American Pickers TV Review: History Channel
You’ve heard of antique hunters? American Pickers, a new show on the History Channel, features what we might call junk hunters, but its not junk to them. Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz of Antique Archaeology are pickers who recycle American antiques. Antique pickers are antique dealers with a set method for finding collectible memorabilia. A picker looks for collectibles others may think of as junk, yet when cleaned up collectors will buy those collectibles for a lot of money.
Driving the backroads coast to coast, Mike and Frank transform old items considered junk into collectibles. The pickers search properties and have leads on old collectibles that collectors are looking for. Pickers find everyday items in people’s garages, junkyards, attics, basements and barns. The pickers meet everyday people who are eager to sell them their junk and not so interested customers who won’t sell their possessions for anything. There is a lot of chat, bargaining and pricing before the pickers get their prize
The pickers meet collectors and regular folk along the way who share with the pickers their unique stories and historic information about the found items. If you like history and antiques it can be fun to see rooms full of possible treasures each outing produces. The pickers generally use leads to prime pickers locations from their assistant Danielle, while at other times they see found items piled up around someone’s barn and knock on the door to see if they can strike a deal.
Collector locations can be a great place to pick items since many collectors collect so much they can’t keep everything they’ve found. The pickers find junk items, historical artifacts and funky collectibles on their travels
Pickers Mike and Frank not only have to find prime picking spots but they often compete with other pickers to find collectibles fast and make a sale before another picker finds the location. Rural areas appear to be a great place to find collectibles Mike and Frank are looking for. Mike and Frank often say, “You’re only as good as the last deal you made.”
Mike Wolfe is a lifelong picker, having been fascinated with collectibles since the age of four. Over the years Mike garnered a reputation as one of the country’s foremost pickers. Mike’s store, Antique Archaeology, is the base of their operations. Antique Archaeology sells folk art, vintage items and antiques in Le Claire, Iowa.
Frank Fritz is a twenty year friend of Mike Wolfe’s, sharing his interest in collectibles. When he was young Mike started his picking by collecting rocks and beer cans. Mike has worked as a safety and fire inspector many years but his real interest has been for antiques and collectibles.
Watch videos of American Pickers on Hulu
Watch American Pickers Mondays at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on The History Channel. Check your local TV schedule for upcoming episodes of the series.
