Millions of people desire to be famous. Many of them achieve this by actively pursuing a career in media, either as an entertainer or journalist; some have it fall upon them. The latter is the story of Dave Hester, an auctioneer whose talents and success in the business led him to star in the A&E reality series, Storage Wars. Dave joined the show in its first season, adopting the villain role in the highly competitive show.
This role and his accompanying catchphrase, ‘Yuup,’ has made him one of the show’s most recognizable and beloved cast members. This has led fans and observers to wonder who exactly he is.
Background and Early Life
Dave Hester is an American media personality, businessman, and talented auctioneer, best known for being one of the main characters of the TV series titled Storage Wars. Popularly known as ‘The Mogul,’ David has been starring on the show since it began in 2010. Interestingly, he has garnered vast experience from auctioning and buying collectibles with his career running for over three decades. He rose to the spotlight following his confrontations with fellow buyers on the show.
Dave was born on the 23rd day of July 1964 in Camp Pendleton Marine base located near Oceanside, California. He was born to a German-Irish father and a Mexican mother. His father was previously in the military and also a trained storage items collector. When he was five, Dave often follows his dad to auction centers to buy collectibles. That inspired him to develop a passion for running an action store.
As a teenager, Dave Hester started buying collectibles from auctions, after which he would sell them in the military camp in Orange County, California. While he was in high school, Dave never put much concentration on his education. Instead, He focused on collectibles.
As an auctioneer, Dave went to his first auction bid in 1986, and during the ‘90s, he became a bid catcher through which his signature catchphrase Yuuup became popular. Becoming a fulltime auctioneer, Dave got his license in 1992.
Considerable Business and TV Achievements
In the early stages of his professional career, Dave delved into buying furniture, which he eventually left for the storage business after noticing that he had potentials there. However, he struggled for a while before finding his feet in the business.
Amazingly, he opened two stores in California. The first being Rags to Riches thrift store while the other was Newport Consignment Gallery. He also employed over ten workers to help manage and sell collectibles, which he acquires from storage auctions. One of his noteworthy items was Jack Wilkinson’s painting of the Golden Pool. An item which he sold for a whopping $155 thousand after buying it at $750. The stores were closed down in 2011 before he opened a more spacious shop called Dave Hester Auctions.
While his popularity has been on the increase, Dave joined the cast of the A&E Network show titled Storage Wars in 2010. Through the show, he has become one of the top storage bidders in California.
The show tends to bring to light how Dave and other buyers bid for storage items and the after profit they make from selling the storage collectibles. Currently, in its 21st season, the show began in December 2010 and had been showing on the A&E network to date.
Dave Hester is One of Storage Wars’ Richest Cast Members
Dave Hester has been in the hunting storage trade longer than several of the other cast members of Storage Wars. This is why it comes as no surprise that he is one of the richest, with more than $4 million in net worth.
His negotiation ability, as well as his ability to frame junk into valuable times as no doubt, helped him pull ahead and become one of America’s wealthiest personalities. Furthermore, he earns a considerable sum as a cast member of the show, which has no doubt, contributed to his net worth. Or at the very least, helped pay the bills.
Lastly, Dave Hester is notable for his catchphrase, ‘Yuup.’ And although he and the hip hop singer, Trey Songz, have gone to court over the trademark rights of the word, he has earned considerably from its use in clothing lines and merchandise.
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Dave Hester Prefers to Keep His Family Life Private
Just like we mentioned earlier, Dave grew up around collectibles as his father was known for being a collector and auctioneer. Growing up, Dave trailed the same path as his father, and today, he has become a successful businessman and collector. In addition to his successful storage business, Dave Hester is also incredibly successful in his love life. The TV star is happily married with a son named Dave Hester Jr.
Getting ready to watch the Angel's beat the Yankees! #YUUUP! pic.twitter.com/U2bEuG5l9W
— Dave Hester (@davethemogul) April 28, 2018
Unfortunately, Dave never shared any information regarding his wife and family to the media; perhaps, he enjoys keeping both his professional and personal life at equilibrium. Since he hasn’t shared such information with the media, it will be hard to say anything about his wife. Notably, his son, Dave Jr., is actively involved in his father’s business and has made several appearances with him during storage auctions.
The Popular Auctioneer Survived a Hemorrhagic Stroke
Fans of Storage Wars will be familiar with the so-called, Storage Wars curse. A reference to the sheer number of cast members of the show that have battled medical problems. In the latter part of 2018, Dave Hester joined that unflattering list when he suffered a hemorrhagic stroke while he was sleeping.
The stroke, according to the auctioneer, was caused by his prior health problems with high blood pressure and sleep apnea. After a rushed visit to the hospital, and plenty of days in the ICU, Dave Hester was on the mend. He spent another month in a rehab facility as part of his treatment, learning to regain control of his body.
The famous reality TV star is still reportedly on the mend and is yet to gain full recovery. He was, however, seen at a garage sale in Idaho in May 2019.
