Storage Wars gives you the feeling that your American dream can come true. The bidders can invest over 1000 dollars and make 10 to 20 times of profit from the items they find inside the lockers.
Some people feel that the show is not real because no one would leave their valuables in a storage locker that they do not pay for until it has to be sold.
It is important to remember that many people do not have family to take over payments after they die; some do not know the value of the items, and for others, it is cheaper to let the items go and travel all the way to retrieve them.
Several items on the show have netted the bidder’s huge payouts compared to the amount the buyers paid for them. Check out these ten items that gave the buyers the largest profit margins on Storage Wars.
1. Mystery Machine Locker
- Bid: $5
- Value: $3000
Ivy bid $5 on a locker no one wanted because they thought it was not worth much. There was only one machine in it, and no one knew what it was.
He had the item appraised, worth $3000, which gave him 600 times his initial investment.
2. Newspaper Locker
- Bid: $875
- Value: $90,000
Sometimes, you find a hoarder’s locker with nothing valuable or a fan’s locker worth thousands of dollars, like the newspaper locker Dave Hester bid $875 on.
In the locker, there was a huge heap of newspaper printed on 16 August 1977, the day Elvis Presley died. The haul was worth $90,000, which is more than 90 times what he paid for the locker.
3. Paintings Locker
- Bid: $3600
- Value: $300,000
Darrel Sheets is not afraid to take risks in the show, and most of those have paid off for him. In Season 3, the show goes to Montebello, where Darrel Sheets bids $3600 for a locker.
When Darrel opens it, he finds paintings by Frank Guttierez valued at $300,000. Darrel makes more than 83 times his bid, which makes him very happy.
4. Antique Piano locker
- Bid: $275
- Value: $12000
In season 2, Barry Weiss finds a small antique piano. It is too detailed to be a child’s toy, so Barry takes it to an appraiser to determine its value.
The piano is in great condition and is valued at $12000, more than 40 times what he paid for it. That is a great profit.
5. Toy Collection Locker
- Bid: $2850
- Value: $90,000
Toys make excellent collectibles, and a locker filled with toys can be an excellent find. Darrel Sheets bid $2850 for a locker filled with Star Wars, Marvel comics, and DC toys that must have belonged to a true collector.
The locker was worth over $90000, meaning he made over 30 times his investment.
6. Gaming Locker
- Bid: $1500
- Value: $44,475
In Season 10, Rene scores his best locker filled with games and gaming equipment. The locker contains a wide range of gaming stuff, and he invites his friend to help him value it.
The contents are worth $44,475, nearly 30 times the $1500 he paid for the locker.
7. Vending Machines Locker
- Bid: $275
- Value: $27000
Dave Hester found a locker filled with old vending machines that everyone thought were worthless. He took them to an appraiser, who valued them at $27000.
Since he spent $1350 on the locker, his profit was 20 times more than the buying price.
8. Jewels Locker
- Bid: $180
- Value: $17000
In Season One, Darrel goes to Las Vegas and finds a locker with a case of beautiful jewelry. He bid $1100 for the locker, and the jewelry was valued at $17000.
Darrel made 15 times his bid, which made the locker an excellent find.
9. Antiques Locker
- Bid: $3900
- Value: $50,000
Rene bid $3900 for a locker filled with items from different cultures. The contents included sterling silver teapots, an African mask, and even Waterford crystal.
The locker was conservatively valued at over $50,000 meaning he made more than 12 times his initial investment.
10. Medical Equipment Locker
- Bid: $180
- Value: $1000
Kenny tends to make conservative bids, and he bid $180 on a locker containing old medical equipment from an orthopedic surgeon.
The items, valued at $1000, were meant for hip replacement surgery, making him six times his initial investment.
As the cast will tell you, bidding on lockers is a risky activity. You may pay a lot of money and find nothing valuable in the locker, or pay a small amount and make a huge profit for your business.
Storage Wars is an excellent show. It features the real-life stories of people who bid on lockers and stock their businesses with the items that they find.
You will love the competition, the suspense, and the drama of winning and losing in the bidding wars.