One of the most famous Storage Wars discoveries came inside a $3,000 locker at the hands of veteran buyer Darrell Sheets.
'The Gambler' passed away at the age of 67 in Lake Havasu City on Wednesday (22 April) from an apparent suicide.
“The body was ultimately turned over to the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s office for further investigation,” the Lake Havasu City Police Department said in a statement.
“The male subject has been identified as Darrell Sheets, a 67-year-old resident of Lake Havasu City, and Darrell’s family has been notified.”
Advert
Sheets is best remembered for appearing in 163 episodes of the show between 2010 and 2023.
In one of the most memorable episodes, Sheets was able to earn over $300,000 from just a $3,000 locker.
Accompanied by his son Brandon, he came across dozens of Frank Gutierrez paintings.
Gutierrez was known for his distinctive Chicano art style, filled with vibrant colours and symbolic imagery. When Sheets spotted the artist’s name on one painting, he said: “Oh my God, look at that! That’s so beautiful… Frank Gutierrez.
“If this is a real Frank Gutierrez, this thing could be worth thousands.”
Looking around the locker in disbelief, Sheets added: “Brandon, I’m looking in this locker right now and I see literally another hundred paintings.”
At that moment, he realised they might have stumbled on something special and decided the paintings needed professional authentication before celebrating.
To confirm their value, Darrell brought in an art expert to examine the collection.
The expert explained that Frank Gutierrez was an art icon and that original works by him could command significant prices among collectors.
After carefully reviewing the collection spread around the room, the expert revealed that the artwork could be worth over $300,000.
“Well, it absolutely is Frank Gutierrez,” she said. “Frank Gutierrez is a very important artist of a piece of Chicano history.
“Because they've been in storage, there's a little damage here and there.
“But considering the amount of work that I see all around this room. I would say that you have maybe about $300,000.”
“Hold on just a minute… $300,000?” Sheets said. “Bam! Oh my God! We could be talking a mother fortune!”
Commenting on the episode, one fan wrote: "Rest easy Darrell. I used to watch you on Storage Wars with my dad who passed away in 2015."
"RIP darrell. We might not have known you personally, but you touched the hearts of tens of millions worldwide. We are broken to hear this sad news," another penned.
A spokesperson for A&E said in a statement: "We are saddened by the passing of a beloved member of our Storage Wars family, Darrell 'The Gambler' Sheets. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their websitehttps://harmless.org.uk.
Anish Vij