“Garage Gold” is an series that ran on the DIY Network originally from 2013 until its final season in 2017. The show follows the exploits of proprietor of Garage Brothers and host of the series Kraig Bantle, and his crew, as they seek value in the cluttered hoardings of people’s neglected motorhomes and storage units.
While the show may have ended, fans of the show can still catch re-runs of the series, and follow Kraig and his crew as they uncover value in the oddest places, and turn lost and neglected treasures into gold.
“Garage Gold” had a unique concept, which is very similar to “Attic Gold” and “Storage Wars”, that made it a favourite among the DIY Network’s viewers, now known as Magnolia Network, and was the original brainchild of Kraig Bantle.
As the owner of the parent company Garage Brothers, which is responsible for all the activities on “Garage Gold”, Kraig’s services with an odd twist caught the attention of Paper Route Productions and producer Alan LaGarde, who turned the idea into an entertaining show that ran for six seasons.
Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Garage Brothers is a company that provides a cleaning service to customers hoping to clean out neglected basements, motorhomes, or even storage units, to turn them into useable workspaces.
Kraig and his crew, consisting of the appraiser Mike Gleisinger, mechanic and heavy-lifter ‘Captain’ Ron, and Tony ‘the Muscle’ who works as a heavy-lifter, offer their services free of charge under the conditions that they can keep any items and valuables – the common expression is ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’, as consistently demonstrated by Kraig and his cohorts.
Once done with the cleaning-out process, Kraig and his crew would turn the said space into an accessible, usable workspace. Likewise, the show would follow Kraig’s exploits as Garage Brothers delivered its services, often finding items of incredible value to later auction to the highest bidder.
While this might sound like adventurous fun, which certainly provided valuable entertainment, Kraig’s endeavours could sometimes become a rather disastrous gamble, with a few projects ending up being a complete financial loss, but on the other hand, valuable finds such as antiques, collectables or other valuables have proven to be very profitable.
What Is Kraig Doing Now?
Unfortunately, very little information is available about Kraig and his crew’s personal lives, and as such, it’s nearly impossible to determine what happened with the stars of “Garage Gold” since the show’s cancellation. However, according to Bantle’s LinkedIn profile, Garage Brothers, his family-owned and operated business, seems to continue providing their services in the area where they began.
With that in mind, it’s plausible to assume that Kraig and the crew are still working hard on cleaning out storage rooms.
From what little information is available, it is safe to assume that Bantle continues to dig for ‘gold’ with the same methods he became famous for, but who knows what kind of treasures he’s found since. With the show no longer following their progress and processes, “Garage Gold” fans and followers might never know. Kraig does have a Facebook profile, but with old, limited information.
Whatever they’re up to, it seems clear that Bantle would not easily give up working in his unique industry, quite possibly because many of his gambles paid off, since his net worth is estimated by sources as over $6 million. but if you want to be reminded of more details concerning Bantle’s exploits, feel free to catch “Garage Gold” re-runs on Magnolia Network.
