# Storage Wars vs. Auction Hunters **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 16, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459 "2011-09-16T01:42:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![clarkstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@clarkstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clarkstar)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/61 "2012-01-05T06:53:51Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > He started off by mentioning he was using his smartphone to scan the UPC codes, presumably using ShopSavvy or some similar app that says what the online pricing is for new or used copies of the book. I believe that by the end, though, he just said something like “I’ve for 15K books here, even at $1/book I’ve made a massive profit,” which I can’t really argue too much with. i agree with you, but books are rapidly going extinct, and it would take many many years to sell them unless he auctioned them off as one or a few units. so he’s likely to get a few grand for them or they will take up space in his store indefinitely… ---
**Author:** ![clarkstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@clarkstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clarkstar)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/62 "2012-01-05T06:55:24Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > I thought so too, although it wasn’t clear to me they were used books. It almost seemed like some failed small bookstore’s inventory. Still the way he valued that seemed pretty sketchy. some of the books you could clearly see worn bindings etc, it was probably a used bookstore inventory that included some new? unless he has some special books he’s never getting 15k for them unless he opens a bookstore ---
**Author:** ![clarkstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@clarkstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clarkstar)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/63 "2012-01-05T09:03:20Z")
i still love this show, but storage wars: Texas has their own “Barry” character named Moe, which cheapens the brand in my opinion. although it is a known fact that Barry was brought in specifically for the show, he was not a regular auction buyer iirc ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/64 "2012-01-05T15:13:16Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > Well, except for that time he found a dainty elegant ceramic box that looked really old; was taking it to be appraised; and dropped it on the pavement as he was getting out of his truck. > > SMASH. That’s right! Then there was the “Stradivarius” violin he found, expecting to retire. Er, no. It’s a kids violin, not a very good one at that, and is beaten to shit. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/65 "2012-01-05T15:15:55Z")
> [@clarkstar](#): > > some of the books you could clearly see worn bindings etc, it was probably a used bookstore inventory that included some new? unless he has some special books he’s never getting 15k for them unless he opens a bookstore I watched this episode last night and his valuations were completely off. He might get a grand for the whole lot, but if he stores them for the time it will take somebody to walk in his store to buy them one-by-one, he’ll likely end up losing money on the books: storage costs, opportunity costs, the original purchase price, etc. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/66 "2012-01-05T22:59:58Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > There was a new episode of Storage Wars last night in which Dave Hestert bought a unit filled with boxes of books. He had the boxes laid out and was going through them to assess the value. From what he was saying, it sounded like he was looking at the sticker prices of the books and using that for the valuation. For example, he said out loud that one book was worth $32.95. But that can’t be what he was doing. Surely he doesn’t think that used books from a storage unit will sell at list prices? But in the end-of-show wrap-up, we were told that he made something like $14,000 on the unit. Definitely not going to get $14k for those books. That was so bogus. He’ll be lucky to get more than $500 for someone to take those books off his hands. And don’t forget his cost in getting all those heavy boxes of books hauled to a buyer or shop. I enjoy SW and its cast of quirky characters. The worse part of the show is that everyone can just declare a value for the junk in the lockers and it gets rung up. “_Oh, I can get $1,000 for that dresser, easy_.” In your dreams! Or some appraiser says something is worth so much _to the right collector_. Well, there’s cost to find a buyer for something unusual and that should be netted from the proceeds. What would indeed be interesting is to have the producers actually check up on the actual selling prices of some of the pricier items found in the lockers. I know someone who goes to these storage locker auctions. He talks about some of his great finds, but I get the distinct impression that most of the time he just finds junk for the dump or his own garage (which does not please his wife). But he’s like Barry who’s in it more for the fun of finding something cool than for the profit. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/67 "2012-01-05T23:02:14Z")
> [@nivlac](#): > > But he’s like Barry who’s in it more for the fun of finding something cool than for the profit. Speaking of Barry - I think after he’s done looking for “cool” stuff in the locker he dumps the rest (or pays someone to dump it)? Wouldn’t he be able to offset his losses a bit if he sold the stuff he’s not interested in, even if it’s $100, to some of the other players? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/68 "2012-01-08T15:44:38Z")
I’m watching a rerun of the Auction Hunters show where the guys battle “W” in Texas for big containers. Allen and Ton buy several containers, some which have very profitable guns, track cars, and leaded crystal. But they also get some losers; in fact there’s a brief segment showing them tearing into a dusty disaster ending with Allen commenting that 80 percent of what they buy is a total bust. Unlike Storage Wars, the profit totals on AH appear to be from what they actually sell, not from their own appraisals. Given Allen’s extensive background in buying and selling antiques and collectibles, I’d say AH is probably much closer to reality than the other shows we’re discussing. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/69 "2012-01-09T01:08:40Z")
Having been laid up for the last week in the hospital, I’ve found myself watching Storage Wars for hooooours… I started out liking Dave, because he seems to be the one who has the most knowledge about what’s what in the resale world. He IS a little bit too aggressive, though. Darrell is just a multiple-time loser who’s obviously skirting the edge. I feel sorry for him, but he just misses being sympathetic by getting too tangled up in Dave’s machismo. Jarrod’s a punk. He thinks he knows more than he does and keeps tripping over himself. Brandi, on the other hand, kind of scares me. That girl will cut you. Barry, with his personality and clowning and all the stuff like psychics and drones and crap, is probably my favorite. He’s definitely the funniest. I don’t like the Texas version as much…they’re all too much caricatures. The Barry-analog, Moe, is like a really bad post-SCTV-era Eugene Levy character. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/70 "2012-01-09T01:48:47Z")
Neat summary, **jayjay** ; I’d say you nailed 'em all. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/71 "2012-01-11T04:24:56Z")
It occurs to me that, rather than spinning off Storage Wars with Storage Wars: Texas (“The same dysfunctional personalities, but now with 100% more stereotyping!”), they should have just spun off a “Life and Times of Barry Weiss” show. Anyone else needs something appraised, they go to some random store somewhere–when Barry needs stuff appraised, he calls up his buddies in Aerosmith and The Police. ---
**Author:** ![Auction\_Picker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@Auction\_Picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auction_Picker)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/72 "2012-01-15T20:03:57Z")
> [@nivlac](#): > > Definitely not going to get $14k for those books. That was so bogus. He’ll be lucky to get more than $500 for someone to take those books off his hands. And don’t forget his cost in getting all those heavy boxes of books hauled to a buyer or shop. I enjoy SW and its cast of quirky characters. The worse part of the show is that everyone can just declare a value for the junk in the lockers and it gets rung up. “_Oh, I can get $1,000 for that dresser, easy_.” In your dreams! Or some appraiser says something is worth so much _to the right collector_. Well, there’s cost to find a buyer for something unusual and that should be netted from the proceeds. What would indeed be interesting is to have the producers actually check up on the actual selling prices of some of the pricier items found in the lockers. I know someone who goes to these storage locker auctions. He talks about some of his great finds, but I get the distinct impression that most of the time he just finds junk for the dump or his own garage (which does not please his wife). But he’s like Barry who’s in it more for the fun of finding something cool than for the profit. As someone who sells books at auction houses and online ie Amazon and/or eBay, I’ll inform you that books do sell and for more than a dollar. There is good money to make on that unit, I would say that $15k is a realistic and conservative estimate. I bought a trash 10x30 unit but managed to recover the cost of the unit from the sale of a few of the books in it, selling one for $75. Believe it or not people still make a living selling books online. If he crew listed all 15,000 books and sold 20 - 50 books a week you are looking at a average of $350 a week. The disadvantage to books is that they are heavy, they are heavy, they take up tons of room and they are heavy. But, you don’t have to worry about refunds as they are easy to ship and almost never get damaged. That episode of Storage Wars was probably one of very few times I seen someone make a good buy for the door. I believe he’ll have no trouble realizing a good profit, that being said, it’ll be a few years before he gets rid of most of them. ---
**Author:** ![Sm0kinj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/54ee81/32.png) [@Sm0kinj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sm0kinj)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/73 "2012-03-25T06:40:23Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > In Storage Wars, the principle players do almost all the bidding, even though there are many folks there. > > At least in Auction Hunters, people from the crowd are bidding. …I think in one of the discussion shows or something, they had mentioned that, after editing, they only choose to air auctions in which the main storage wars people win the locker being auctioned. There were a few exceptions like mark. I think they would have aired him even if he was broke and didn’t win just to give the regulars someone to joke about…I know i was laughing at his clothes/style/lack of social understanding. ---
**Author:** ![zatanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9fc348/32.png) [@zatanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zatanna)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2012, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/74 "2012-05-08T11:49:48Z")
his episode saw 3 lots for sale. First lot they said theyd go up to $400, and funny how once they bid up to $375 the bids stopped and they won it (this seems to happen on a frequent basis - they get the unit just under their price). 2nd lot they decided to bump up the price as another person was bidding, and let it go when it got to about $1000??? I mean come why on earth would someone be that cruel?? What do they gain from it?? I found that insulting that this allen haff guy has supposedly 20 years experience yet he’s treating the other bidder like a piece of shit. 3rd (and last lot) was full of nothing really. get this no one bothered to look at it, YET EVERY SINGLE PERSON STAYED. Why Stay if you’re not gonna bid on it? There was no bids expect for allen who bid $1 and he won??? WON??? That’s so fake even Joan Rivers’s face is more real than that. I have also seen allen and ton bid against each other which is illegal. Also they frequently find guns, I don’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![Htownpostman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecc23a/32.png) [@Htownpostman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Htownpostman)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/75 "2012-06-13T19:54:14Z")
a Storage Wars Vs Auction Hunters would clearly give Storage Hunters The edge… You would never see a unit sell for a dollar on Storage Wars… Those of you who agree that when they look at an item "oh this table and chairs is 500 bucks… BING! total goes up… Oh, this box of DVDs, $5 bucks a piece easy… BING!! Who knows the condition, or the titles, or anything of that nature! The Way SH works, the only one who would really lose is Barry since he throws everything away that isn’t “odd or unique” Dave Hester is a total creep… doing it for the show or not… purposefully bidding up the units on Brandi and Jarrod is just total dick… Dave being in the business for over 20 years has more than one location, he goes to multiple flea markets… of course he has the upper edge on finances… But what really gets me, is when Dave talks about how shitty the locker is, bids it up to say, $4000 dollars and then gets stuck with it… What happens to all that crap? Why he finds vintage newspapers, diamonds, paintings and a baseball signed by the 1927 Yankees… Total crap!!! Darrel is just an idiot… I wonder if they stole his “Picassos” in his home invasion… What about that one storage show where the host is an idiot and he calls everyone by stereotyped famous people? 26,000 bid for a $100,000 car… $41k for a crate filled with arm bands?!.. And lastly, i love when they have a big crowd and the have “non-stars” bidding on units just to get on TV… Some are bold enough to bid upwards of $1000 when they know the stars are in a war… I say throw the unit!! Stick the broke idiot with no money making fake bids with the locker!.. That would make a GREAT ending… seeing someone get all pissed cuz Dave , Darrell, and Dave were supposed to keep bidding!!! WHat do they do since u need cash up front and you cant leave to go to an ATM? Whatever we think and whatever goes on… its better than the bull crap fake as hell Towing company shows ---
**Author:** ![Htownpostman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecc23a/32.png) [@Htownpostman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Htownpostman)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/76 "2012-06-13T19:58:10Z")
> [@zatanna](#): > > I have also seen allen and ton bid against each other which is illegal. Also they frequently find guns, I don’t think so. When have they bid against each other? I’ve never seen that before… But, yes the amount of guns they find are ridiculous.. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/77 "2012-06-13T19:58:41Z")
Brandi and Jarrod are dicks themselves, so Hester bidding them up is no great loss. And how many trucks do those kids have? 27? It seems like every episode they roll in with a different vehicle. So does Barry, but he’s cool. Brandi and Jarrod are just ignorant rednecks who made life hell in high school for anybody dumb enough to read a book in their presence. Stick 'em with all the lockers you want, Dave. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/78 "2012-06-13T20:03:59Z")
> [@zatanna](#): > > 2nd lot they decided to bump up the price as another person was bidding, and let it go when it got to about $1000??? I mean come why on earth would someone be that cruel?? What do they gain from it?? Because then that person has $1,000 less cash on hand at the _next_ locker, which the principals might actually be interested in. It’s about the only thing realistic on _Auction Hunters_. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/79 "2012-06-13T20:32:50Z")
AH is fake. It tells you right up front. The disclaimer isn’t that they buy many units and only show some. It’s that they are reenacting their best finds from the past. None of it is real. The bidding, the appraisal the selling. Nothing. I still sometimes watch. I believe that storage wars is as real as they allow such shows to be. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459/80 "2012-06-13T21:07:09Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > AH is fake. It tells you right up front. The disclaimer isn’t that they buy many units and only show some. It’s that they are reenacting their best finds from the past. None of it is real. The bidding, the appraisal the selling. Nothing. I still sometimes watch. I believe that storage wars is as real as they allow such shows to be. The disclaimer doesn’t say this at all. To be honest I really just watch these shows (including Pawn Stars) to learn something about the items, a lot of that is pretty cool. The actual bidding and stuff, its ok, not the real draw for me though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/storage-wars-vs-auction-hunters/596459.md?page=5)