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Storage Wars

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Boingo:
 :lol:  Did a quick search and didn't find a previous topic, so here goes.  Storage Wars is "real-life" program from A&E network.  The premise is that people bid on the contents of abandoned storage containers (given the briefest of inspections) in the hope of cashing out on some hidden treasure inside.  The show pits a group of regular antique dealers/collectors in weekly bidding wars.  The person who makes the most amount of (net) profit from their storage container wins bragging rights for the week (and eventually sells the items for a profit in their stores).

Came across this show entirely by accident in a mini-marathon of back-to-back episodes one day on A&E.  It's quite addictive.   :lol:  The "cast" is an interesting mix of personalities, which makes for entertaining viewing.  All in all a good show.  Now for the down side.   :'(

Given these storage auctions are public events, I fully expected other people not connected with the show to bid and win some of the units.  Creative editing makes it appear that only the cast ever wins the auctions.  These is also the recurring theme of a hidden treasure lurking in the back of nearly every container, thus making for dramatic TV.  Makes you wonder if some of these reveals are staged for the viewing audience. 

All-in-all the good casting and simple premise make this a hit, IMO.   :umn:

Magnus:
I doubt that the average storage unit really has anything worth much in it :lol: Especially one that has been forfeited because the previous owner couldn't pay rent. You would think they would have to be pulling some kind of tricks.

Boingo:
 :ascared  Did some checking of the "cast" of Storage Wars, and a few things jump out at me.  Most of the "cast" are well-off money wise, so they were chosen for the entertainment value.  The only exception is the husband-wife team, who seem to be the only ones in it to survive.   :lol:

The other thing is the lack of back-story on the original owners of the storage lockers.  Producers don't even want to go there, as it may truly be a sad story of people gaining on others misfortunes.

The one grizzly piece of info is about the cast member known as "The Gambler".  He's been doing the storage locker auctions for 20 years of so. and he actually discovered a "dead body" in one of his lockers.   :ascared  eeeeeewwwwww!  Guess it goes with the territory.

Plaidmoon:
I discovered Storage wars a couple of months back and have been watching it off and on since then. It's a fun show but it's kind of like cotton candy. There's not a lot of substance to it. My biggest complaint is that the winning bidder goes through the locker and assigns whatever value they want to the various items they find. Frequently the value seems too high for what I'm seeing, probably double or triple of what I expect they could really sell it for. No doubt the stars don't want to be shown losing money, so that's why they inflate the value of the locker.  I suspect that in that business, most lockers are pretty worthless and the profit comes from the occasional jackpot.

I'll agree with Boingo about the cast. They are clearly hired for their entertainment value. Some have their own stores where they resell stuff, but others, like Barry (the old gray haired guy), just seem to be doing it as a hobby. I wonder what it's like for the average citizen trying to bid with all the cameras and the stars that are undoubtedly getting preferential treatment.

Plaidmoon:

--- Quote from: Magnus on August 23, 2012, 03:13:22 PM ---I doubt that the average storage unit really has anything worth much in it :lol: Especially one that has been forfeited because the previous owner couldn't pay rent. You would think they would have to be pulling some kind of tricks.

--- End quote ---

You may have been proven correct, Magnus. Here's a story that was making the round yesterday where one of the former starts of the show (who didn't have his contract renewed is claiming that the show is staged and that the producers place valuable objects in some of the storage lockers.

http://tv.msn.com/reality-tv/storage-wars-lawsuit/story/


'Storage Wars' staged, star claims in lawsuit
David Hester says he was fired after saying popular A&E show is fake
By Tim Molloy
TheWrap

"Storage Wars" star David Hester says in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was fired after complaining that the reality show is staged.

In his lawsuit, Hester contends that the producers of the hit A&E series routinely plant valuable items in the storage lockers seen on the show. Competitors place bids on the lockers without knowing what is inside them, hoping to come across forgotten treasures.

In one case, the lawsuit contends, A&E planted a pile of newspapers reporting Elvis Presley's death. In another episode, according to the suit, a BMW mini car was found buried under trash.

An A&E spokesman said the network does not comment on pending litigation. The series is the most popular in A&E's history.

The lawsuit pulls no punches, alleging that "nearly every aspect of the series is faked, even down to the plastic surgery that one of the female cast members underwent in order to create more 'sex appeal' for the show ..." The lawsuit says the surgery was paid for by the show's production company, Original Productions.

Hester also contends in the suit that Original Productions manipulates the outcome of auctions by placing bids on behalf of "the weaker cast members who lack ... both the skill and financial wherewithal to place winning bids."

Hester's suit names A&E and Original Productions, which also produces the spin-off show, "Storage Wars," based in New York and Texas. He says he suffered more than $750,000 in damages because of what he considers his wrongful termination.

Hester is represented by prominent entertainment attorney Marty Singer, who also represented Charlie Sheen in his legal fight with Warner Bros. TV over his firing from "Two and a Half Men."

Hester is known on "Storage Wars" for being one of the most disciplined bidders. According to his A&E biography, he was sentenced to community service in a Goodwill Store after a 2005 DUI conviction. He saw the potential in the operation, and converted his own furniture store into a thrift store.

He is best known for selling art, and once paid $750 for a box lot that included a painting by impressionist Jack Wilkinson Smith. It sold for $155,000, according to his lawsuit.

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