Storage Wars: Canada: Season 1, Episode: “Northern Lights. Northern Fights.”
Storage Wars’ first international spin-off landed in Canada. Huge country north of the US where nothing, ever, happens… except for storage auctions with trash-talking buyers. Maybe we rubbed off on the foreigners.
Players:
Roy Dirnbeck – “The Instigator” – He owns a successful courier business. Buys storage units as a hobby. Five years now and he’s hooked.
Ursula Stolf – “The Knock Out” – Runs an online business selling luxury items for women. She’s got the looks and she’s gonna work it.
Cindy Hayden & Rick Coffill – “The Veterans” – Twenty years experience and own their own thrift store. Cindy’s the pit bull. Ricky’s the puppy dog.
Paul & Bogart Kenny – “The High Roller and The Kid” – Paul’s a professional poker player. Side business storage auction buyer. He’s opened a new store and wants to pass the family business to his son.
Roy: “Pay your bills, or I’m gonna own your sh–. This is a game, and I don’t lose.”
Paul & Bogart: “We’re gonna go all-in.”
Cindy & Rick: “It’s a dog-eat-dog business.”
Ursula: “Don’t tell me can’t, because I can. Don’t tell me don’t, because I will.”
Auctioneer Don Reinhart calmly stated the rules:
1. Don’t go in
2. Don’t touch anything
3. Terms of auction – cash
Who grabbed everyone’s attention before auction? Lady in Red – Ursula. She may not have the experience, but she’s not invisible either.
1st Storage Unit
Popcorn machine, speaker, cart, bar fridge, antique mirror, out-of-date fax machine, miscellaneous items, chairs, weed wacker, boom box, and huge item under a tarp.
Cindy, in a raspy voice that could cut through concrete, told Ursula to move along. Two women just met. Consider them frenemies.
Ursula: I think that bleached fried your brain and your manners.
Cindy: Watch out little girl. You’re now sitting at the grown up table.
RrreoowwW!
Short-lived cat fight. Roy won the locker at $1,300. What was under the tarp? Baby white grand piano.
Roy took the piano for appraisal. White piano a Young Chang made in Korea. Would need $1,000 to restore musical instrument. Value after at $5,000-$6,000.
Roy: Five grand? They’re playing my song.
2nd Storage Pod
Wood table, refrigerator, entrance hallway table, marble table, picture frames, small wood end table, and obsolete computer monitor.
Bogart liked it but Paul thought it was crap.
Paul: Ten minutes on the job and he’s already an expert.
Bogart: Pfft. This isn’t so hard.
Nobody in their right mind wanted that storage pod, except for Bogart. Bid began at $25. Roy won at $100 then sold the storage pod to Bogart for $150.
Father and son rented a truck to load the whole freakin’ storage pod – never seen that done before. Paul knew a guy who owned a furniture store. Reluctantly, he bought the entire lot.
3rd Storage Unit
Skis, sofas, punching bag, wooden chairs, small copy machine, and boxes. Cindy won at $550.
Ursula: I’m out. Can’t win against crazy.
Rick and Cindy found an antique machine inside a box. Appraiser stated it’s a mechanical point writer.
One of the first models. Transcribed printed text into Braille text for the blind. Condition, poor at best. Sold to appraiser for $150.
All in all… cat fight, big spender, rookie mistake. Sound familiar?
Profit Total:
Roy Dirnbeck: $3,940
Cindy Hayden & Rick Coffill: $390
Paul Kenny & Bogart Kenny: $250
Ursula Stolf: $0
What did you think of the new spin-off?
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