Tag - Bio

Dan Dotson Bio

September 29, 2012

One half of a husband-and-wife team, Dan Dotson is the featured auctioneer on A&E's Storage Wars. A native of Riverside, California, Dan and his wife are co-owners of American Auctioneers and run a number of storage auctions and provide other auction services.

Dan grew up in the auction business. His grandfather worked as an auctioneer for cattle and farms in Arkansas, and he passed the trade along to his grandson during the summers when Dan wasn't in school. From the age of 11, Dan was educated in the field, and he began working his first auctions at the age of 16.

Since then, Dan has developed a successful career in the auction business. He founded American Auctioneers in 1983 as an auction house specializing in pottery, porcelain, dolls, furniture and collectibles; in 1996, he met Laura and she became his wife and business partner. They soon shifted their company's focus toward storage units, and they also started doing auctions for estates, business inventories and foreclosure auctions. Their company also handles fundraisers and appraisals.

In 2010, Dan and Laura started work on the TV show Storage Wars. Although Dan is the primary auctioneer on the show, he does sometimes stand aside to let his wife take center stage. They act as neutral parties with a friendly attitude toward all of their buyers, and they sometimes need to step in to cool down the tempers of fiercely competitive bidders on the show. When not officiating auctions, Dan is also the chief adviser of Storage Treasures, a web portal focusing on storage auctions across the country.

Barry Weiss Bio

September 24, 2012

Travis Lane

Storage Auction Reality

44 Comments

A life-long collector, Barry Weiss has been attending auctions since he was 15 to satiate his need for collectibles. Now in his 60s, Barry has a lot of experience to draw from and a keen eye for the unusual. Though he has more money to spend than most of his competitors, he still loses his temper frequently when he loses money on an auction. This sort of intensity is one of the things that's propelled him through his career and certainly endears him to fans.

Unlike others on the show, Barry doesn't have a long history with storage unit auctions. Indeed, he only began frequenting these auctions after being invited by the producers of Storage Wars. He is, however, a lifelong antiques collector, and many of the items he buys go toward his own private collections. Everything he doesn't want to keep gets sold or donated. As a wealthy retiree, Barry is more interested in the thrill of the hunt than making a profit on his findings.

Prior to his retirement, Barry and his brother actually made a fortune in agriculture as an importer and exporter of exotic produce. His business, Northern Produce, is located in Commerce, California and is still operating, though Barry has since retired. His brother is still the CEO of the company. Barry's 25 years of owning a business has given him plenty of money to spend on his passions, which include collecting antiques and traveling the world. He's estimated to be worth about $7 million, but much of that money is tied up in antiques and collector's cars.

Barry's known among other auction-hunters as a bit of an odd-ball. Some of his tactics are certainly unorthodox, from consulting psychics to wearing night vision goggles to peer into a dark storage unit. He also tends to wear outlandish and flamboyant clothing, especially his signature skeleton-patterned gloves, and certainly stands out in a crowd.

Of course, some of these tactics may simply be a way to put his competitors off, and he certainly succeeds with that quite often. Either way, he as a lot of fun doing what he does, and his energy is a breath of fresh air in an often tense industry.

Brandi Passante Bio

September 24, 2012

Travis Lane

Storage Auction Reality

9 Comments

The long-time girlfriend of Jarrod Schulz, Brandi Passante was a stay-at-home mom for several years before getting involved in Jarrod's thrift store business. Now she's the other half of the duo appearing on Storage Wars. She's the more level-headed of the two, frequently talking sense into her partner before he spends more than they can afford on a unit.

While Jarrod's often enthusiastic and aggressive in his bidding, Brandi is more reserved and looks at things shrewdly and carefully, bidding only for items that she knows will fit in with the needs of their store. This does sometimes lead her to be too conservative and miss out on potentially great finds, but they've still managed to put together an impressive business from what they get. Fans love the dynamic between the couple, although some have criticized Brandi as being shrewish or overbearing. Some interviews suggest that these elements of their relationship may be played up for he show.

Though not officially married, Brandi and Jarrod have been together for 12 years and have two children together. Aside from her time on the show, Brandi leads a fairly private life. Aside from information some eager fans have gleaned from her public Twitter and Facebook pages, little is known about her private life beyond what's seen in the show.

Jarrod Schulz Bio

September 24, 2012

Travis Lane

Storage Auction Reality

2 Comments

Alongside his partner Brandi Passante, Jarrod Schulz is a main star in the show Storage Wars. He and Brandi run Now and Then Thrift Store, which they stock with finds from storage auctions and other sources. Together, they're referred to on the show as the “young guns” and they're relative newcomers to the storage auction business. They have less money available than many of the other bidders, so every purchase needs to be approached carefully, but they're quickly gaining experience and know-how in the field.

Jarrod began his career by buying items at storage auctions and reselling them at swap meets. After his home became overrun with items, he opened his thrift store, which Brandi assists in running. He also co-owns Outlaw Apparel, a clothing line that he can frequently be seen wearing on the show.

According to Reality Weekly, Jarrod has a history with the law. In the 1990s, he spent some time in prison for possession of a controlled substance and DUI. After his time in prison, he realized that he needed to make some major changes in his life. He worked for a time in real estate, attending storage auctions as a hobby, before finally opening his thrift store and entering the resale business full-time.

Darrell Sheets Bio

September 21, 2012

Travis Lane

Storage Auction Reality

7 Comments

Known as “The Gambler,” Darrell Sheets is an auction-hunter on the popular show Storage Wars on A&E. He's been in the storage auction business for more than 30 years and his experience has led him to make some truly impressive finds. Unlike many of the auction-hunter on the show, Darrell doesn't own a shop of his own. Instead, he buys items and stores them in his warehouse until he can resell them at swap meets and other events or to private collectors.

Darrell originally hails from San Diego, but he moved with his son Brandon to North Hollywood after his divorce. He and Brandon stand out from the crowd thanks to the tank tops they wear, which shows off their muscles and tattoos. Despite his somewhat forbidding presence, Darrell has an eye for art and other collectibles.

Since he doesn't run a store, Darrell can operate with a lower overhead than many other cast members. This allows him to be pickier with the units he bids on, and gives him room to seek out real treasures, like a letter written by Abraham Lincoln that fetched a handsome $15,000. Of course, not all of his finds have been so valuable, and he once was involved in a police investigation after finding a corpse in a storage unit he once won. Nevertheless, Darrell is keen to expand his wealth and experience and teach the trade to his son, who accompanies him on all of his auctions.

Dave Hester Bio

September 21, 2012

Travis Lane

Storage Auction Reality

2 Comments

Dave Hester, also known as “The Mogul” is an auction-hunter on the popular Storage Wars show on A&E. The 47-year-old thrift store owner has been involved in the industry since 1969, when he accompanied his father to a swap meet. Later, over a five year period, he sold a train set piece-by-piece to interested buyers for an impressive profit. It would be several years before he got truly involved in the resale community, though.

Following a DUI arrest in 2005, Hester needed to complete 30 days of community service at a Good Will store. Inspired, he turned his existing furniture store into a thrift shop, Rags to Riches, which he would stock with items bought at storage auctins and other sources. He shut this down in 2011 to open his own auction house, Dave Hester Auctions. Thanks to his role in Storage Wars, he's earned an impressive celebrity net worth of around $3 million.

Of all the characters on Storage Wars, Dave Hester operates with the highest overhead and greatest risk. He's an aggressive bidder, and some of his tactics – especially his tendency to bid loudly and at the last minute – have earned him a role as an antagonist for many of the show's other buyers. He likes to drive up the prices on auctions to cost his competition more money, and he runs his businesses in a very orderly fashion – which makes sense, considering his military upbringing.

Dave's signature call of “Yuuup!” when placing a bid has made him famous, but also caused some scandals: He fought a legal battle with musician Trey Songz over his right to use the word as his catch-phrase after the rapper sent a cease-and-desist letter. The lawsuit has since been settled, but details of the settlement are still unclear.

Dave Hester was absent from several episodes of the most recent Storage Wars season. Coupled with some heated contract negotiations with AMZ, many fans suspected that Hester would not return to the show. As of right now, though, he's still a regular member of the program, and his son Dave Jr. is a regular participant as well.

Jerry Simpson Bio

September 21, 2012

Travis Lane

Storage Auction Reality

1 Comment

One half of the popular Storage Wars: Texas duo, Jerry Simpson works with Lesa Lewis at her thrift store Again and Again Resale. Jerry and Lesa were popular fan favorites due to their bickering and work chemistry, and many people were sad to see them go when A&E did not renew their contracts for the third season.

Compared to his often larger-than-life boss, Jerry tends to take a more backseat role, and less is known about him than many other members of the Storage Wars cast. A few news stories have surfaced to reveal a criminal background, with a charge in 1992 for ownership of a controlled substance and 2007 for assault. His record has been clean since he began working for Lesa in 2008.

According to Reality Weekly, Jerry began working with Lesa during a down period in his life when he was having rough luck and a hard time finding a job. He's been her assistant ever since, generally doing the hard manual labor and other physical work, but he's working toward a more sales-oriented position with the company. Rumors have circulated that the duo may be getting their own spin-off show now that their time with Storage Wars: Texas has ended, but it's not clear how much truth these rumors contain.

Victor Rjesnjansky Bio

September 18, 2012

Travis Lane

Storage Auction Reality

4 Comments

A Long Island native, Victor Rjesnjansky moved to Texas five years ago in search of cheaper living and a new adventure. He's a member of the Storage Wars: Texas cast, and his celebrity net worth is about $1 million thanks to his involvement on the show and his successful business ventures. He owns a revolving estate sale and a consignment store which he keeps stocked with items bought at auction.

Known as “the Outsider” or “Slick Vick,” Victor has a hard time fitting in with the Dallas locals, which he refers to as “rednecks.” He's a fast-talker and prefers a leisurely and decadent lifestyle. While he'll bid on anything that might turn a profit, Victor specializes in vehicles from motorcycles to boats and golf carts. These he collects in his yard and garage until he can find a place to resell them.

Before moving to Texas, Victor was already a frequent auction hunter in New York. He started searching through auctions in 1990, and he's gained a lot of experience and techniques since then that are put to good use on the show. He appreciates healthy profits from many of his purchases, and the website for his consignment shop, 31 House, helps draw more business as curious fans of the show look him up online.

Dr. Morris “Moe” Prigoff Bio

August 31, 2012

Travis Lane

Storage Auction Reality

5 Comments

As a practicing podiatrist and owner of two businesses, Dr. Morris Prigoff certainly stays busy. Morris, or as he's more commonly called, “Moe,” has been a member of the Storage Wars Texas team since the first episode in December of 2011. Since then, he's made quite an impression thanks to his naturally charming and flamboyant personality; he's the fan favorite of many and helps bring a new personality to the team.

Dr. Morris graduated from Syracuse University and left to study medicine in Cleveland. He's been a practicing podiatrist, or foot doctor, for the past 40 years. Among his many patients have been professional athletes from the Dallas hockey and basketball teams. Somehow, amid the time he spends performing surgeries, running his antiques business and hunting storage auctions, he still has enough time to be an active lecturer and publish several podiatric papers.

The doctor has an eye for fashion and collects antiques and art to stock both a gallery and his boutique shop, “River Regency Modern.” He's been collecting antiques for more than 30 years and has developed an impeccable eye for good taste and valuables. He's been in the resale business for about 10 years. His non-valuable finds get piled in his backyard, much to the annoyance of his wife.

Unlike other auction hunters, Moe isn't interested in quantity so much as he is quality. The items he sells in his boutique shop are extremely valuable, and he doesn't bother with smaller items. The strategy has paid off. His participation on Storage Wars Texas combined with the profits of his businesses has made him worth an impressive $4 million, a figure bound to rise.

Moe is also responsible for bringing new cast member Mary Padian on board the show. Moe is a regular shopper at her store, Mary's Finds, and encouraged her to come out auction hunting in season one; she's now a full-time member of the auction team and part of the duo that replaced Jerry Simpson and Lesa Lewis this season.