On the surface, it doesn’t sound like it would make the most interesting show to follow the auctioning off of storage containers, but in recent years several shows have popped up which detail the antics of opportunistic dealers and eccentrics. Storage Wars, from American network A&E, is approaching a sixth season, and its popularity is such that several spin-off shows have been created – along with a slew of copycat shows. The trend has even spread to the UK and into other countries with self-storage facilities.
The premise is based around storage units which have to be cleared out because the renter has not kept up with their payments. The storage facility owner will want the unit back so it can be leased by a paying customer, but doesn’t want to incur the cost of having to remove the items within. That’s where things get interesting, as the public are allowed to have a quick glance in the units up for auction before bidding on what they feel the contents might be worth – their ultimate aim is to unearth a hidden treasure which will earn them a profit.
We’ve collected just a few of the best finds below.
Here Be Treasure!
You’ll often hear valuables referred to as treasures by the people buying the units, but in 2011 two intrepid hunters literally uncovered hidden pirate treasure. Dan and Laura Dolston found an old pirate chest which contained almost $500,000 worth of Spanish gold from the 16th century. Considering they only spent $1000 on the unit, they made quite a tidy profit.
Cage Comics
Back in 2000, famous Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage had a rare, collectible comic stolen from his home. It was a 1938, mint condition, first issue of Action Comics, featuring the debut appearance of Superman. In 2011 it resurfaced in a storage unit, long after everyone had given up hope of it ever being found. The comic was then sold for around $2m by Cage as he faced financial problems – a small miracle for the well-known actor.
Elvis Has Left The Building
The King may be long dead but anything slightly related to him still holds immense value. That’s why when one storage unit was found to contain newspapers from the day of Elvis’ death they fetched around $90,000. The unit actually contained thousands of newspapers, as clearly one person had gotten carried away with their collections, but it certainly paid off for one lucky hunter.
The Antique Gambit
This final haul was found across two units and was always thought to contain valuables since they had been owned by a WWII veteran. The winning bid was a whopping $27,000 but the contents ended up fetching around $100,000. Included in the antiques were presidential papers, a cane owned by former US President Harry Truman and some Civil War letters.
Clearly the moral of these stories is to keep up with your payments and make sure those valuable possessions stay yours. At Simply Storage we provide great rates for personal storage so you can keep the clutter from your home out of sight.
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