Others have discovered some sick vehicles in storage containers, like professional treasure hunter Barry Weiss, who owns some great cars.
Barry Weiss has to be the most popular character from Storage Wars. Believe it or not, he made his fortune in the produce industry; “‘I ran a production company,’ Barry told AOL in an interview, ‘and my brother and I exported and imported.’ That was something I did for a long time.'” It’s safe to say he made a little cash before becoming famous for Storage Wars.
This is especially clear when you scroll down the list. Weiss is a sucker for vintage cars and motorcycles. Not only that, but he enjoys buying unusual models that you don’t see every day. These rides, as you can assume, have a high resale value. However, unlike Storage Wars, Weiss does not intend to resell cars and bikes in many situations.
In April 2022, it was updated. If you like Barry Weiss and Storage Wars, you’ll be delighted to know that we’ve updated this post with further information about the treasure hunter’s car collection in a storage unit.
Barry isn’t the only one looking for treasure. Many others spend many hours each day looking for nearby storage auctions. However, unlike Barry Weiss, the majority of them aren’t on a fancy TV show, but that doesn’t negate their great discoveries. We also look at some unusual motorbike and car findings from the last few years in this piece. This list features classic models from the past, such as a Mustang.
We will, however, include modern items such as, believe it or not, a Tesla. Enough chit-chat; let’s get down to business. Here are 12 rides from Barry’s collection that everyone should see, as well as 7 uncommon rides discovered in storage units. Let’s get this party started!
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The Chicken Car from Barry’s Collection
During an episode of Storage Wars, Barry demonstrated this ride. He was visiting hens while traveling to a ranch, which was ironic. Barry discovered unique chicken sunglasses in a storage unit. Despite the absurdity of the situation, the glasses are worth $500. Wouldn’t you say it’s not too shabby?
The car, on the other hand, could be as ridiculous as the chicken sunglasses discovered in the storage unit. Nonetheless, it, like his other cars, gets people talking, and it’s certainly not a ride we see every day. It may not be his most valued vehicle, but it’s certainly a unique and amusing find.
Beatnik Custom Hot Rod With Vintage Ford From Barry’s Collection
This is without a doubt Barry’s best car. It’s not every day that we see a 1950s car on the road, let alone one as unique as this one, which appears to belong in space. Whether you believe it or not, the glass bubble you see is retractable.
Yes, this historic ride isn’t your typical vehicle, and it’s definitely a one-of-a-kind concept. According to Celebrity Cars Blog, Barry’s ride is the world’s largest bubble-top custom ride. It took three years to construct this one-of-a-kind attraction. When Barry is driving about in this car, he attracts a lot of attention.
James Bond’s Lotus Esprit Submarine was discovered in a storage unit.
It may appear hard to surpass the originality of Barry’s ride, which we just discussed. This storage container, on the other hand, might have the credentials. The buyers paid only $100 for the storage locker in Long Island in 1989, which is ridiculous.
The buyers discovered a sheet covering that concealed something big underneath, according to Jalopnik. That big monster turned out to be the James Bond Lotus Esprit Submarine! What a case of striking it rich, huh? The man paid $100 for the submarine, which was worth about $1 million. Wouldn’t you say that was a good exchange?
Blastolene Deco liner from Barry’s Collection
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Barry from Storage Wars, you’ll quickly notice that he has some weird personal taste when it comes to the cars he buys as this piece progresses. This is, without a doubt, another such example.
This ride, dubbed “The Deco liner,” resembles an amusement park ride from the 1970s rather than a functioning vehicle. As you can see, the ride is pretty roomy on the interior, almost like a five-person RV. This rollercoaster was initially used for advertising purposes, as you might anticipate.
Vintage Triumph Motorcycles from Barry’s Collection
This is another one-of-a-kind motorcycle ride. During a Rock Store meetup, Barry demonstrated this one. Although many bike aficionados liked the ride, Barry was concerned since his bike appeared to be leaking oil from the bottom. As you may guess, this did not sit well with Barry. However, given the ride’s older age, this is to be expected.
This motorcycle, unlike his other rides, does not have an unusual appearance, especially when contrasted to the Moto Guzzi. This is simply a classic vehicle with a wonderful appearance. Despite the oil leak, the exterior is in excellent shape.
1927 – Found in a Storage Unit FHA 8-Valve V-Twin Harley-Davidson
For whatever reason, discovering motorcycles in storage containers isn’t as prevalent as finding vehicles, however, it should be noted that actual motorcycle parts are frequently found.
This find was much more than a collection of odd components. This one-of-a-kind racing bike was discovered in a shed by an Australian man. It’s not just from the 1920s, but it also has a one-of-a-kind sidecar, leading its value to rise. The bike was auctioned for more than $400,000 due to its rarity and uniqueness—not a bad storage shed find, wouldn’t you say?
Tesla Roadster Discovered in a Storage Unit
When we think of storage unit findings, we usually think of antiques with a high price tag. What if we told you that a Tesla was discovered in an abandoned shipping container?
A duo discovered a nice and crisp Tesla roadster merely waiting in the unit behind a cover during the show “Judgment Day” on Storage Hunters. The ride was in immaculate shape and appeared to have never been used. According to Tesla Motors Club, the automobile was likely an insurance write-off. What a case of hitting the jackpot!
1940 Ford COE Truck from Barry’s Collection
“This space-age sheet-metal monster has persisted for a vehicle that was purpose-built by Ford to endure a harsh, grueling existence filled with anything but glamorous hauling chores.” (Photo courtesy of Hot Rod) Believe it or not, the original purpose of this truck was for labor obligations.
It’s apparent that vehicles have improved in recent years, particularly in terms of backside space. These days, such a vehicle is lauded for its singularity as a ride that isn’t seen every day. It should come as no surprise that Barry decided to part with a few dollars in order to keep possession of this classic car.
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2004 – Found in a Storage Unit Rolls-Royce
According to Spare Foot’s CEO Marc Smith, unpaid storage units are an issue that occurs more frequently than not in Florida. In this situation, the underpaid unit was sold for $7,000, which was a higher price. On the inside, though, was a beautiful Rolls-Royce ride. It wasn’t easy to sell it because of how difficult it was to genuinely own the ride.
It was still a rare find that most storage unit hunters don’t expect to come across every day. At the very least, the buyer was able to cover the cost of the unit with such a find.
Lincoln-Zephyr – Barry’s Collection
When Drive Mag compares a car to a prospective Batman-style ride, you know it’s good: “If’spare cash’ means approximately $300,000-400,000, then you’re in the ideal location to take home a car that has Bruce Wayne written all over it.” (Image courtesy of Driver Mag) Barry managed to snag the ride for $55,000 back in 2013–an incredible value, in our opinion.
Barry had the automobile totally repainted black, although even when it was purple, it wasn’t all that horrible and was quite the eye-catcher. In black, though, it looks radically different, and—dare we say—much more Batman-appropriate these days. When Hot Wheels reproduced the car, it gained even more recognition. It was purchased for a quarter of a million dollars in 1999, believe it or not. Years later, Barry paid less than half the price. After giving it a black paint job and making a few additional changes, its value surged once more. He is, without a doubt, a wise vehicle collector.
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DeLorean DMC-12 discovered in a storage unit
This is an automobile with a tumultuous history. Some motor aficionados adore the futuristic body of the vehicle, while others mock its poor performance on the road. Although it appears to be from the future, it does not drive in that manner.
This has frequently resulted in the car being abandoned. If you perform a fast Google search on abandoned DeLoreans, you’ll be surprised at how many were simply abandoned and forgotten about. The identical event happened during storage find on the show Storage Hunter UK, it turns out. The couple came across a tucked-away DeLorean that was in excellent shape.
Moto Guzzi 750 from Barry’s Collection
Barry was so taken with this experience that he decided to have it reproduced. In 2012, he showed off his toy at the Bonneville BUB Motorcycle Meet. Due to its distinct appearance, it was one of the key discussion points.
Don’t be deceived by the appearance—the motorcycle can actually run and isn’t just a prop. Barry revved the engine at the meet, and it has a surprising amount of power—not it’s just for show. As you can see, Barry enjoys wild motorcycle rides in addition to vehicles.
1951 BSA Custom – Barry’s Collection
When it comes to rare and vintage items, Barry is a sucker. Barry is typically all-in when it comes to such stuff, whether it’s a rare item found in a storage locker or a rare motorcycle. This particular ride isn’t any different. Weiss extensively overhauled and altered the motorcycle, which dates back to the early 1950s.
Because of its rarity, the BSA Custom retains a high value. Only two were ever made, and Barry is currently one of the two owners. At another motorbike meetup, he showed off his ride. It’s not a horrible ride to have on display.
1966 – Found in a Storage Unit Mustang Shelby
“A man charged with removing the contents of a storage container whose renter had allowed to go into default unearthed a highly rare 1966 Shelby GT-350 and quickly shipped it off to auction, according to this CNN story.”
But hold on, there’s more. The uncommon find, according to the author of this story, has a soaring value, possibly in the six figures. That’s a great find, and it’s just more incentive to investigate storage units more thoroughly. And who knows what might happen? If they’re lucky, car fans might come across as such a beauty.
Collection of Barry – 1958 Gilera
This uncommon ride, especially in terms of shape, resembles the Guzzi mentioned previously in the article. A fan claimed Barry Weiss was the man behind the ride after posting this shot to their Flickr account. It doesn’t surprise us in the least, especially given the attention to detail on the ride and the distinctive design that we don’t see very often nowadays on motorcycle journeys.
Another amazing feature of this bike is the paintwork, which is a gorgeous blue and red color combination. This is unquestionably one of his better motorbike trips, and it is highly valuable.
1947 Cowboy Cadillac from Barry’s Collection
This may be Barry’s favorite ride of all time. Weiss has stated that he will never consider getting rid of this ride. How can you blame the guy, really? The car not only runs and looks great after all these years, but it also attracts a lot of attention.
According to Roadkill Customs, the Cowboy Cadillac was developed in the late 1940s by designer Frank Derosa. Throughout the years, he built various custom hot-rod rides. This, like all of Barry’s other rides, is a one-of-a-kind model that you won’t see very often nowadays.
1937 Bugatti 57s discovered in a storage unit
A doctor, who was identified as an obsessive owner, kept this car hidden from the public for over 50 years in a garage storage unit. The doctor paid 895 Euros for the ride in the 1950s. You can’t imagine how much it sold for after his death years later.
It was discovered stashed away in the storage area and was placed up for sale. The highest bidder on this ride was $3 million. This is from the same ride that was originally purchased for $895.
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Tim Burton Batmobile from Barry’s Car Collection
This isn’t your regular Batmobile. This is one of the most popular and arguably the best Batmobile rides of all time. We’re not sure if Barry owns the replica of this ride right now. What we do know is that he used this one-of-a-kind Batmobile in an episode of A&E’s Barry’d Treasure.
It wasn’t easy for him to get around in the famous prop car. In fact, while attempting to park the vehicle, Barry snagged a little section of the sidewalk. Viewers must have gasped at that incident if they watched the episode. Thankfully, the ride went without a hitch. It’s a thing of beauty, but it’s not the simplest vehicle to drive!
What is the net worth of Barry Weiss?
Barry Weiss has a net worth of $10 million and is a reality television star and professional storage-treasure hunter in the United States. This Barry Weiss was the eccentric superstar of A&E’s big hit reality series “Storage Wars,” which he appeared on from 2010 to 2013 and then again in 2021. He is not to be confused with the music producer of the same name or the reporter with a very similar name.
Because of his extensive collection of rare antiques, Barry was dubbed “The Collector” on the show. Weiss has had his own shows on A&E, “Barry’d Treasure” (2014) and “Storage Wars: Barry Strikes Back” (2015), and he has appeared in documentaries such as “Motorcycle Mania III” (2004) and “Beverly Hills Garage – The Bruce Meyer Project” (2019).