American Pickers just picked my buddy!

Frank told me a pretty good story about the problems of getting famous I should keep to myself but maybe just this once, I mean its just you guys. So Frank has been involved in that ABATE motorcycle rally in Iowa for years that I have attended many times, a really good one. They bought an Elk farm and once your in pretty much anything goes. Well he is one of the guys who water the girls down for the wet t shirt contest, done it for years. Well, someone took pics and sold them to TMZ and they showed how naughty he was so History channel asked how many pics might be out there. He said there should be no more than 5000. Needless to say he can only be a spectator and cant play with water any more. I would hate to be famous.

 

congrats man. its one of my favorite shows. i love to see where they go exploring. theyve been asking on facebook for leads on old cars in arizona for a few weeks now. glad they got a few.

 

I love the show, as does my son. My wife feels the same as lots of guys here, that Mike and Frank are taking advantage of some people. But here's my take on that: let's suppose they showed up at your door wanting to buy an old sign (or whatever) you got for little or nothing from an old uncle who was tearing down an old gas station. You think it's worth $400 and they offer you $200. Now you could dig the sign out, clean it up, take some pics and try your luck on ebay, the local newspaper or craigslist. Maybe you get more, and maybe you don't. Even if it does sell, (and PayPal takes their cut) you have to pack it up and lug it down to the UPS Store. Now what if it gets damaged? I can tell you firsthand that UPS will very likely not pay damages unless they packed it. As for Mike and Frank, they hand you money and they carry it out to their van. Deal done. Plus, as was previously mentioned, they are a business and they need to make money. Do you really think the dairy farmer selling milk gets $3.00 a gallon because that's what it's worth at the local Safeway?

 

Free enterprise at its best

 

Very good points.

I have sold items on ebay for as much as $600 that I paid twenty five cents for at a flea market. I've sold rare car parts items I got free for thousands. I've bought stuff at auction I couldn't give away. It's the luck of the draw. It's business.

As for Mike and Frank, they negotiate as pickers and sell on the open market. That's business. And when things turned out great, they made it right to the carnival guy. I have actually done a similar thing for a guy I bought from at a flea market. I made an obscene profit and gave him a share.

Good entertainment show. More power to them.

Love them or hate them, they still have a good show that beats junk TV hands down!

 

I sure wish picking was as easy as they make it look!
I did it for a living for 6 years in my early 20s, I grew up with my Dad collecting old cars, signs, gas pumps and all kinds of cool stuff so it was natural that I fell into the hobby.
I met a lot of great people and occasionally you trip across the deal where you can make a grand on a really rare item but I can count when those happened on one hand!

I enjoy the show, my wife and I watch it every week. It cracks me up when they go free styling... tried that... got met at the door more than once with a gun!!!
(just about crapped my pants the first time!)

After the hunting, negotiating, hauling, cleaning, researching, sitting on it for ever, hauling to a bunch of shows to sell I realized that I was not making any money!
But I did have a great time... would travel and exhibit at shows in Chicago, New York, PA, GA at swap meets, antique shows and all over the midwest, If only I had a Danielle back at the warehouse at the time!!!

I left the business when I was 27 and went back into the exciting world of manufacturing! Now at 41 with a steady income I now have a collection of a 100+ signs, a dozen or so gas pumps, several cars, old arcade games and I can actually afford to keep the cool stuff. Still sell things at a booth in an antique mall but don't have to make a living at it!

Good clean show, in a world that could use a few more of them!

 

Then get the minibike back in the living room ! I have had several things like that in the house , including vintage speed parts, a Bluebird bicycle , Whizzer etc. It's always good to have cool stuff like that in the living room and really makes the non gearheads question our sanity.

 

I own a retail business, but I also buy and sell old parts from time to time. I enjoy the show. the guys sometimes get really good deals because they came prepared to buy.
I've got some parts advertised for sale right now, and I cannot believe the number of people that come to look and are not prepared to buy. I've had six people come look at stuff today and all of them made me offers, a few of them I would have agreed to but none of them had the cash on them. 3 of them also arrived in vehicles not capable of hauling the items that were for sale.

 

I like to watch the show. Yeah, I could pick it apart, you don't have to be too smart to know it's staged when the camera is already in the building when they come in or that they don't make a living buying $30 stuff and selling it for 50. I do find their behavior a little annoying, the stupid giggling and saying " I'll pop on that".

 

I watch it regularly too. Have you seen the videos on youtube?
Some of them are just Mike. The language is a little rougher too.
I always wondered if it was set up beforehand.

 

exactly!!!!!

 

Some people here are saying that they are upset when they pass up old cars and parts, I say let them pass em up so WE HAMBERS can grab em....Why would you want to see non car guys buying vintage parts or cars on the cheap, up the price then sell to one of us???? ITS ALL JUNK IN THE TRUNK!!

 

I've watched the show a few times. They seem like pretty good guys to me.

 

Yeah cuase making money is sooo UN American...

 

Amazing how many here think the guys shouldn't make a profit. Anyone who has ever had a business knows in order to stay in business you need to make a profit. As far as offering less than what they can resell it for. Has anyone seen any arm twisting to get people too sell? As someone said earlier. If you're there with money ready to leave with the item many times you'll get it. I've made many deals for less than what someone else had offered because I wasn't bs'ing I had cash and was prepared to leave with it right then, the others had screwed around and kept the seller in limbo. One deal the guy had someone who was supposed to be coming again the next day but he was tired of dealing with the bs so at 11 p.m. we were loading it on my trailer and by dawn the next day it was already a state away. I never go look at something without cash and the means to leave with it right away So as they say "Money talks bullshit walks" "You snooze you loose"

 

I like the show too. This week though they got into some "decorating bs" with William Shatner! (Captain Kirk). I hope that they don't devolve into a stupid celebrity yank off.

Oh, and I wonder how much air time Corky Coker was thinking he would get? They never even showed the company logo or mention his tire "kingdom".

I don't like pretend drama either, but I would love to see Frank just reach across the van and coldcock Mike for dissing him so badly!

 

Did anyone see the episode where they passed on a 48 Chevy Convertible that was sitting in a old boarded up house? The owner of the property wanted $1,500

 

The worst episodes were those with Shatner, Corky Coker, and Ryan Newman.
The producers must think this adds "Star Power" to the show. I just mostly feel embarassed for them.
The best episodes have Frank and Mike stepping over a couple of bindlestiffs to get to quirky, offbeat owners that grumble, speak gibberish and can barely walk. Now that's a showing of real America! Those are my kind of people.

 

I live about 40 minutes from their shop but have never met them. Love 'em or hate 'em it's a neat show for me because I LOVE lookin' at other people's old junk! Now I can do it from the comfort of my recliner when it's too cold for my old bones.........
For those that saw the episode where they bought the '67 Fairlane GT, I knew the car. It had been about 10 miles from me for the past 38 years. They paid way too much for it and that IS what they paid for it. They may (or may not) know bikes, signs and decorating stuff but they need to bone up on cars or leave the stuff alone before they go broke.

 

Little view of her tats

 

I want to marry her. The wife is all for it....

 

x2!

 

that's awesome you got to meet them. I'm a big fan of the show, staged or not it's neat to see some great items that you don't get to see everyday.

 

Did Frank bundle anything, he gets his best deals when he bundles items

 

Yea, they got 10 grand for the canvas signs and split the money with the guy, but they paid money to the guy for them so they got less then him, not a deal I would do. but i like the show.

 

You wouldnt believe how many stories i hear now of people showing up on someones property to buy shit up since this show aired. Its spawning a whole new culture, market and driving the prices up.

 

They seem like ok fellas, but stopped watcjing when they bragged about getting over on some of these poor people. name of the game though i guess.......

 

I dont follow the show much. Is the tat girl married to one of the two guys?

*BTY, I collect old SIGNS/GAS AND OIL stuff...automobillia. PONTIAC and GM too!

In NC, SC or VA I will pay premo if it something I want. Cash.

Harpoon

 

I've never watched the show. From the description I thought it would be just a drama laden waste of time. After reading what's been posted I think I'll give it one episode and see how it goes.

Frank

 

2nd that......just TV and not reality boys!