Storage Wars
Encyclopedia
Storage Wars is a reality television
series on the A&E Network
that premiered in 2010. The show features auctioneers Dan Dotson
and Laura Dotson, as well as auction hunters Dave Hester, Darrell Sheets, Barry Weiss, and Jarrod Schulz and Brandi Passante. When rent is not paid on a storage locker for three months in California
, the contents are sold by an auctioneer as a single lot of items. The show follows professional buyers who purchase the contents based only on a five-minute inspection and what they can see only from the door when it is opened. The goal is to turn a profit on the merchandise.
Season One of Storage Wars consisted of 19 episodes, 17 of which were filmed at various self storage facilities throughout Southern California. Two special episodes were filmed on location at a pair of Storage One facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. These Las Vegas episodes were two of the most popular of Season One. Critical response was mixed, with Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times
calling it "a strangely uplifting show—hope being one of the many things one can apparently find in an abandoned storage unit" while Brian Lowry of variety
said that "'Wars' should have been left in storage, indefinitely." The premiere episode drew 2.1 million viewers and the show was A&E's top-rated non-fiction show for 2010, with an average 2.4 million viewers.
Storage Wars has been renewed for a second season and is currently filming a twenty episode season. Bob DeBitetto, President and General Manager of A&E and BIO Channel, stated, "Storage Wars has garnered critical acclaim and has risen above the competition. Premium storytelling and amazing characters have set our show apart." The season two premiere consisted of back-to-back new episodes of the show; the second show drew 5.1 million total viewers and was the highest rating for an episode of a series in A&E history. The combined season premiere outperformed competing original episodes of NBC
Love in the Wild
and ABC
's Primetime Nightline.
While it has been commented that some of the units have been stocked by producers to improve things, an A&E publicist said, "There is no staging involved. The items uncovered in the storage units are the actual items featured on the show."
According to a tweet from Darrell's Twitter page, Season 3 is set to begin on November 15. This has since been proven untrue, since although there are newer episodes, Season 2 has not yet concluded.
There will also be a Texas version of Storage Wars called Storage Wars: Texas
. The show will feature new bidders and an auctioneer. Several episodes have already been filmed around East Texas. It is due to debut on A&E on December 6.
Storage Wars can also be seen internationally as well, as AETN International has sold the series to several channels in Canada, Sweden, Finland and Norway.
Also appearing are auctioneers Dan Dotson
and Laura Dotson who run American Auctioneers. Dan and Laura are married.
There was an entirely different narration in the pilot episode.
The show's theme song, "Money Owns This Town" (which was written and recorded specifically for the show), would begin to be heard.
In the opening titles, the sequence of titles begins at Dave, then Darrell, then Brandi and Jarrod, then Barry, and finally at Dan and Laura. Although we always see Laura in the opening, her name and highlighted face wasn't added to the credits until episode 11 of Season 1.
Although these episodes aired during Season 2, they are not considered part of the Season 2 episode count.
The creator of Storage Wars is currently putting out a new series of shows called, "American Hoggers"
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
series on the A&E Network
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
that premiered in 2010. The show features auctioneers Dan Dotson
Dan Dotson
Dan Dotson is an American auctioneer who has been in the auctioneering business since 1972. Dan and his wife, Laura Dotson run American Auctioneers, a full service auction company in Riverside, CA.- Early life :...
and Laura Dotson, as well as auction hunters Dave Hester, Darrell Sheets, Barry Weiss, and Jarrod Schulz and Brandi Passante. When rent is not paid on a storage locker for three months in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the contents are sold by an auctioneer as a single lot of items. The show follows professional buyers who purchase the contents based only on a five-minute inspection and what they can see only from the door when it is opened. The goal is to turn a profit on the merchandise.
Season One of Storage Wars consisted of 19 episodes, 17 of which were filmed at various self storage facilities throughout Southern California. Two special episodes were filmed on location at a pair of Storage One facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada. These Las Vegas episodes were two of the most popular of Season One. Critical response was mixed, with Mary McNamara of the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
calling it "a strangely uplifting show—hope being one of the many things one can apparently find in an abandoned storage unit" while Brian Lowry of variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
said that "'Wars' should have been left in storage, indefinitely." The premiere episode drew 2.1 million viewers and the show was A&E's top-rated non-fiction show for 2010, with an average 2.4 million viewers.
Storage Wars has been renewed for a second season and is currently filming a twenty episode season. Bob DeBitetto, President and General Manager of A&E and BIO Channel, stated, "Storage Wars has garnered critical acclaim and has risen above the competition. Premium storytelling and amazing characters have set our show apart." The season two premiere consisted of back-to-back new episodes of the show; the second show drew 5.1 million total viewers and was the highest rating for an episode of a series in A&E history. The combined season premiere outperformed competing original episodes of NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Love in the Wild
Love in the Wild
Love in the Wild is a reality television series that debuted on June 29, 2011 on NBC. Hosted by Darren McMullen, the show is created and produced by Endemol USA.The show was renewed for a second season on October 20, 2011. -Format:...
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Primetime Nightline.
While it has been commented that some of the units have been stocked by producers to improve things, an A&E publicist said, "There is no staging involved. The items uncovered in the storage units are the actual items featured on the show."
According to a tweet from Darrell's Twitter page, Season 3 is set to begin on November 15. This has since been proven untrue, since although there are newer episodes, Season 2 has not yet concluded.
There will also be a Texas version of Storage Wars called Storage Wars: Texas
Storage Wars: Texas
Storage Wars: Texas is a reality television series on the A&E Network that premiered in 2011. It is a regionalized spin-off of the highly-popular series Storage Wars. The show features auctioneer Walt Cade, as well as auction hunters Ricky and Bubba Smith, Morris "Moe" Prigoff, Victor Rjesnjansky,...
. The show will feature new bidders and an auctioneer. Several episodes have already been filmed around East Texas. It is due to debut on A&E on December 6.
Storage Wars can also be seen internationally as well, as AETN International has sold the series to several channels in Canada, Sweden, Finland and Norway.
Main Cast
The main buyers on the show are:- Dave Hester, "The Mogul", owner of a large thrift store in Costa Mesa, with 15 employees, and is the second most financed of the group, as well as the show's recurring antagonist. He will not sell any weapons in a unit he has purchased, instead turning them in to local authorities for destruction. Hester sometimes drives up the bidding just to assert his dominance. Dave also has a son named Dave Jr. Dave recently started an auction house, not long after he announced he was closing the thrift store and focusing solely on the auction house.
- Darrell Sheets, "The Gambler", and his son Brandon. Darrell occasionally clashes with Dave Hester. He stated in a 2011 interview that he has been doing this for 32 years and in a different interview indicated that some of his biggest finds during that time included a sizable comic collection, four paintings by Pablo PicassoPablo PicassoPablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
and a letter written by Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
that sold for over $15,000. In a recent highlight episode, Darrel revealed that he once uncovered a plastic-wrapped human corpse in a storage locker. He was interviewed by police and it was determined that the previous owner of the locker had murdered his wife and stuffed her in the Unit. - Jarrod Schulz and his partner and wife Brandi Passante , "The Young Guns". They run their own thrift shop in Orange, CaliforniaOrange, CaliforniaSouthern California is well-known for year-round pleasant weather: - On average, the warmest month is August. - The highest recorded temperature was in 1985. - On average, the coolest month is December. - The lowest recorded temperature was in 1950...
, and have the least substantial financial resources. They opened the shop after Jarrod's business of buying storage units and selling the contents at swap meets overran their home. They have recently expanded their store and are looking to beat Dave in the auctions. Brandi started to attend the auctions when she was not sure if Jarrod could be trusted. Jarrod and Brandi have two children together. - Barry Weiss, "The Collector". The oldest of the bunch, Barry owned a produce company until he retired and is only looking for a few collector's items to keep. He sells or donates everything else. Barry is the best financed of the group and is the only one not in it for financial profit. If he finds any fur articles in a unit he has purchased, he will give them away rather than sell them.
Also appearing are auctioneers Dan Dotson
Dan Dotson
Dan Dotson is an American auctioneer who has been in the auctioneering business since 1972. Dan and his wife, Laura Dotson run American Auctioneers, a full service auction company in Riverside, CA.- Early life :...
and Laura Dotson who run American Auctioneers. Dan and Laura are married.
Other featured buyers
- Mark Balelo appeared in three consecutive episodes in Season Two (Enemy Of The Enemy, Fire In The Hole and San Burrito). He presented the image of someone who would not be intimidated by the other buyers and, in some cases, would drive up the prices of some units. Balelo also appeared in the first Storage Wars: Unlocked special. In one of his more memorable moments on the show, he found an Nintendo console he believed to be worth as much as $13,000, but an appraisal found the item was not in working condition and therefore worth only $10.
- Bill Archer appeared in only one episode in Season One (Young With The Gun). Bill had just left his previous job to be a storage unit buyer, a move Barry questioned. Bill eventually won a unit. Afterwards, he received tips from Jarrod on how he should go about searching for the prime treasures in the unit and determining its value.
Show opening
Every show opens with the narration of "When storage units are abandoned, the treasures within are put up for auction." In episodes 2 through 4 in Season 1, there was added narration of "because in this high-stakes game, it's either get rich or die buyin'."There was an entirely different narration in the pilot episode.
The show's theme song, "Money Owns This Town" (which was written and recorded specifically for the show), would begin to be heard.
In the opening titles, the sequence of titles begins at Dave, then Darrell, then Brandi and Jarrod, then Barry, and finally at Dan and Laura. Although we always see Laura in the opening, her name and highlighted face wasn't added to the credits until episode 11 of Season 1.
Season 1
| Title | Air Date | Dave Hester | Jarrod Schulz/Brandi Passante | Darrell Sheets | Barry Weiss | |||||
| Spent | Net Profit/Loss | Spent | Net Profit/Loss | Spent | Net Profit/Loss | Spent | Net Profit/Loss | |||
| 1 | High Noon in the High Desert | December 1, 2010 | $800.00 | $1,987.00 | $700.00 | $2,400.00 | $450.00 | $650.00 | $340.00 | $9,000.00 |
| 2 | Melee in the Maze | December 8, 2010 | $1,800.00 | $9,203.00 | $800.00 | $2,300.00 | $400.00 | $5,832.00 | N/A | N/A |
| 3 | Railroad Roulette | December 1, 2010 | $2,600.00 | $19,000.00 | $350.00 | $50.00 | N/A | N/A | $850.00 | $3,100.00 |
| 4 | War on the Shore | December 8, 2010 | $3,900.00 | $1,992.00 | N/A | N/A | $850.00 | $2,650.00 | $275.00 | $11,725.00 |
| 5 | All Guns To Port | December 15, 2010 | $1,600.00 | $4,850.00 | $300.00 | $0.00 | N/A | N/A | $250.00 | $2,250.00 |
| 6 | Senior Center Showdown | December 22, 2010 | $750.00 | $89,250.00 | $875.00 | $2,100.00 | $1,450.00 | $2,000.00 | N/A | $30.00 |
| 7 | The Old Spanish Standoff | December 15, 2010 | $1,300.00 | N/A | N/A | $250.00 | $1,750.00 | $600.00 | $400.00 | |
| 8 | Midnight in the Gardena Good and Evil | January 12, 2011 | N/A | N/A | $1,700.00 | $12,800 | $3.00 | $27.00 | $550.00 | $450.00 |
| 9 | Collector's Last Stand | January 19, 2011 | $1,450.00 | $3,500.00 | N/A | N/A | $450.00 | $1,300.00 | $375.00 | |
| 10 | School House Lock | January 26, 2011 | $1,000.00 | $967.00 | $650.00 | $3,239.00 | $400.00 | -$400.00 | $500 | -$175.00 |
| 11 | Gambler's Last Resort | February 2, 2011 | $275.00 | $4,725.00 | $175.00 | $1,025.00 | $1,100.00 | $16,675.00 | N/A | N/A |
| 12 | Auction Royale | February 9, 2011 | $1,650.00 | $1,850.00 | $200.00 | $512.00 | $175.00 | $3,025.00 | $350.00 | -$350.00 |
| 13 | Young with the Gun | April 13, 2011 | $0 | $648.00 | N/A | N/A | $1000.00 | -$788.00 | $575.00 | -$475.00 |
| 14 | Trouble the Oil | March 23, 2011 | $375.00 | -$125.00 | $300.00 | $300.00 | N/A | N/A | $650.00 | $350.00 |
| 15 | Makings of a Mogul | March 16, 2011 | $60.00 | -$60.00 | N/A | N/A | $4,275.00 | $3,275.00 | $800.00 | -$796.00 |
| 16 | High End Heist | April 6, 2011 | $500.00 | $1,975.00 | $650.00 | $1,195.00 | N/A | N/A | $825.00 | -$650.00 |
| 17 | Chairman of the Hoard | March 30, 2011 | $300.00 | $12,100.00 | $1,050.00 | $2,087.00 | N/A | N/A | $850.00 | -$840.00 |
| 18 | Skullduggery | April 17, 2011 | $1,350.00 | $525.00 | $475.00 | $1,860.00 | $850.00 | $300.00 | N/A | N/A |
| 19 | Live and Let Bid | April 19, 2011 | $5,550.00 | $1,889.00 | N/A | N/A | $250.00 | $547.00 | $375.00 | -$275.00 |
| Totals: | $25,260.00 | $146,313.00 | $8,225.00 | $29,868.00 | $11,903.00 | $36,843.00 | $8.165.00 | $23,369.00 | ||
| Profit earned per dollar spent: | $5.79 | $3.63 | $3.10 | $2.86 | ||||||
Regular Episodes
| Title | Air Date | Dave Hester | Jarrod Schulz/Brandi Passante | Darrell Sheets | Barry Weiss | |||||
| Spent | Net Profit/Loss | Spent | Net Profit/Loss | Spent | Net Profit/Loss | Spent | Net Profit/Loss | |||
| 20 | Hang 'Em High Desert | July 20, 2011 | $2,750.00 | $1,140.00 | N/A | $100.00 | $1,150.00 | $90.00 | $1,100.00 | $4,600.00 |
| 21 | Buyers on the Storm | July 20, 2011 | $1,350.00 | $27,650.00 | $1,800.00 | $2,130.00 | N/A | N/A | $450.00 | $2,100.00 |
| 22 | Pay the Lady | July 27, 2011 | $1,500.00 | $3,045.00 | $200.00 | $400.00 | $145.00 | $1,830.00 | $225.00 | $50.00 |
| 23 | Santa Ana Street Fight | July 27, 2011 | $345.00 | $505.00 | $2,350.00 | $3,550.00 | $275.00 | $3,000.00 | N/A | N/A |
| 24 | Unclaimed Baggage | August 3, 2011 | $1,700.00 | $1,640.00 | N/A | N/A | $650.00 | -$250.00 | $1,525.00 | -$1,525.00 |
| 25 | Enemy of the Enemy | August 3, 2011 | $9,000.00 | $21,000.00 | $2,800.00 | -$700.00 | N/A | N/A | $1,500.00 | $5,500.00 |
| 26 | Fire in the Hole | August 10, 2011 | $1,400.00 | $3,035.00 | $1,300.00 | -$660.00 | N/A | N/A | $900.00 | $3,600.00 |
| 27 | San Burrito | August 10, 2011 | N/A | N/A | $300.00 | $6,700.00 | N/A | N/A | $160.00 | -$110.00 |
| 28 | Tanks for the Memories | August 17, 2011 | N/A | N/A | $2,700.00 | $2,510.00 | $575.00 | $2,155.00 | $425.00 | -$45.00 |
| 29 | Land of the Loss | August 17, 2011 | N/A | N/A | $1600.00 | -$50.00 | $1550.00 | -$970.00 | $375.00 | -$375.00 |
| 30 | Almost the Greatest Show on Earth | August 31, 2011 | $8,000.00 | -$2,225.00 | $1,700.00 | -$760.00 | N/A | N/A | $350.00 | $3,100.00 |
| 31 | Bowling for Dollars | September 7, 2011 | $4,000.00 | $5,360.00 | $750.00 | $850.00 | N/A | N/A | $700.00 | -$689.00 |
| 32 | Get Him To The Mayan | September 7, 2011 | N/A | N/A | $800.00 | $2,845.00 | $2,300.00 | $5,060.00 | $600.00 | -$25.00 |
| 33 | Fu Dog Day Afternoon | September 14, 2011 | $35.00 | $1,964.00 | N/A | N/A | $2,100.00 | $600.00 | $500.00 | -$500.00 |
| 34 | I'm The New Mogul | October 19, 2011 | $1,825.00 | $7,175.00 | $800.00 | $2,110.00 | $1,450.00 | $6,050.00 | $700.00 | $800.00 |
| 35 | Winner Winner Chicken Dinner | November 15, 2011 | N/A | N/A | $2,775.00 | $3,675.00 | $675.00 | $925.00 | $350.00 | $275.00 |
| 36 | Auction Sesame | November 22, 2011 | N/A | N/A | $200.00 | $450.00 | $50.00 | $545.00 | $1,100.00 | -$1,000.00 |
| 37 | Stairway To Hemet | November 22, 2011 | $3,800.00 | $5,300.00 | $1,900.00 | $485.00 | $2,900.00 | $675.00 | $1,250.00 | -$1,250.00 |
| 38 | Driving Miss Barry | November 15, 2011 | $1,600.00 | $1,200.00 | $6,750.00 | $5,350.00 | N/A | N/A | $700.00 | -$500.00 |
| 39 | Make It Rain, Girl | December 6, 2011 | ||||||||
| 40 | Scoot-A-Toot, Toot | November 29, 2011 | $2,500.00 | $150.00 | N/A | N/A | $850.00 | $250.00 | $1,000.00 | $6,000.00 |
| 41 | The Empire Strikes Out | November 29, 2011 | N/A | N/A | $3,000.00 | $160.00 | $825.00 | $850.00 | $1,550.00 | $2,450.00 |
| 42 | Smoke 'Em If You Find 'Em | December 13, 2011 | ||||||||
| Totals: | $40,005.00 | $76,949.00 | $31,725.00 | $29,145.00 | $15,495.00 | $20,705.00 | $15,460.00 | $22,456.00 | ||
| Profit earned per dollar spent: | $1.92 | $0.92 | $1.37 | $1.45 | ||||||
Special Episodes
These were special one-hour episodes of Storage Wars that went with the subtitle Unlocked. These episodes were mainly highlight episodes with the cast gathering at the shuttered (but relatively untouched) Sahara Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.Although these episodes aired during Season 2, they are not considered part of the Season 2 episode count.
| Title | Air Date | |
| SP1 | Buy Low | August 31, 2011 |
| SP2 | Sell High | September 14, 2011 |
See also
- Auction HuntersAuction HuntersAuction Hunters is an American documentary reality television series that premiered on November 9, 2010, on Spike and is produced by Gurney Productions Inc.On December 1, 2010, Spike announced that it had ordered a third season of 26 episodes.-Summary:...
, a similar show on Spike TV - Storage HuntersStorage HuntersStorage Hunters is an American television series that premiered on June 21, 2011, on TruTV. This new series takes viewers into the world of public auction storage sales. When someone’s possessions are seized for lack of payment, the items will get auctioned off to the highest bidder. But for the...
, a similar show on Tru TV
The creator of Storage Wars is currently putting out a new series of shows called, "American Hoggers"