Storage Wars: This Weird Statue Barry Weiss Found Is Actually Worth $6,000

"Storage Wars" buyer Barry Weiss has been collecting antiques since he was 15 years old. And while his bidding decisions often skew eccentric, the Los Angeles-based treasure hunter clearly has a keen eye and an open mind when it comes to hunting down unusual antiquities. More importantly, he has the independent wealth to back up his sometimes disastrous buying decisions, thanks to his work with his family's wholesale produce business, Northern Produce, from which Weiss is now retired.

Weiss' antique-buying prowess is on full display in Season 2, Episode 5, of "Storage Wars." After Los Angeles traffic causes Weiss to arrive late to a Costa Mesa auction, he decides to bid big on a storage unit that seems to predominantly consist of furniture. The rest of the buyers fixate on the leather sofa occupying most of the locker, but Weiss notices a box tucked behind the sofa, which appears to contain something with teeth. Weiss isn't sure what's inside, but he is sure that whatever it is, he wants to bid on it. And what Weiss discovers inside that box is a one-of-a-kind piece that is one of the biggest surprises found inside "Storage Wars" units.

Barry Weiss' big win occurs in the episode "Unclaimed Baggage," which aired on August 3, 2011. After outbidding Dave Hester, Weiss secures the unit for $1,525, leading Hester to declare that Weiss got screwed. But when Weiss finally manages to get a clear view of his mystery box, he is blown away by what he sees inside. The sculpture, which Weiss declares is "one of a kind," turns out to be a large wooden bust. The teeth are made of dentures, the eyes are real glass, and when the statue is turned around, a window offers a peek into a scene occurring inside the statue's head.

Most people — including Dave Hester — would agree the statue is creepy and that Weiss overpaid for the locker. But Weiss is convinced he has a special find on his hands and takes the bust to Dennis Boses at Off the Wall Antiques in Hollywood, California, to determine its value. Much to Weiss' delight, it turns out his instincts are right on. Boses informs Weiss that the statue was created by California artist Mike Medow, whose mediums of choice are wood sculpture and painting. According to Boses, the sculpture is likely to be valued by a gallery at $6,000.

The average "Storage Wars" buyer would happily sell the bust and pocket the $4,475 in profit. But they don't call Weiss "the Collector" for nothing, and he decides to hang onto the sculpture — at least for the time being.