Storage Wars: The Top 5 Seasons According To IMDb
Prior to "Storage Wars" debuting on A&E in 2010, most people probably only thought about storage units if they rented one to keep all the junk they couldn't fit into their house. But unbeknownst to much of the general public, there were people around who knew there were treasures to be found. Many of them have since received the spotlight in the reality series where they bid big bucks to try to turn a profit. And it's resulted in one of the biggest hits A&E has.
Numerous buyers have come and gone over the years, but the central mission statement has remained the same. People gather during a storage unit auction to see if they can find valuables to sell and make money off of. A big part of the appeal of "Storage Wars" is seeing what the buyers end up getting since they can't scrounge through the unit before the auction begins. It's a bit of a gamble, but that's part of the thrill.
As is the case with any series, there have been ups and downs over the years. Some episodes are intrinsically more interesting than others, usually because something incredible gets unearthed. But if you don't have time to go through every single episode, you may wonder which seasons are worth your time. Well, we crunched the numbers, adding up the IMDb scores of each season's episodes and coming up with an average. The seasons with the highest averages are presented below. It's been a consistently strong show throughout its run, which explains its longevity, but these seasons definitely have the most gems.
5. Season 2
It's clear the early seasons of "Storage Wars" hold a special place in people's hearts. Much of the original crew and the buyers most often associated with "Storage Wars" are around this season, including Dave Hester, Brandi Passante, and Jarrod Schulz. However, A&E clearly knew they had a hit on its hands as many recurring cast members were added to the proceedings for the second season. This is where the likes of Kenny Crossley and Nabila Haniss (who made a name for herself in the storage unit buying business before coming on the show) enter the picture.
"Storage Wars" Season 2 holds an average IMDb episode rating of 6.79/10, and it has the most episodes out of any season of the show with 33 total. Even with a wide breadth of data to pull from, there are many standouts to be found. Several episodes are rated 7.0 or higher with the two at the top being "Almost the Greatest Show on Earth" and "The Drone Wars" with 7.2 each.
The episodes really exemplify the best the series can offer. In "The Drone Wars," Darrell Sheets drops $7,000 on a unit filled with construction equipment, so he goes big hoping to make some money. It's the type of high-ball offer that keeps fans at the edges of their seats to see if a bidder will go home happy or devastated.
4. Season 11
Season 11 of "Storage Wars" holds the special distinction of having the highest-rated episode of all time. Season 11, Episode 28 — "Bo-ZAK That Whip!" — has an IMDb rating of 7.9/10. With every episode following the same basic formula, it can be tough for one to break the mold, but it seems as though some extra stakes helped this one break apart from the pack. The episode sees the crew travel to Orange, California, where Mary Padian finds a unit with severe water damage, but amidst the chaos, she manages to find something worthwhile. Brandi Passante and Jarrod Schulz get a unit of their own with a new friend.
With that high rating, "Bo-ZAK That Whip!" helped "Storage Wars" Season 11 attain an average IMDb episode score of 6.81. It's pretty rare for a "Storage Wars" episode to get beyond a 7.0 on IMDb, but this season broke through multiple times. It actually had a pretty good streak going with "Whiskers and Lies," "Crate Balls of Fire," and "Ivy Gets the Runaround," among others, all going past 7.0.
Plenty of shows run out of steam by the time seasons start getting into double digits. But Season 11 proved "Storage Wars" still had gas left in the tank.
3. Season 12
"Storage Wars" got a bit of a second wind late into its run, as Season 12 is also enjoyed heavily by fans. It runs on the shorter side with only 16 episodes, but it has an average IMDb episode rating of 6.87/10. Similar to Season 11, several episodes managed to break the 7.0 mark, but what really aided it is that the rest of the episodes are solid. The lowest score in the season is Season 12, Episode 14 — "Not All That Glitters Is Gourd" — with 6.5. Other than that, everything falls within the 6.8 to 6.9 range, so there's not too much of a dip in quality.
Season 12 has everything that made Season 11 so good. The same buyers are back, but at this point in the show's run, episodes are more willing to branch out from bidding and selling. For instance, "Om Sweet Om" has a storyline where Mary Padian deals with the stress of the storage unit buying business, and to relax, she takes up yoga.
Everyone probably has a favorite buyer, and when they get a lion's share of the focus in the episode, it makes for a good time. Padian had numerous fans when she was on the show, so giving her some of the limelight likely helped this episode get a higher-than-average rating.
2. Season 1
Sometimes it takes a while for a TV show to find its footing. The first season tends to have a learning curve where the cast and crew figure out what works and what doesn't. But with "Storage Wars," audiences caught onto the idea quickly. They knew exactly what they were in for, and over a decade later, the first season still has some of the best moments from the show's run.
"Storage Wars" Season 1 has an average IMDb episode rating of 6.92/10. Everything got started on the right foot as the very first episode — "High Noon in the High Desert" — has a score of 7.0/10. In fact, nearly half of Season 1's episodes have a rating of 7.0 or higher. It was an innovative show in some regards, and critics understood what it was going for. Around the time of Season 1's premiere, Slate put out an article dissecting the series, mentioning, "When the speculators turn their meaty faces to the camera to talk about their bidding strategies and resale plans, the score sounds with the strums and whistles of a spaghetti Western. A fistful of dollars, a roomful of stuff, an Antiques Roadshow on a dead-end street."
"Storage Wars" wasn't reinventing the wheel. It provided viewers with a fun time and an air of mystery to see what goods could be uncovered, but one season has it beat.
1. Season 6
The most popular "Storage Wars" seasons so far have either fall at the beginning of later in the run. It's interesting that the season taking the top spot is smack dab in the middle with Season 6, garnering an average IMDb episode rating of 6.97/10.
At this point in the series, the show had definitely hit a stride. Barry Weiss was temporarily gone, but plenty of other fan favorites, including Mary Padian and Ivy Calvin, were there to pick up the slack. And it may not be the highest-rated episode of all time, but Episode 8 — "A Very Miraculous Storage Wars Christmas" — gets up there with a rating of 7.6. It breaks from the usual routine and provides a glimpse into Dan and Laura Dotson's house as they invite other bidders over for a white elephant exchange. The proceeds go to charity, but everyone still has a naturally competitive spirit, making for a lot of fun to break up the season.
It's not easy maintaining interest after a decade on the air. But "Storage Wars" remains prime programming for A&E, and depending on who joins the cast down the line, perhaps Season 6 could get unseated at some point.