What must it feel like to find a buried treasure right before your eyes? On Storage Wars, finding valuable treasures mixed with the trash can be like finding a diamond in the rough. But sometimes, one of those lockers makes it all worth it. Over the course of the fifteen seasons on A&E, the buyers have shown what it’s like to take a major loss, but they’ve also shown what it’s like to have an exceptional payday with that one lucky locker.
Storage Wars is the hit A&E series that began entertaining audiences since 2010. With multiple spin-offs, the show watches a group of treasure seekers who bid on various storage units. Without being able to take a step inside, they must use their knowledge and hope their buy is worth it in the end. After getting their finds appraised, viewers are eager to see what’s worth what! It’s time to explore some of the biggest finds in the history of Storage Wars.
Storage Wars
- Release Date
-
December 1, 2010
- Showrunner
-
Thom Beers
- Directors
-
Thom Beers
10
Spare Car and Motorcycle Parts
Total Value: $10,000
The excitingly eccentric Barry Weiss is a fan-favorite buyer in Storage Wars. Known as “The Collector,” Weiss has turned his hobby into something more. Often the eager beaver, Weiss doesn’t always turn a profit from his unit finds. But when he does find success, he hits the jackpot.
While Barry Weiss is often known for his irregular and wild finds, there was one unit that caught Weiss by great surprise. And it was an absolute delight. During Season 4, Weiss spent $1,7000 on a locker filled with spare car and motorcycle parts. When he discovered there were upwards of 30 complete engines, he knew that this was going to be a locker he couldn’t refuse. As an avid classic car and vintage motorcycle collector, Weiss went all in, aware that the value was much higher than the price of purchase. He eventually sold the collection for $10,000.
9
1929 Marshall and Wendell Model Piano
Total Value: $10,000
While some of his cohorts may call him an antique, the retired antique dealer knows a find when he sees it. During the first hit season, Barry Weiss won an auction of a locker that featured a plethora of vintage salon equipment.
However, there was one special discovery inside that brought Weiss immense joy: a 1929 Marshall and Wendell model piano. The unique antique was valued between $10,000 and $12,000. In the end, Weiss played a happy melody. While it may not have been a motorcycle or car, this vintage find would have been perfect in The Collector’s collection.
8
Antique Furniture and Artifact Collection
Total Value: $12,000
Sometimes a locker might have a lot of junk mixed within that singular treasure. But for Darrell Sheets, his locker had a lot of items that helped him net a great payday. The Gambler purchased a locker for $2,800 knowing that the antiques inside had potential.
The unit, which featured an assortment of Indian and Asian artifacts, also featured some antique furniture that pushed The Gambler’s purchase over the edge. After taking his new finds to an appraiser, it was the value of the Queen Anne chairs that shocked Sheets. The antique dealer he visited noted that the antique chairs were worth around $7,000, putting the grand total of the locker at around $12,000. This was a locker you absolutely did not want to sit on.
7
Classic Toy Collection
Total Value: $12,800
The beauty of Storage Wars was watching the dynamics of the various buyers. There were certified legends and veterans, and in the beginning, there were the Young Guns. Couple Jarrod Schulz and Brandi Passante were Storage Wars‘ fan-favortites. The eager hunters were known for their hilarious bickering and polar opposite opinions on bidding. But even as they established themselves on the shows, they learned when you’re successful in your purchase, it’s a happy day.
Known for an assortment of legendary collectible finds, it was an early season episode that helped define their future tenure. During Season 1, the couple got quite lucky after outbidding another buyer. When they looked inside their locker, they discovered a nice collection of vintage toys, including action figures. What was purchased for $1,700 ended up having a value of $12,800. I suppose it’s time to check out our own personal toy collections to see if they are any worth!
6
Vending Machines
Total Value: $27,000
Easily the most polarizing figure in Storage Wars, Dave Hester knew what he was doing, making him a legend to some and an antagonist to others. The Mogul, known for his signature “yuuup,” rarely had a miss. Even if you wished he would fail, the man nevertheless would prevail.
Hester had a knack for sniffing out the treasures from the trash. Hester’s cocky attitude may be grating, but when he knows, he knows. And he knew during Season 2 when he picked up a locker filled with old, vintage vending machines. Even with new vending machines and broken vintage pieces, Hester’s new collection had a worth of $27,000. Whether they were practical or not, someone out there was looking for these vintage finds.
5
Antique Collection
Total Value: $50,000
Officially joining the bunch in Season 6, Rene and Casey Nezhoda quickly established their place on Storage Wars. Known as The Bargain Hunters, the Nezhodas loved lockers with great potential. Such was the case with their infamous antique collection find. When it comes to antiques, Storage Wars has proven it can be a hit or a miss.
Just because it’s old doesn’t mean it has value. With items including silver, crystal, an oil painting, a Grandfather clock, and Asian statues, screens, and ceramics, Rene and Casey Nezhoda knew that there had to be some value. In the end, it was much more than they bargained for. The collection had a value of approximately $50,000. They hunted for a bargain and walked away with the motherload.
4
Vintage Video Games
Total Value: $50,000
Though they were the Bargain Hunters, the Nezhodas always hunted for things that they knew would sell. During Season 10, Nezhoda took a massive risk by purchasing a locker with cardboard boxes and plastic tubs. Often, these items are considered risks, as with storage locker auctions, you cannot step foot inside.
You can only look from the outside. So, if a box is locked, you’re taking a gamble. It’s what makes the show special. In this particular locker, once inside, Rene Nezhoda found a plethora of vintage and antique video games. After consulting YouTuber Phillip Braden, Rene Nezhoda discovered that his newfound collection had an approximate value of $50,000. What a tremendous find!
3
Elvis Presley Newspaper Collection
Total Value: $90,000
Sometimes the lockers on Storage Wars are just a hunk of burning trash, but Dave Hester‘s discovery of vintage newspapers allowed him to checkout from the Heartbreak Hotel. After winning a locker with newspapers and magazines, Hester hoped there would be a small victory inside. It was a risk he was willing to take. However, after going deep diving inside, all the periodicals shared a common date: August 16th, 1977.
The significance? The day that Elvis Presley passed away. Having such historical significance to collectors and Presley fans, Hester’s pile of paper earned him a value of $90,000. While the value of the average newspaper clipping has significantly dropped, this was one that tallied up to a high price tag. Presley fans rejoice!
2
Toy and Comic Collection
Total Value: $90,000
Toys are always hit or miss on Storage Wars. Depending on when they’re from and how they were mass-produced, certain toy collections may be nothing but a hoarder’s nightmare. That being said, if you can find that diamond in the rough, the gamble can certainly pay off. For Darrell Sheets in Season 3, The Gambler exclaimed he found the Holy Grail of toys! This locker was a complete jackpot for Sheets.
Assumed to be the inventory of a comic shop, Sheets hit the jackpot with a collection of G.I. Joes, Hotwheels cars, 300+ comic books, and a lot more. Sheets came to the estimation that the entire collection in his locker could be worth upwards of $90,000. Now, who would want to part with a collection like that?
1
Frank Gutierrez Art Collection
Total Value: $300,000
The chances of finding an infamous artist’s work in a storage locker is like finding a needle in a haystack. Maybe a print or a recreation, but the authentic originals? What are the chances? Always willing to take a gamble, Darrell Sheets, The Gambler, was eager to find out the value of some paintings he found in a locker he purchased. With more than 300 paintings, drawings, and decorated pieces, Sheets discovered that the collection was that of Frank Gutierrez.
The famed Mexican impressionist painter’s collection in his $3,600 locker was one of the biggest discoveries in the show’s history. At the time, Sheets took the collection to an art dealer who deemed the 300 pieces to be worth close to $300,000. What a find! Since the airing of the episode, there have been disputes regarding its value. Granted, the dispute comes from Sheets’ bitter rival, Dave Hester. Take that for what it’s worth!
