With the 11th season premiere now history (it aired on November 8th) the A&E series Storage Wars has earned an 83% approval rating from Google users and a 7.8 rating from TV.com. For those who have not seen the show, the basic format is to get a group of people together who bid on abandoned or repossessed storage units. It is similar to a garage sale with a few exceptions, and though it seems this simple concept should become boring or monotonous, the ratings show that quite the opposite is true.
So what makes this show so popular, or dare we say, addictive?
First, people have liked garage sales it seems forever. There are three basic types of people who commit their Saturday mornings to garage sale hunting: those who are looking for a bargain, those who just want to start the weekend off by traveling and relaxing, and those who are in it for the hunt. Storage Wars manages to attract all three of these groups, but particularly the hunters. No need to leave the house in freezing weather or be limited to the daytime excursion.
Then there is the competition factor. You are introduced to some people who just don’t like each other, while others are savvy storage unit buyers who have the knack for knowing what’s behind the door is a gold mine. For the buyers, the goal is to get a unit that has a few key items they can sell and make a profit above and beyond their buying price. But it’s not just the grab and sell potential. Some buyers are very gifted and can turn swatches of cloth or fabric into amazing furniture, so what looks like garbage and may actually be worthless to one buyer may be a gold mine for another.
For those who have watched the remake of the classic Let’s Make A Deal TV show, at the end of the show there are the 3 doors that can have either the top prize or what is called a Zonk — which is often a worthless piece of junk. Storage Wars actually imitates that idea because while there may be 5 or 6 units opened during the show, no one ever knows what’s completely behind them. The doors are opened but buyers must only look at the contents without entering the unit before bidding. Add to that the audience has no idea what the value is to the buyer until they start digging around and finding what is actually valuable to them, and you have an ongoing interest.
Of course, maybe the actual drama in its early seasons spurred interest in the show. One of the buyers sued A&E alleging that the show planted items inside the storage units ahead of time to add to the excitement factor. The show never denied the charges, and while fanatic followers may already know this, it seems they could care less. Remember, it’s the possibility of the one-of-a-kind find that keeps people going to garage sales, and Storage Wars continues with that theme.
To those who don’t get the attraction of the show, there are people all around the world who also can’t get enough. The list of countries who have been sold rights to the series include Singapore, Croatia, Australia, most of Western Europe, Poland, Turkey, New Zealand, Argentina, and India.
This blog would not be complete unless we include a few actual fan comments.
“I really like this show .Mary from Texas is a delight. What ever happened to Casey? Bring back Barry. It’s entertaining and more people are checking their belongings.”
“The cast of Storage Wars are people that we can relate to and more than that, they are interesting as hell.”
“Dave is cocky. He has the biggest wallet and often flexes his muscle to intimidate other bidders. He often bids on units he doesn’t want in order to run up the price. However, he often makes the most money.”
So as you can see, it is a lot about the personality of the bidders, and many viewers take sides. At least they’re not boring.
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