Where is Storage Wars star Dave Hester now? Veteran's career and season 16 comeback explored

Storage Wars star Dave Hester has been part of the show since its early years. He quickly rose to fame and became a fan favorite, garnering popularity for his villain-like role during auctions and his catchphrase, "Yup!" Raised in a military family, Dave started working in the auction industry in the 1980s.

As of 2025, the 60-year-old continues to run his company, Dave Hester Auctions, and post food content on social media. He primarily focuses on estate sales, business liquidations, government seizures, and storage unit auctions.

The Storage Wars veteran returned for the season 16 of the A&E show after the network recently confirmed his comeback. In an A&E report, published on May 14, 2025, Dave's participation was mentioned as:

"The hunt is on! Hit series Storage Wars returns with fan-favorite treasure hunters Brandi, Dave, Kenny, Ivy, Rene, Casey, Lisa, and Dusty alongside auctioneers Dan and Laura."

Dave has had a noteworthy run on Storage Wars, having been part of the show since 2010. From filing a lawsuit against the producers to having a stroke, Dave experienced several ups and downs as a cast member of the show.

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Taking a look at Storage Wars star Dave Hester's career and his journey on the show

Dave's career started young, when he used to assist his father with garage sales and swap meets as an Oceanside resident. With that experience, he became a licensed auctioneer in the 1990s. Dave then opened a store called Newport Consignment Gallery and, consequently, an auction house, namely Dave Hester Auctions.

Storage Wars alum Dave stood out from the rest of the cast members solely due to his bidding style, which often focused on strategy. His most common tactic was to bid to raise the prices of the units and quit, ensuring that the high value troubled the other bidders. Dave, who often had no intention of purchasing the lockers he bid on, participated in disrupting the competition.

Dave often got into arguments with his co-stars, specifically Darrell, enhancing the competition between the storage unit buyers. On one occasion, the Storage Wars fame mocked Jarrod and Brandi and teased Barry, resulting in heated altercations. One of his high-value purchases included newspapers from the day singer Elvis Presley died.

Dave also got involved in a fight against the producers of the show. However, it was off-camera. In 2012, he had a dispute with the producers and the network. It resulted in him filing a lawsuit against both parties. As reported by The Hollywood Reporter in February 2013, Dave alleged that the show was scripted, claiming certain items were intentionally planted in the lockers. He also accused them of wrongly terminating his contract.

Although the defendants denied all claims, both parties settled outside, resulting in Dave's return to the A&E show in season 5 in 2014.

With over 3K followers on Instagram (@davelovespugs), Dave is not very active on social media. Regardless, he shares food-related content and reviews various food items. In a January 2025 post, he uploaded a video of himself trying the Dungeness crab at Fisherman's Wharf. His other posts revolve around his pugs, Pinky and Violet.

As of 2025, Dave primarily focuses on his company, Dave Hester Auctions, which was established in Southern California, near the Orange County area. Apart from that, Dave is associated with various other sectors of the auction industry, including government seizures and estate sales. He closed the doors of his previous business, Newport Consignment Gallery, in 2011.

With season 16 of the A&E show now streaming, viewers can watch Dave compete against his co-stars in the newly introduced one-hour episodes.

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Storage Wars episodes air Saturdays at 9 pm ET only on A&E.