Barry Weiss Mystery Man?

Barry Weiss of Storage Wars

Barry Weiss of Storage Wars fame has everyone asking "What did you do for a living to become rich?" He has been confused with the movie producer of the same name. People assume since he has this cool demeanor and sense of humor, he must have been a Hollywood producer. Not so. Here is a partial interview with the man himself.

One of the biggest questions fans have about you, Barry, is what you do for a living. The rumor is that you are or were a Hollywood producer ... true?

(Laughing) No, no, I'm not. Actually, I've been an antique collector my entire life, and I was in the produce business for 20‑25 years, and I retired about four years ago. I just was traveling around the world and enjoying life, really. The way this opportunity came along was a close friend of mine, Thom Beers, who is the creator of the show, was over one night. I don't know, we were having a few drinks. He said he was working on something with these storage lockers, and would I like to be a part of it? And basically that's sort of how things unfolded.


So the only "producing" Barry has ever done was in the "produce" business. I bet buying a banana from this guy back in the day was a scream. The jokes he probably came up with are as classic as the man himself.

We still love you Barry, just the way you are.

Barry Needs an Apprentice - Is It You?

Storage Wars New Season

'Storage Wars' Films at Self-Storage Facility in California's Inland Empire

Highland Self Storage in San Bernardino, Calif., became the latest facility to welcome the cast and crew of reality TV show "Storage Wars" (A&E, 10/9 p.m. Central time, Wednesdays).

As the show's film crew was working, neighborhood residents tried to peek in from the facility's perimeter. The San Bernardino facility invited its customers to attend the filming.

Johanna Flores, facility manager, told the source eight units were auctioned Wednesday. "Right now, this is the first (auction) that we've held this year, and we're trying to do one every other month," she told the reporter. "The process takes about 60 days to get an auction together, and from there they make sure all our legal paperwork is up to date," she said. Highland Self Storage works with American Auctioneers.

"Storage Wars" begins its second season in July. Scenes filmed at the San Bernardino site are scheduled to be used during the seventh episode.

Storage Wars and Auction Hunters TV Shows - Are They Real?

Storage Wars Barry & Jarrod look for goodies

Do You Believe What You See On These TV Shows?

So you watch the shows on television that shows the winning bidders uncover some item that is worth a small fortune. They sift through all of this junk and lo and behold, there it is. That item that is going to make them a ton of money and they only paid $600 for the unit. It can be a safe, antiques or even money itself. The question is..are these shows real or staged. I believe they are a little of both. Sure you can find items of value but does it occur as often as these shows portray? Probably not. However, I don't think Storage Wars "plants" any of the items in the storage units. I do think that maybe there is editing done and they don't always show the loser lockers. That is until the last few episodes, I believe they saw that the show was portraying every unit being a winner and wanted to show that even the experts get it wrong sometimes.

Now Auction Hunters is another story. Again every unit they buy has some sort of rare item or a valuable piece of furniture. They find slot machines, rare guns and even a Maui Blue Fender Stratocaster, which is a pretty rare guitar. Honestly, I believe this show is either staged or some creative editing is done. Personally, I don't even like the guys who are on it. They just don't seem like to people who would hang out together to me. I mean how clever is it that the big guy is called "Ton". Just an FYI, his name is Clinton so hence the nickname. Again I find this show unrealistic and misleading to anyone who wants to get into the business.

So if you ask me, out of the two shows which one is closer to what really happens at these auctions, I'd have to give an edge to Storage Wars. You have to remember the guys like Dave Hester and Darrell Sheets were doing this before cameras were present. Back then you could buy a unit for $100 and make some decent money if you had a way to resell it. It's kind of funny, I hear these guys complaining about all the "newbies" showing up at these auctions and ruining the business by bidding up units. Well if it wasn't for the shows you are on, this wouldn't have been exposed to the public. Trust me they get paid to be on the shows also, not to mention when it gets released on DVD. I don't feel sorry for any of them. Especially Jarrod...Brandi is a poor mans Jennifer Anniston.

Recently I interviewed my good friend, Tim Brendel. He got tired of all the shows making this business look easy. So he wrote an e-book called Storage Auction Wealth. I recommend it and here is why. Storage Auction Wealth is not a get rich quick scheme. This is a guide to an actual business that can make you a great deal of money if you are willing to put in the work.

I am not going to tell you that you will get rich by doing nothing. If you want to make the money from storage unit auctions then you have to be willing to work at it. Following the tips and tricks in Storage Auction Wealth will make it easier but you still must follow through with the process.

So check it out here. If you are serious about this business it is a must have. If you just want some tips on the business to help you decide if it's for you or not, I say it is worth educating yourself before you get started.

So either visit the link here or simply click on the picture of his book below.

Storage Auction Wealth

              

                                                                                                    

Storage Unit Auction Fraud

Is There Fraud Committed At Storage Unit Auctions?

Unfortunately, the answer is yes. The popularity of the shows on television has driven the crowds numbers through the roof. In fact, on a recent episode of Storage Wars, the star bidders on the show professed their irritation of all the "newbies" who are running up the bids on the lockers. So when you have an explosion of popularity in one particular niche like storage auctions and money is involved, then it is only a matter of time before fraud sets in.

So you may be asking yourself, where is fraud being done. I myself have witnessed it first hand but lets cover a few points of interest before I tell my experience in witnessing some unscrupulous actions. Here are some things to look for when attending an auction at storage unit facilities.

• Check out the lock on the unit. Try to get a look at the lock before it is cut off of the unit. Is it brand new or a little rusty? Is there even a lock on it or has the storage facility cut the lock and put some sort of temporary seal or wire tab lock on it.
  
  
• When the unit is opened do you see any dust? If not, this could be a sign that the unit has had recent visitors. Dust tends to collect quickly and if a unit is 2 or 3 months in default it will probably show dust on furniture or boxes.
  
  
• Are there strange interactions between a bidder and an auctioneer? Watch between auctions if there is close up talk between an auctioneer and bidder. Remember the auctioneer usually gets 10% of the final bid. If the plant bidder runs up the bid its more money in their pocket. If for some reason it backfires on them and they win, they can default and the next lowest bidder wins. It's a win - win situation for the auctioneer.
  
  
• Is the auction a real abandoned locker or is it staged? This is becoming a problem in some states and will probably only get worse. Recently, an ex-employee of a storage unit said his boss wanted to get in on the latest craze. He would put miscellaneous items like abandoned furniture, mattresses and boxes of junk and then have auctions for these created delinquent storage lockers. He could sell the units contents and pass the responsibility of removing the items to the "winner". 
  
  
• Do you see any open boxes? Most people who are truly storing their belongings will tape the boxes shut. Leaving boxes open would expose the contents to roaches, silverfish and rats. If you see open boxes then they have probably been sorted through by the tenant, who is taking the valuables out or the management. Probably a sign that only junk remains in the unit.

Do you need to attend Storage Auction School? Click Here to find out more. 

Please keep in mind that most of the storage unit facilities are running legitimate auctions with trustworthy auctioneers. We are not implying they are all deceitful crooks who are out to rip you off. However, the fact remains that fraud does exist and will probably get worse as these shows continue to gain viewers. The best way to prevent being scammed is to educate yourself on what to look for before bidding on an auction. I personally have had success in the business but have had just as many failures.

I mentioned a personal experience earlier here that made me a little suspicious of an auction I was attending. I was going to video the auction process in order to share my experience with my readers and to post on my YouTube channel. As soon as the auctioneer spotted me videoing, she yelled through her megaphone to cease recording or she would have me removed. I turned the video recording off so I could continue to attempt to buy a unit or two that day.

As I tried to bid on the first unit she ignored me. At the next unit I saw her speaking to what I consider a plant bidder. They conversed before each auction and I knew I was witnessing a game plan being devised. I decided these auctions were probably rigged and predetermined so I just sat back and watched. The bidder would stand near her and bid up the unit. Once he hit what he thought was a high enough bid, he would disappear into the crowd. The other reason I believe he was a plant was he would never even look at the unit when it was opened. If I am going to spend $800.00 or more on a unit, I'm going to check it very carefully.

I hope these tips help and always make sure you are smarter than the average person at these auctions. Remember, if you don't arm yourself with knowledge, you have no one to blame but yourself. Get the knowledge you need to succeed. 

Just Click On The Picture Above To Start Your Training Today

 

Article written and republished with permission by Charles Myers