Darrell Sheets had already said goodbye to Storage Wars in the years prior to his death by suicide at 67. He’d moved to Arizona, where his son and fellow A&E star Brandon Sheets also lived, but he’d dealt with depression in his final days. While in Arizona, though, he’d opened Show me your Junk, a business focusing on hot rods, neon signs and much, much more. The shop has been shuttered in Sheets’ absence, but that may change soon.
While the Storage Wars cast was extremely vocal about the bullying Sheets had undergone prior to his death, and members of the cast had even offered to pay for funeral expenses, the family had been less vocal. Brandon Sheets did pay tribute to his dad after a few days, but the funeral itself had been expected to be a “quaint” affair. Now, a few days later, Brandon is reopening communications between the Sheets family and the Storage Wars fans.
He sent a message to the fanbase noting “Show me your Junk” has not seen its last day in the sun. (Editor Note: we edited for punctuation.)
This is Brandon Sheets: all social media will remain open and we have appreciated everyone’s concerns and condolences. We do plan to reopen ‘Lake Havasu Show me your Junk.’ Please allow some time while we gather things and get through these tough times. There is no exact date set at this time.
In addition, Sheets made it clear on FB they’d be bringing “the wow factor” when the store reopened. Fans will remember that being Sheets’ main catchphrase during his time on the A&E show. It rivaled his pal and antagonist Dave Hester’s infamous “Yuup.”
We appreciate all our Storage Wars fans and we will be back! BIGGER and BETTER than before. Just remember it’s all of you that make up ‘The wow factor baby.’ We love and appreciate all the positive energy.
Hester and some of the Storage Wars family were together when they learned the news of Sheets’ death. Hester later said they may have “argued for a lifetime over a pile of junk” onscreen, but he and Sheets were the opposite sides of the same coin. They both knew the business inside and out. They were foils for one another. Reopening the junk store and continuing on with Storage Wars should both be a tribute to that legacy.
I’m sure we’ll hear more in the coming weeks, but for now it’s nice to know Sheets’ memory is being carried forward by his family and friends.
