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.
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 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!