A&E’s “Storage Wars” has amused viewers for 13 seasons by following a group of people who make money by purchasing storage lockers that are auctioned off after renters have abandoned their leases. The problem is that none of the bidders knows exactly what they’re getting because most of the storage lockers are crammed with boxes and miscellaneous stuff that they can’t see until they win the auction. As viewers know, some of the findings in those lockers make the competitive bidding worthwhile, with cast members walking away with hauls worth $90,000 in newspapers, thousands of invaluable toys, $500,000 in rare coins, and five figures in old comic books.
Since its debut in 2010, this reality show, which has spawned many spinoffs, has featured a diverse ensemble of characters. Bickering couples like Brandi Passante and Jarrod Schulz, aggressive and hostile buyers like Dave Hester, and seasoned bidders like Barry Weiss have all participated. While the program appeared to be completely unscripted, the cast did have to adhere to specific guidelines.
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Prior to the auction, storage units cannot be examined.
Most auctions enable bidders to see exactly what they’re competing on, but the creators of “Storage Wars” appear to have one simple rule: purchasers cannot view the contents of units before bidding, which only adds to the show’s appeal. According to previous reports, bidders have only five minutes to inspect a storage unit without going inside. Cast members are frequently as astonished as the audience by the contents discovered in each storage locker, whether they are garbage or valuable collectibles. However, in the past, there may have been some deception.
According to Deadline, producers inspected units prior to auctions and put pricey things in some units to create drama, according to a complaint filed in 2012 by former “Storage Wars” star Dave Hester. Hester and the network finally reached an out-of-court settlement, and Hester even returned to Season 6 of “Storage Wars.” Brandi Passante informed Distractify in 2021 that there was never any manipulation on the show, pointing out that many storage facilities were empty. “I don’t think the show emphasizes the negative ones as much… but it does happen,” she said. Despite the fact that Hester’s accusations were never formally acknowledged as established by a court, many fans on Reddit believed the confrontational star’s assertions, with one user wondering, “why on earth would someone pay to store that stuff?” if genuine objects of value were in the units.
Physical violence is prohibited.
Let’s be honest. One of the highlights of watching “Storage Wars” is watching the cast members compete for the same storage units. While the show is known for its arguing, viewers have rarely witnessed actual altercations on air. According to TMZ, a scuffle broke out between Dan and Laura Dotson and Dave Hester in 2015, during which Hester pushed Laura Dotson to the ground. Months later, during Season 8, the film was aired, making it one of the only physical altercations ever seen on “Storage Wars.”
Hester, who was known for his squabbles with his co-stars, may have still threatened to punch people, but he never did so on camera again, indicating that the producers didn’t want the show to become more violent.
While physical violence is not permitted, disputes between customers are common. “When you bid against me, the claws come out,” Brandi Passante told People.
Bidders who place the highest bid must pay in cash.
If you’ve ever bid on a storage unit, you’re aware that successful bidders must pay in cash only. That is undoubtedly true of the cast of “Storage Wars.” This also implies that between bids, bidders are barred from traveling to an ATM for more cash, writing checks, or paying for units they’ve won with debit or credit cards. Some cast members devised devious and petty tactics for weeding out the competition for the units they wanted to win, much to the delight of viewers.
Cast members frequently inflated the price of units they didn’t want by bidding on them, merely so the winner would have less money to bid on the units that others genuinely desired. The official YouTube page for “Storage Fights” contains a compilation video of the show’s top six bidding wars that demonstrates this point better than words could.
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Producers can supply prepared lines to cast members.
“Storage Wars” executive producer Thom Beers spoke about the show’s behind-the-scenes policies during a panel discussion sponsored by the National Geographic Channel, according to Reality Blurred, following a complaint filed by Dave Hester. The cast interviews, which were presented in between other portions, were one of the subjects explored. “We avoided talking heads in the ancient days because it was the death knell,” he explained, explaining that narration turned off viewers.
Beers confessed during the discussion that reality stars aren’t performers, therefore their stories aren’t always well-presented.
“I have to admit,” he admitted, “there’s some writing involved.” “We do it in ‘Storage Wars,’ and we do it in ‘America’s Lost Treasures.’ I’m sick of narration driving the story.” He confessed that producers feed about half of the cast members’ lines to “enable them to communicate what we need to propel the tale.” Beers, on the other hand, argued that these lines didn’t “push” the show’s broader narratives since “the story is the story.”