Storage Wars' is rigged: Lawsuit

[NotMe546]

The popular TV show “Storage Wars” - in which treasure hunters bid to buy unseen items in abandoned units - is rigged

jam!

Well I guess if you had any questions on where it was or not.

 

[satjay]

At the very least I thought they valued some stuff for more then I thought it was worth

 

[KE4EST]

I always thought it was too.

 

[Magic Static]

That makes sense. Even thought the world is full of stupid people, I can't see some of that stuff being abandoned like that.

 

[riffjim4069]

And this comes as a suprise to whom? Nobody! Only a simpleton wouldn't understand this show was rigged in some form or fashion. First, there are certain lockers in which only the 'contestants' bid or bid on past a certain dollar amount because they always win them. Second, no matter who wins a locker, there is always some strange collectable (usually valuable) in each and every locker. Typically Barry picks out the worst lockers and finds nothing but junk...but wait, until he finds a rare Tibetan Book of the Dead written in on papyrus (or the Mini BMW referenced in the article) under a pile of skivvy drawers. The other contestants lockers fit similar patters: Yuuuppp guy buys more commercial or high end lockers; the couple tends to buy lockers that will fill the shelves of their second hand store; and Tank Top guy buys the lockers somewhere in between the others. Regardless, there is typically an unusual artifact left behind (i.e., planted) in all of the lockers that needs to be appraised by a professional. They artifacts are not always worth big bucks, but they are items you typically wouldn't expect to see each week in an abandoned storage locker.

Also, they overpay for just about all of the lockers...and some of the dollar estimates on that junk is through the roof...nobody would pay that kind of money for that garbage so I assume they are using those figures for the show (contestants). Plus, these contestants aren't throwing around their money...and I'm sure they're getting paid quite well for acting in front of 5M folks per week. Offhand, I'm not sure what Hester has to complain about...he was probably getting paid a half-million dollars a year to act like an arse on television. Just like Curly's gold in the movie City Slickers II, this show and it's discovered treasures are not real.

 

[cave1376]

All the storage shows are fake or rigged. As are the tow/repo and pawn show on TRUTV. I don't watch them because they are the same every week. Get rid of all of them!!!

 

[yaz96]

Dave Hester is a dick, so who knows? Why's he suing? Because he got fired? He profited nicely from the show.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

The Storage shows are real. The auctions are regulated by the state of California and the seal on the lockers is not broken until auction time.

There are plenty of auctions that the guys on TV do not win, of course those are not shown on TV. There are also a lot of lockers they win that have nothing interesting in them and those are not shown.

Just look at how many auctions Dan Dotson is doing TODAY alone. http://www.americanauctioneers.com/

Each "star" on the show is paid per episode, with it rumored that Barry making the most now that Dave is gone. The money Barry is spending really isnt his own. (Well I guess it is he could just keep it... but then that wouldn't be fun... and Barry is all about fun.)

Brandy and Jarrod do have a store and sell the items they buy from the lockers.

Darrell sells his stuff at a flea market. Not sure about the rest.

I am sure a lot of the in fighting between the stars is done for the cameras. Take a look at Lauras page at http://www.paythelady.com/gallery.html and take a look at the lighting and gear they use, its not all guys with camcorders there is some major production going on here as well.

Any show today is for entertainment and Storage Wars is no different. But I do believe what they find is real... now the prices they value some of those things at I don't believe. I love it when Darell picks up a bowling ball and days "thats a $40 bill right there!"

Now the repo shows on TruTV... those are FAKE. The guy Lou actually produces that show as well as a bunch of others. The Repo show is supposed to be recreations of repos which have been souped up for TV. His show got popular in large Spanish Areas before it got picked up by TruTV.

 

[whitewolf8214]

No surprise to me that is it is rigged like most of them probably are

 

[riffjim4069]

No surprise to me that is it is rigged like most of them probably are

Absolutely. There is no question in my mind that the 'contents' of the storage lockers are diddled with prior to be sealed by the auction house. Seriously, what's the penalty for breaking the seal and altering "adding" items...$100 fine? These storage shows are big bucks and everyone is making money hand over fist on the deal. However, I would not doubt the shows leases units with the intent of abandoning them and having them placed on auction for the show. Heck, it would not surprise me to learn they recycle some of the junk.

 

[whitewolf8214]

Absolutely. There is no question in my mind that the 'contents' of the storage lockers are diddled with prior to be sealed by the auction house. Seriously, what's the penalty for breaking the seal and altering "adding" items...$100 fine? These storage shows are big bucks and everyone is making money hand over fist on the deal. However, I would not doubt the shows leases units with the intent of abandoning them and having them placed on auction for the show. Heck, it would not surprise me to learn they recycle some of the junk.

Me neither

 

[riffjim4069]

Dave Hester is a dick, so who knows? Why's he suing? Because he got fired? He profited nicely from the show.

I agree...wouldn't mind seeing an episode of the redneck and his son beating the crap out of him. Of course, his on air personality may be just for show, but it's hard to imagine he's that good of an actor. He grew up as the kid who didn't play well with others nor share his toys.

 

[Stargazer]

We had the game show era then came the voice talent era (american idol, the voice, america's got talent), now the auction era.

I wonder how much more interest this has drawn to auctions. It will only go for so long before something else replaces it. I wonder what will be next? I believe there is some truth and some fiction with these shows but it reminds me of wrestling.

 

[Mr Tony]

These shows are just like wrestling....just dont take it too seriously

A couple months ago there was an auction locally and in the ad in the paper it said "just like storage wars".....uh not even close
-everything was outside the storage locker all organized
-it had really been picked clean beforehand (the locker company has a garage sale like 2 times a year where they sell a bunch of stuff from the lockers
-was mainly furniture

it took the fun out of it

 

[djnaldo]

We had the game show era then came the voice talent era (american idol, the voice, america's got talent), now the auction era.

I wonder how much more interest this has drawn to auctions. It will only go for so long before something else replaces it. I wonder what will be next? I believe there is some truth and some fiction with these shows but it reminds me of wrestling.

Amish Mafia

 

[KE4EST]

We did have an auction here locally a while back and it was the like on storage wars. They cut the lock, in front of everyone and no one was allowed it just look. It was kinda fun watching people bid. I didn't bid but watched.

 

[empiretc]

The Storage shows are real. The auctions are regulated by the state of California and the seal on the lockers is not broken until auction time.

thought this show was based in California. have seen a few, and every lock they are cutting is brand new.

According to Hester, EVERYTHING on that show is fake, LOL......

These shows are just like wrestling....just dont take it too seriously

A couple months ago there was an auction locally and in the ad in the paper it said "just like storage wars".....uh not even close
-everything was outside the storage locker all organized
-it had really been picked clean beforehand (the locker company has a garage sale like 2 times a year where they sell a bunch of stuff from the lockers
-was mainly furniture

it took the fun out of it

that is for sure. all the ones around here cherry-pick the lockers. just like the places that sale pallets of returned merchandise from big name stores.

 

[Kraven]

The popular TV show “Storage Wars” - in which treasure hunters bid to buy unseen items in abandoned units - is rigged

jam!

Well I guess if you had any questions on where it was or not.

YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUP !!

 

[Kraven]

These shows are just like wrestling....just dont take it too seriously

Wrestling's not FAKE !

 

[Kraven]

Alright guys, I got to ask....who's the luckier guy? Dan or Jerrod ?
I vote for Dan.

Cheers, K