When rent is not paid on a storage locker for three months in California, the contents can be sold by an auctioneer as a single lot of items in the form of a cash-only auction. The show follows professional buyers who purchase the contents based only on a five-minute inspection of what they can see from the door when it is open. The goal is to turn a profit on the merchandise.

A&E Network focuses its "Storage Wars" cameras on the Big Apple (and the surrounding tri-state area), where a new group of auction bidders roll the dice by buying abandoned storage units. They hope, of course, that a winning bid leads them to a treasure trove of items inside a unit, but they're just as likely to be left with a load of trash. Among the buyers featured are "The Legend," Joe Pauletich, a shrewd veteran of 20-plus years on the auction scene; "The Hustler," Mike Braiotta, a Bronx-born tough-talker who looks for dependable items that he can quickly sell; and the tag team of Candy Olsen ("The Flame") and Courtney Wagner ("The Firecracker"), co-owners of a vintage clothing shop.

On a daily basis, high-stakes buyers descend upon repossessed and forgotten storage units. Storage Wars: Northern Treasures follows four teams hoping to score big on a modern treasure hunt.