A&E's Storage Wars TV Show - What's Your Take?

I watch the show on a regular basis and am amazed at how little any of them know what anything is ;~) . You'd think if you were dealing with storgae compartemnts full of excess household contents on a daily basis they'd develop some kind of basic general knowledge.

I know from people who run storgae faclities that anyone whose been having problems paying they tend to clear the lcoker of anything good if they plan to skip on the rent.

The best lockers are the ones where the former renter has passed on unexpectantly, but even then you are dealing with items the owner deemed "Surplus" and not worthy of storage in their own home.

The next best lockers are those used by Contractors who have gone out of business, they seldom contain anything but industrial grade tools, which even in this depressed market are fairly easy to flip and make a profit if you get the locker at a decent price.

I've heard from some people that have been buying lockers for many years that this show has killed their business.  Now you have way too many people show up who don't know what they're doing and end up bidding on lockers that aren't worth anything and driving the price way up.

One thing I've noticed about the show is that in some of the more recent episodes you'll see the crowds have increased significantly compared to the earlier episodes.  I think some of the recent shows have been taped in the last few months.  There have got to be at least 40+ people standing around to bid on the lockers, but it always seems that the main characters on Storage Wars are the ones who are doing the bidding.  I don't understand how that's possible.  Is it a setup for the show?  Nobody else appears to bid, at least not towards the end, and certainly not winning a locker.  I've only see one other guy come in and win a locker in the end - some newbe who ended up being part of the show.

Anyways, I'm still enjoying the show, even though it's clear that nobody knows what they're doing.  Definitely a Vegas crapshoot and it's funny to hear them actually state - "I have to get a locker today" and they bid on something not because of anything they see with potential, but simply because they want a roll of the dice.

Hello all!  New to this website, but I like it a lot.  I bid on storage lockers mainly because I have always had an interest in it and it can actually be fairly profitable if you are careful and know what to look for.  I am fairly new to the game, but the TV shows have had very little influence on me doing it.  A lot of time, people that are interested in the auctions (because of the TV shows) show up for them, bid big $$$ on one unit and get nothing (unfortunate for them). Orm they get very little return for their money.  Those people never seem to come back.  I think it is all about consistentcy and being realistic.  The auction show's tend to exaggerate the reality of the business and it hurts a lot of people's wallets.  I go with a budget, and usually stick to it.  I am a gambler by nature, so that side of it keeps me intrigued in it.  However, I also know when to fold (for the most part....lol). Plus, my wife keeps me in check money wise so I try not to tick Mamma off.

As far as Storage Wars goes, I like the show.  I do not like Dave Hester at all!  He is a jerk but I also think a lot of it is for the show dynamics.  What irks me is that his Father was a United States Marine, someone with honor (presumably), and he is the total opposite of that.  There was an episode where Dave was talking about model trains (he had found some in a unit), and how he and his Father would play with them.  He talked about how they were poor growing up and that he is running his business in his Father's memory.  Way to honor you Dad, Dave!  Being an auction "Bully" and hurting the others by bidding them up when you aren't interested.  But I digress.

Anyhow's, I have just recently moved away from San Diego, CA. and the show actually covers quite a bit of southern California.  The Auctioneer, Dan (I believe) runs a lot of the auctions in the SoCal area.  I had a friend who's father had gone to an auction in LA where they happened to be filming the show.  His son told me that the show (at least in the beginning) had went out and gathered people up to fill out the crowd so it made it look busier than it was.  Now the show has a lot of looky-lou's because it is popular.  I am not sure of the vericity of this but it would not surprise me.  It is all about ratings after all.

There is another show called "Auction Hunter's" that is pretty good also.  It is about two guys, Allen and Ton, who buy units.  What I like about this show is that at the beginning, they actually have a disclaimer of sorts.  It states that Haff and Jones purchase hundreds of units each year, and that only their rarest and most valuable finds are presented on the show.  So, at least you know that it is not all treasure(s).  Allen and Ton are both actor's according to IMDB, so maybe the show is somewhat fake.  If it is, then it is entertaining, but proves my point about ratings. 

Most of the auctioneers I have talked too are fairly indifferent about the show's.  One one hand they have generated new business, and made them more money (sometimes).  On the other hand, the crowds tend to tick off the regular auction players, and the crowds tend to make for more confusion and chaos (i.e. time to look in the lockers, more time to complete the day's auctions, etc) which makes for a lot more work for them.  All and all, I tend to thing "reality" show's are bunk and try to avoid them.  I do watch the auction one's, pawn star's, picker's etc because I learn some stuff.  However, my favorite will always be "Antiques Roadshow" because it is actually real, and not for ratings.