The popular A&E series, which is part-swap meet, part-treasure hunt, and part-competition with a Western feel, has its long-anticipated Season 13 premiere on Tues., Nov. 2, and fans can’t wait to see their favorite collectors this fall—and, of course, to find out if they will discover any hidden treasures. The show’s cast of savvy, real-life businessmen and women bid on abandoned storage lockers while hunting for a big score. Sometimes they pay a few hundred or a few thousand dollars and end up with a stranger’s discarded shoes, broken furniture, and chipped dishes—but other times, they score big with items like a classic comic book or toy collection, pricey works of art, rare and historic antiques, and even cash. But perhaps the biggest score of all for Storage Wars Season 13 is the long-anticipated return of Barry Weiss, coming after an eight-season absence on the show. Weiss is the flamboyant bidder who made it big in wholesale produce and switched gears to play the storage buying game. While many of the competitors arrive at the storage facilities in their business trucks or other typical vehicles, Weiss (usually running late) appears in a classic car, and often with one or more memorable friends or business associates. Rene Nezhoda, who bids on storage units with his wife, Casey, is among those predicting that the new season will be an exciting one thanks to Weiss. “For eight seasons, everybody’s been waiting for America’s Crazy Uncle Barry Weiss to come back, and he is back!” Nezhoda says. In fact, Nezhoda claims the number one question he gets asked from fans he meets is, “‘When is Barry coming back?’ So for eight seasons, people have been hoping for Barry to come back, and I think America’s finally going to get their wish!” Here is a look at everything you need to know about Season 13 of Storage Wars, including Parade.com’s exclusive interviews with some of the buyers in the bidding, buying, and selling amid the wild auction wars:
When does Season 13 of Storage Wars premiere?
Season 13 of Storage Wars premieres Tues., Nov. 2, at 9 p.m. ET on A&E.
How many episodes are in Season 13 of Storage Wars?
There are 14 episodes in Season 13 of Storage Wars.
Are there any spoilers or surprises for Season 13 of Storage Wars?
Yes—namely, the triumphant return of Weiss, who has been gone from the show for eight seasons. Auctioneers Dan and Laura Dotson are thrilled that Weiss has returned to Storage Wars. “Barry is like a circus act 24/7,” says Laura. “Everybody who watches the show, and the reruns, is always talking about Barry. They love him, or they don’t understand him, but nobody hates him.” She says one of the remarkable things about Weiss is his flamboyance. “Well, his clothing, oh my, does that guy have a wardrobe! He knows how to dress!” Dan adds, “Barry provides comic relief because he often keeps us laughing. He is definitely not as serious as the other buyers, so we have a lot of fun with him.”
What is Storage Wars all about?
This real-life series follows a group of business owners/treasure hunters who are featured on half-hour episodes as they bid on abandoned storage units throughout California. Each prospective bidder has five minutes to peek in and size up the unit—with a flashlight—but they may not go into the unit and they may not touch anything. Next, they decide how much they want to bid. Sometimes the winning bidder finds a unique item and has to ask an expert to appraise the item. The aim: to strike it rich from someone’s discarded antiques, works of art, furniture, collectibles, equipment, and more. It is a high-stakes game that can have a big payoff; one successful bidder featured on the show bought a storage unit for $800 and sold the collectible contents for $40,000.
When did Storage Wars debut?
The reality series had its debut on December 10, 2010.
How many episodes of Storage Wars have aired?
There are 279 episodes of the series so far in all!
What network is Storage Wars on?
Storage Wars is on the A&E Network.
Is there a trailer for Storage Wars Season 13?
Who are the cast members in Storage Wars Season 13?
Auctioneers Dan and Laura Dotson
Dan and Laura Dotson are a married couple, parents of a 23-year-old son, Garrett, and owners of American Auctioneers, a full-service auction company located in Riverside, California. They lead the buyers through unit after unit filled with all kinds of surprises. Dan and Laura return after their departure at the end of season 9. According to Screenrant, “they didn’t return for Season 10, and they think that they weren’t asked back due to the show’s budget issues at that time. But, they’re back, ready and rarin’ to go for Season 13.” Although this couple has worked side-by-side on the show and their auction business, which could put a strain on even the most healthy marriage, they say it was positive for them. “Before Storage Wars, we drove 250 miles a day separately, and then we’d come back tired. And since the show started, Laura and I have been able to spend every day together,” Dan told Parade.com. “And we’ve been together for almost a quarter-century and it’s been really good for our marriage. It’s afforded us a lifestyle and it’s helped with our brands.” His wife added, “Thank God, we like each other. We have similar interests, and truthfully Danny’s my best friend and I just am so thankful that I get to work with him and spend so much time with him. I wouldn’t want to be with anybody else!”
Brandi Passante
Passante has focused her attention on home staging and storage lockers have a way of offering her all kinds of furniture and knick-knacks. She is flying solo in Season 13, without her partner Jarrod Schulz, after a breakup two years ago, which was kept quiet until recently. While Schultz is not on the show this season, Laura remembers the early days of meeting Brandi and Jarrod. “It was an exciting dynamic. His wife yells at him every single time he gets out of the car, and she goes, ‘You better not spend more than $500!’ And that was Brandi. I thought, ‘Wow, what neat character traits that those two are to make their system work.”
Darrell Sheets
Sheets is lured out of a cozy retirement, being simply unable to resist the pull of auctions. According to Looper.com, “in March of 2019, Sheets suffered what he referred to as a mild heart attack and subsequent complications due to an infection in his lungs. But he hasn’t lost a step and is coming back strong for Season 13.” When Laura Dotson was pitching the idea of the show to A&E producers, she said she knew that the personalities of the bidders were paramount to the success of the series. “When I would show up places, and I would watch Darrell and Rene almost beat each other up on the auction floor. And then I would see at the end, those two are talking about the units. And, say things like, ‘Man, I should have bid on this one.’ Or ‘Well, good luck, I’ll see you at the next sale,’ and things like that. So, I thought, you know, this is really something. They’re rough and tough and they’re bidding like crazy, and then they’re friends.”
Ivy Calvin
Calvin has added his two sons, Ivy Jr. and Isiah, who both show a strong interest in the family business, Grandma’s Attic in Palmdale California. They have both made appearances in Season 13. Rene Nezhoda says he also enjoys his off-screen friendship with Ivy Calvin. “I go to Ivy’s store once every three to four months and I buy a bunch of stuff at his store that might not do well at his customer base, but does really well with my customer base,” Nezhoda explains. “We usually put that on our YouTube channel as well, so those are always fun videos. Ivy is a strong family man, something I put a lot of value in. He is a really good guy; I enjoy him a lot.”
Rene and Casey Nezhoda
Rene and Casey Nezhoda find themselves re-arranging the business, potentially moving its storefront to a location closer to the other buyers. What Rene says he brings to the show is his abundant business and auction experience. “It’s pretty safe to say that in the current cast that Darrell and I are probably the most experienced. I also like to think that I’m funny. I always used to tell God that I want to be just like John Candy, and he made me really fat, but that’s not what I meant,” he joked. “I meant the personality, character, and the fun attitude. But it’s okay, I guess I should have been more specific in my prayers.” He added that he enjoys the show. “I decided a long time ago that there are always people who are going to judge you, so it doesn’t really matter what they think. Once you get past it, just have fun and do what’s right for you, and you’ll have fun. And on top of it, I just bring a lot of knowledge to the show. I take chances and just go with it. If there’s a $25,000 locker on Storage Wars you know I’m probably going to buy it or be the backup-bidder on it.” When he isn’t filming the show, Rene says he is friendly with several cast members on Storage Wars. “I speak to Kenny a lot, he’s a good friend of mine, and I speak to Ivy, Dan, and Laura. Our show and our team are almost like sports; it’s like football. We’re all very competitive, we bash heads, we all try to make money. And that’s how the fans are, too. If they are hardcore like Darrell Sheets, they’re probably not going to like me as much and vice versa because we butt heads; it’s clearly a competition.”
Kenny Crossley
Crossley is still trying to get the hang of buying treasure-filled units (without having to spend a fortune), all while keeping everyone in stitches. Kenny has been spending some of his time away from the show with The kennydoit’s Podcast: on which he covers a wide array of topics, from Mayonaise to the Capital riots.
Barry Weiss
Weiss has adopted a strict new buying regimen since his last appearance in 2015. He has been working with an internationally-recognized bidding coach, and he is intent on getting back in the game and playing for keeps this time. According to The U.S Sun, “Weiss was sidelined by a bad motorcycle accident in April 2019, leaving his return to Storage Wars in question.” A big issue that was discussed during the two Welcome Back Barry Specials that aired on October 26 on A&E, is whether the storage locker game is more skill than luck; Sheets insisted it is 50 percent skills and 50 percent luck, while Rene Nezhoda, one of his main competitors for the storage units, disagreed saying it is some 80 percent skill and 20 percent luck. Auctioneer Dan Dotson says that skill is a major factor in the storage wars fame. “You have to look and see. If it all looks like junk, it probably is. If it looks good, then there’s probably stuff you don’t see that also has some quality to it and looks good. So, I would just tell people to take their time, take a deep breath, study lots of units, and look and see everything that’s in there and guess what you think they’re going to bring.” Storage Wars airs on A&E on Tuesdays, at 9 p.m. ET. Next, See the Spooktacular Dancing with the Stars Halloween Horror Night Costumes!
