The 20 weirdest items found in storage lockers
You never know what you might come across in a storage unit. Beyond regular household items, like appliances and clothing, storage containers could house all kinds of rare finds, mysteries, and valuable treasures. From creepy discoveries to storage unit buyers hitting the jackpot, here are 20 of the weirdest items found in storage lockers.
Frank Gutierrez artwork collection
A massive collection of artwork by painter Frank Gutierrez was uncovered in a mystery storage unit. Upon valuation, the entire collection of rare paintings was appraised at close to $300,000.
James Bond’s Submarine Lotus Esprit
This has got to be one of the most exciting and valuable storage unit finds. After a man paid below $100 for a storage unit in 1989, he discovered a white sports car hidden in the unit. It turns out this was one of the submarine cars used in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. Elon Musk ended up buying the car for nearly $1 million.
Nicholas Cage’s $1 million comic
In 2011, a man found the first-ever Superman comic inside a storage container. This comic was bought by Nicholas Cage in 1995 when it was valued at around $1 million. The comic was reported stolen in 2000, and it mysteriously resurfaced 11 years later.
Dog tread wheel
This is another unique find on Storage Wars. Mary from the show uncovered a giant hamster wheel in a storage unit that she bought. She had no idea what the wheel was meant for and later learned that it was a type of hamster wheel designed for dogs.
Guy Fieri’s stolen Lamborghini Gallardo
A year after being stolen, Guy Fieri’s $200,000 Lamborghini Gallardo was uncovered in a car storage unit in California. Quite a valuable find in a mystery storage container!
My Little Pony collection
Finding a complete collection of something in a storage unit is very rare. A complete My Little Pony collection surfaced in a storage unit, which was later appraised for $1000. The entire unit was originally bought for $50, making this pony collection a valuable surprise.
Breast enlargement machine
Dave Hester, a well-known storage unit hunter, uncovered a used breast enlargement machine in one of his lockers. The machine wasn’t worth much, but it was definitely a one-of-a-kind item to find in an abandoned storage container.
Vintage peep show machine
A vintage peep show machine has got to be one of the most unique items ever found in a storage container. The machine takes the form of a giant flipbook that gets turned by a handle, displaying short films. This dates back to the early 20th century. The peep show machine found in the storage unit was valued at $7000.
Elvis collection
In 2010, a storage unit loaded full of newspapers from the day Elvis died (August 16, 1977) was uncovered. All of these iconic newspapers were valued at a whopping $90,000 in total.
Beekeepers equipment
Dave Hester from Storage Wars ran into an interesting find with one of his lockers. He purchased a storage unit that was complete with a full set of beekeeping equipment, including a beekeeping outfit.
Human skeleton
This was another interesting Dave Hester find. While emptying out a storage unit, he started to discover various bones. It turns out these bones formed a complete, real human skeleton. The skeleton had been used for educational purposes and was worth $1670.
$500,000 worth of gold and silver
In 2011, a man struck a literal goldmine when he discovered piles of gold and silver in a storage unit that he bought. He paid $1100 for the storage container and ended up with $500,000 worth of gold and silver.
The Burt Reynolds and friends museum
Burt Reynolds’ personal storage unit was found to be loaded full of incredible memorabilia from the actor’s life. In fact, there was so much memorabilia that came out of this unit, that it all went on to form basically the entire Burt Reynolds and Friends Museum.
A whole comic book store
Another unforgettable Storage Wars find came from Darrel Sheets, who bought a storage unit containing the entire inventory of a comic book store. This included vintage comic books, action figures, and all kinds of mint condition collectables.
Chicken eyeglasses
Yes, that’s right, a set of eyeglasses designed for chickens. A man found an entire set of 1940s and 1950s eyeglasses that were used to prevent chickens from pecking at each other’s eyes. The collection yielded a $500 profit for the new storage unit owner.
A human leg
In 2007, a storage locker containing a real human leg was sold in North Carolina. The new owner of the unit discovered the leg inside a barbeque smoker. It turned out the leg was being kept by the original owner of the unit, who had it amputated three years earlier after a plane crash.
A NASA rocket
On the TV show Auction Hunters in 2011, a NASA countdown clock and rocket was found inside a Miami storage unit. The locker was bought at an auction bid of $1500.
A zamboni
In 2012, a Zamboni, also known as an ice resurfacer, was discovered in a storage unit in Colorado. An auctioneer uncovered this exciting find. New Zamboni’s like the one he discovered sell for between $80,000 to $150,000.
42 snakes
In 2017, a storage unit containing 42 ball pythons was discovered in California. Local animal services were notified when the storage facility discovered something unusual about this locker.
Voodoo items
One of the creepiest lockers ever uncovered in Storage Wars contained all kinds of items used for voodoo. This included a bat on a stick, a bag of chicken bones, and even human hair.
Conclusion
Buying abandoned storage lockers can be incredibly exciting because you never know what you’re going to get. You could uncover a precious art or vinyl collection, a luxury vehicle, or a human skull. The list above covers just some of the many crazy finds that people have discovered in storage units over the years. Who knows what else is still out there!
