pew’s part, the scandal was one of the darkest moments in his life although he somehow managed to stay professional during his stint on the show amidst the terrible misfortune that befell his family.
Hester’s Lawsuit
In December of 2012, Dave Hester filed a lawsuit against A&E and the producers of Storage Wars. Hester declared that he was booted out from the reality TV show following his complaint regarding the producers of the show and their purposeful rigging of storage units. Hester’s legal complaint exclaimed: “The truth is that (producers) regularly salt or plant the storage lockers that are the subject of the auctions portrayed on the series with valuable or unusual items to create drama and suspense for the show.” Hester further revealed that the producers began planting items in units during the very first season of the show.
He also said that, following his complaint, only lockers that other participants purchased where planted and the ones that he purchased were intentionally excluded. Because of this, Hester asserted that he looked mediocre compared to his competitors of the show and was forced to close several of his own shops as a result.
A Big Softie
Barry Weiss, one of the biggest stars in Storage Wars (if not the biggest), once departed the show to film his own version of the reality TV series called “Barry’d Treasure”. Weiss would ultimately come back to Storage Wars after his show flopped. Barry was never really into the world of bidding on storage units until a friend discussed to him the prospect of participating in Storage Wars.
Although Barry Weiss wasn’t that experienced in the storage hunting game, he managed to hit a big score early during his appearance in the show’s first season when he bid $275 on a storage unit packed with various salon supplies. The locker looked like a bust at the start but eventually, it turned out to be a huge win after Weiss dug up a model grand piano out of the mess. Barry secured a decent $11,625 profit from the find and that instant taste of victory most likely influenced him to stay longer on the show.
Barry Barely Checks The Units
Every time Barry Weiss gets involved in a certain unit, it’s always because there’s a piece that has captured his interest. On one episode, Weiss got up on a mountain of scrap until he spotted an item that he believed could be of a certain value. Barry, already a millionaire during the show, wasn’t focused on making a living just like most of the other cast members but was simply looking to make a single major score.
On an interview on Radio Show, Barry Weiss disclosed that he was already successful on the wholesale produce business for three long decades before he became a prominent figure on Storage Wars. He further shared that his business offered produce to ships, restaurants, and hotels. "I've always been collecting antiques on the side," he added, "so that helped fund my passion for collecting weird stuff."
Sheets Threatened To Leave
Darrell Sheets was never considered by the producers of Storage Wars as a significant draw for the show. The moment he recognized how A&E was giving him little appreciation, he threatened to resign from the show. Based from one source who was close to the incident, the producers considered cutting Darrell’s pay from $30K per episode down to half at $15K per episode.
Although this didn’t look like the end of the world for Darrell, things got even worse when A&E also decided to cut his number of appearances on Storage Wars from 26 episodes to just a mere 4. So if we do the math, this would leave Darrell with a grand total of $60k. While it’s certainly not a bad salary, it’s also, obviously, a whole lot lower than the original agreement
Barry Has Been In Two Spin-Offs
Following season four of Storage Wars, Barry obtained his own show, the fourth spin-off of Storage Wars, Barry’d Treasure. It presented Weiss going to different places in the US in search of outstanding items and antiques that he can add to his own collection. The show premiered in 2014 but after just 8 episodes, it was canceled due to poor ratings despite the fact that it featured several of his friends that appeared on Storage Wars.
In 2015, Barry again got another special show in Storage Wars: Barry Strikes Back. Together with his close friend Kenny, they watched Storage Wars clips and made their own two cents and commentaries. Unfortunately for Barry and A&E, it turned out to be yet another flop. As it appears, Barry Weiss is a huge personality who is best served in minor doses.
Dr. Barry Weiss
Barry Weiss is hands down the coolest character in Storages Wars and it’s not even close! Aside from staying impressively calm and composed amidst the heat of the moment compared to the rest of the bidders, he is also participating on the game just for the fun of it. He doesn’t care much whether he loses money every time he bets on a potential locker that ends up a complete bust. Of course, a big part of this care-free attitude lies in the fact that he is already a millionaire and losing a few thousand dollars doesn’t mean much to him.
But there’s also another reason that might explain his relaxed disposition on the show. In one interview regarding his acquisition of a medical marijuana card, Weiss had this to say, "Oh god, honestly, uh, it's been about eight years ago. I'm one of the first in this state to get it, but you know I got a bad back, and I've gotta tend to it." Bad back? Ok Barry we believe you.
Dan Came Close To End In 2014
In 2014, Laura and Dan Dotson were faced with maybe the biggest test of their lives after Dan became hospitalized due to a double brain aneurysm in Palm Springs, California. Based on the medical reports, Dan’s health was in the worst possible condition when he reached the hospital and doctors even gave him only 4-20% chance of surviving the ordeal.
Dan managed to beat the odds however and miraculously went through the surgery without any complications. He recovered fully in less than a week and was discharged thereafter. He went back home to his wife feeling joyful and extremely appreciative with the second chance given to him. After his near death experience, Dan did something that no one in his life would expect him to do - He quit smoking following four decades of use.
Dan And Laura Were Cyber Hacked
The celebrity couple in Storage Wars, Laura and Dan, nearly had their entire life savings stolen away after a pair of cybercriminals hacked their financial accounts in 2012. Fortunately for the Dotson’s, the crooks were EXTREMELY dumb! The hackers managed to break into their home computers and stole a collection of vital financial information, including credit card and bank account numbers.
The cybercriminals though did a stupid mistake by doing a series of large purchases on one sitting which, as a result, triggered the credit card company’s security features. It immediately notified the account holders Laura and Dan and after refuting the illegal purchases, the couple canceled their cards and changed their account passwords without delay and hesitation. And if that wasn’t dumb enough, the thieves chatted over instant message regarding the robbery while it was in motion, even though they were still linked to the Dotson’s computer. Laura instantly captured the conversation on screen and sent them over to the police. There’s a good chance that the cyber hackers might already be on the run from law enforcement following their hilarious ordeal.
Keep Track Of Your Locker
On Storage Wars, you are forbidden to make a bid on a locker that presently has an owner. If you do, then your action would translate into possible theft. With that being said, there’s a reason as to why lockers in the show are legally available for bidding. Normally, it could be that the original owner of that locker simply didn’t want to continue paying off the rent but there are other more unpleasant stories behind a vacated storage unit.
Perhaps the original owner went through some financial crisis and was forced to relinquish ownership over the locker? If such is the case, then everyone on the show would be bidding on a property of an individual who fell victim to terrible financial circumstances. It sounds similar to looting with a mix of "kick someone when they’re down." And if that is not horrible enough for you, then think about this other possibility: the original owner might have died, which means that the locker became only accessible for bidding because of someone’s death. That’s certainly a ghastly way of betting on a lost locker!
The Betters
To establish extra drama on Storage Wars, there are times when the scenes aired on TV involving cast members bidding on lockers are in fact fake. They have actually staged bids involving non-existent storage units. The reality is, auctions are a mixed bag – some events are entertaining worthy of primetime TV while some are just downright boring.
There are occasions when only a single person would bid for a locker and obviously, there is no excitement and drama when this happens. So Storage Wars producers can prevent such an event from wreaking havoc in their viewer ratings while still maintaining that “reality TV” impression both at the same time, the crew are instructed to make bogus bids away from the locker and the production crew can just edit them into the scene.
Cast Interviews Are Staged
Interviews are one of the things that give life to Storage Wars episodes. During these scenes, members of the cast share their comments on their purchases, strategies or thoughts and feelings relevant to the game. The best recollections that you have on the show perhaps stemmed from these interviews where you felt some level of connection to the cast members through their commentaries and impressions.
Again, because the producers of the show are trying to create as much drama possible, individual interviews for every cast member are often scripted. This simply means that a large portion of what you watched and heard from your favorite stars are basically lies. Sadly, this is an SOP for reality shows like Storage Wars. It might be heartbreaking to learn that one of your most beloved TV shows is just a big sham but lies are, unfortunately, necessary for any show.
Brandon Sheets Almost Went To College
There are many individuals who opt to pursue a life that doesn’t involve completing an extensive education. In fact, history is decorated with people who dropped out of school and became billionaires just like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg. With that being said, it would simply be wrong to condemn someone if he or she doesn’t want to earn a degree in college or prefers to enlist in the military, enroll in a trade school or start working immediately after high school or even without any time spent on schooling.
For one of the youngest stars in Storage wars though, this approach in life led to a path that is not all too common in people. The star we are talking about is Brandon Sheets who never even graduated high school. He chose to work on the family business together with his father, Darrel Sheets, without getting a high school diploma first. It’s hard to assess whether or not his decision was well worth it without a glimpse of his actual bank account but it was a choice that surely gave him some sort of a disadvantage in his present and future life – especially since he exited the show back in 2016