Betting on storage units at auction is a risky game that sometimes pays off big, and other times, not so much.
The show Storage Wars brought a lot of attention to the rule that if a storage unit goes unpaid for long enough, it then goes to the highest bidder. Most of these units contain nothing special. Sometimes they have valuable items like a car from James Bond or rare coins. But other times, they contain horrors, ranging from creepy porcelain dolls to live snakes.
Here are some of the best and worst finds from behind the doors of America's storage units.
1
$1 Million in Rare Coins
In 2011, a San Jose man bought a unit for $1,100 and found a locked safe filled with old gold and silver coins totaling nearly $1 million
2
Snake Breeding Operation
In 2010, a Florida buyer opened a unit to find dozens of barely alive snakes, leftover from what appeared to be an abandoned breeding setup
3
Michael Jackson Memorabilia
Back in 2009, a unit linked to one of Michael Jackson’s former managers was bought for $100 and turned out to contain personal notes, tour gear, and unreleased tracks.
4
Taxidermy
A 2014 find in Nevada revealed a collection of horrific taxidermy bought for $150.
5
Original Disney Animation Cels
A 2014 auction led to the discovery of original hand-painted Disney cels from Fantasia and Snow White, tucked in a unit bought for $300
6
Vintage Car Collection
In 2016, a buyer paid $400 for what appeared to be an ordinary unit but found it contained rare vehicles
7
A Casket with Remains
In 2012, a Michigan buyer found a full-sized casket inside a unit and inside it was a box of unclaimed cremated remains
8
NASA Rocket Parts
In 2011, a storage unit in Florida was opened to reveal labeled NASA components from the Apollo missions, bought for just $1,500
9
Creepy Dolls
In 2015, a California unit bought for $80 turned out to be stacked floor-to-ceiling with glassy-eyed porcelain dolls.
10
$500,000 Pirate Treasure
In 2018, a Florida buyer found a unit packed with antique weapons and gold doubloons, estimated to be worth half a million dollars
11
Jars of Human Teeth
In 2012, a Mississippi man paid $50 for a unit and opened it to find dozens of labeled jars filled with human teeth
12
James Bond’s Submarine Car
A Long Island couple bought a unit for $100 in 1989 and found the missing Lotus Esprit submarine car from The Spy Who Loved Me, later purchased by Elon Musk
13
Barrels of Unknown Liquid
In 2007, an Ohio buyer paid $75 for a unit containing 10 leaky barrels filled with unidentified sludge
14
$7.5 Million in Rare Comics
In 2011, a man in California paid just $100 for a storage unit and discovered a stash of Golden Age comics worth over $7 million.
