Barry Weiss

As the offbeat and independently wealthy antique collector on the popular reality series "Storage Wars" (A&E, 2010- ), Barry Weiss rapidly developed a devoted following - particularly among female viewers - to become one of basic cable's most popular stars.

Prior to "Storage Wars," Weiss owned a produce company with his brother that exported and imported wholesale fruits and vegetables. After about 25 years in that business, Weiss retired in his mid-fifties a wealthy man. An avid motorcycle nut, Weiss eventually befriended Jesse James and became an honorary godfather and close friend with the "Monster Garage" (Discovery Channel, 2002-06) star.

He had been an antique collector his entire life and was approached by his old friend, Thom Beers, a reality show producer who offered Weiss a spot on "Storage Wars," which depicted a group of professional buyers who bid on abandoned storage lockers that go up for sale at auction in and around Southern California.

While most of the buyers on the show - consignment store owner Dave Hester, high-end dealer Darrell Sheets, and second hand store owners Jarrod Schulz and Brandi Passante - relied on the lockers to earn a living, Weiss' independent wealth allowed him to purchase lockers on a whim and dig through for items to add to his eclectic collection.

Debuting in December 2010, "Storage Wars" was an immediate hit and quickly became the most watched series on A&E, thanks to the quirky personalities of the four buyers. Weiss stood out from the rest due to his eccentric style, cheesy puns, offbeat charm and the numerous wacky cars he owned, including a chopped Cadillac with bull horns as a hood ornament.

While the other buyers appeared to engage in a genuine rivalry that sometimes bordered on outright dislike - particularly in the case of Sheets and Hester - Weiss enjoyed a chummy camaraderie with the entire cast. He was also known for pulling pranks through any means possible - a psychic, night vision goggles, even a little person on stilts - to ascertain a locker's mysterious contents.

Occasionally, he used high-profile friends to help judge the value of certain items, as he did with drummer Stuart Copeland from The Police, who not only priced a used drum set, but also increased the value by autographic each piece. Meanwhile, Weiss enjoyed a degree of celebrity, thanks to a rabid fan base that started a Barry Weiss Fan Club on Facebook, where female fans proposed marriage on a daily basis.

Having been married and divorced with two kids already, Weiss had no plans to accept any proposals.

By Shawn Dwyer