‘Storage Wars’ Loses A Cast Member

Storage Wars is losing one of its original cast members.

Barry “The Collector” Weiss, who has been on the A&E reality series since its 2010 premiere, is leaving the show after four seasons.

A source close to the show told Radar Online, “Barry secretly taped a farewell recently. They haven’t announced he’s leaving yet but as of right now he is not coming back for season five.”

The insider said that Weiss’ decision had nothing to do with former star Dave Hester’s claims that the network plants items in the lockers after they’ve already been appraised. He also alleged that the producers plant “valuable or unusual items to create drama and suspense for the show.” Hester filed a lawsuit against the network after being fired from the show.

The insider said that Weiss is “just tired of doing the show and wants to travel more.” But the network hasn’t made any announcement about his departure.

“He recently filmed a few different clips basically saying, ‘It was fun doing this, but I’m out of here,’” the source said. “If he changes his mind he can come back. But as of now he hasn’t changed his mind and he will leave before next season.”

Last month, it was reported that three cast members were being fired from the show. Darrell Sheets and Dan and Laura Dotson were cut from several episodes of the series. Sheets shot more episodes than were covered by his contract, so he was cut out. The Dotsons were similarly told that they weren’t needed for certain episodes.

“They make good money and they need the money. Suddenly the show just told them, ‘We don’t need you for this episode.’ And then it happened again,” a source said. “So they’ve been battling to stay on the air, and they are worried about their futures. The show is a gold mine.”

What do you think of Barry Weiss leaving Storage Wars?