Storage Wars: The Elvis Presley Locker Dave Hester Cashed In On
"Storage Wars" buyer Dave Hester has had a tumultuous relationship with the show that made him famous. An original cast member, Dave was absent from the show's 4th season after the network allegedly fired him for claiming the series was staged. Dave responded by suing A&E for $750,000, alleging wrongful termination. Ultimately, he settled with the network and returned to the show for Season 5.
Years before all the drama went down, however, Dave cashed in big time after gambling on an unassuming storage locker. The win in question took place during Season 1, Episode 7 — entitled "Senior Center Showdown" — which aired on A&E on December 22, 2010. Dave shows up to an auction in the quiet retirement community of Homeland, CA, a small town located east of Los Angeles, hoping to score some collectibles. He had no idea just how lucky he was about to get. After bidding $750 for an abandoned locker filled with stacks of old newspapers, Dave discovers that the newspapers secured inside aren't just any old publications — they are papers that were printed on August 17th, 1977, each mourning Elvis Presley the day after he passed away.
Dave Hester can't help falling in love with this storage locker
After investigating the locker, Dave estimates there are about 3,000 identical papers inside and takes them to expert Joseph Caretta to have them appraised. Joseph, who introduces himself as an avid collector of Elvis memorabilia specializing in '70s collectibles, has good news for Dave: Instead of the 3,000 identical newspapers Dave thought he had, he actually has 6,000 copies of two separate publications.
One is an original reprint of a special edition copy of the Memphis Press, which bears the headline "A Lonely Life Ends On Elvis Presley Boulevard," with a subtitle reading, "Memphis leads the world in mourning the monarch of rock n' roll." Joseph approximates that each of these papers is worth about $5, bringing their total value to between $15,000 and $30,000. The second paper is an original release of The Commercial Appeal, which is headlined, "Death Captures Crown Of Rock And Roll — Elvis Dies Apparently After Heart Attack." Joseph describes these papers as being even more valuable, estimating that each paper is worth about $10 individually, and between $30,000 and $60,000 altogether.
When bidding, Dave rationalizes his $750 investment by saying that if the papers aren't valuable, he could use them to gift wrap items at his shop. His gamble pays off, though, and Dave walks away with a piece of history worth around $90,000, making the Presley papers one of "Storage Wars'" biggest surprises.