Is anyone else catching American Pickers?

[Jedburgh OSS]

Mondays at 9:00 PM on the History Channel. These two guys dig through old barns, buildings, and junk piles for vintage treasures. Gee, I guess I've been an American Picker all my life but didn't have a name for it. Well...Pack Rat, maybe. We're the first to hit a development site to blast rock out of the way and come across old buildings, houses, and dumps, finding all kinds of junk and salvageable items. I have many bottles as a result, and once found an old cistern pump which I sold at a yard sale.

http://www.history.com/content/american-pickers

 

[jessesgirl08]

yes, i have been watching this show regularly and i thoroughly enjoy it. I am always excited to see what they will find next and it really inspires me to look at htings with a different eye.

 

[EmergencyIan]

I really enjoy the show, as well. This and "Pawn Stars" really compliment each other.


- Ian

 

[Nighthawk]

I was just going to post about this.

Don't forget Pawn Stars!

NH

 

[Mr E Train]

Yep, it's a great show. I find the personalities and situations on Pawn Stars to be more entertaining (although I think a lot of stuff is staged), but I can identify more with American Pickers because I come from a family of pickers, and one of my best friends is a hardcore picker/collector.

I miss Junkin', which was on the now defunct Turner South. It was pretty much the same thing, except they went around to flea markets and garage sales rather than stopping randomly at houses that look like they might have a lot of good stuff laying around.

 

[jamespowers]

I've been onboard since the beginning as well. What the show has made me realize is that I need to get rid of some of the excess stuff around here or I'll end up with them stopping at my house one of these days. :eusa_doh:

 

[Mr E Train]

I've been onboard since the beginning as well. What the show has made me realize is that I need to get rid of some of the excess stuff around here or I'll end up with them stopping at my house one of these days. :eusa_doh:

They need to do an American Pickers/Hoarders crossover special. That would be really interesting.

 

[jamespowers]

They need to do an American Pickers/Hoarders crossover special. That would be really interesting.

Its not hoarding---its just saving it for a day when you might need it.

 

[Mr E Train]

Its not hoarding---its just saving it for a day when you might need it.

That wasn't an accusation; I just happened to have the thought the other day while watching Hoarders (a show I can't stop watching even though it disturbs me) that it would be interesting if they did a crossover with American Pickers and you reminded me of it. I live fairly clutter-free now, but I'm pretty sure that 20 years from now I'm going to be one of those people who have to walk sideways through their house because of all the junk piled up.

 

[jamespowers]

That wasn't an accusation; I just happened to have the thought the other day while watching Hoarders (a show I can't stop watching even though it disturbs me) that it would be interesting if they did a crossover with American Pickers and you reminded me of it. I live fairly clutter-free now, but I'm pretty sure that 20 years from now I'm going to be one of those people who have to walk sideways through their house because of all the junk piled up.

lol lol lol lol

 

[KY Gentleman]

I really like this show not for just the old stuff and the history of the items, but the banter between the two "pickers" and their customers! These guys are slick!

 

[Phineas Lamour]

Awesome show!

Those guys are living the dream. I would love to do that for a living.

 

[cooncatbob]

Those guys are living the dream. I would love to do that for a living.

It looks like a great way to make a living when all they show is them stopping at places where they're mountains of stuff.
What about the days when it's bust.
But I imagine real pickers are POed about the show driving up prices.
If your a picker you have to travel increasingly far from your home base to search out new territory and living on the road can be expensive and draining.
Eating in restaurants and sleeping in cheap motels gets old pretty fast.
Those guys would need to really hustle to keep that operation profitable.

 

[carouselvic]

It looks like a great way to make a living when all they show is them stopping at places where they're mountains of stuff.
What about the days when it's bust.
But I imagine real pickers are POed about the show driving up prices.
If your a picker you have to travel increasingly far from your home base to search out new territory and living on the road can be expensive and draining.
Eating in restaurants and sleeping in cheap motels gets old pretty fast.
Those guys would need to really hustle to keep that operation profitable.

Being able to write most everything off as a production cost would go a long way.

 

[jamespowers]

It looks like a great way to make a living when all they show is them stopping at places where they're mountains of stuff.
What about the days when it's bust.
But I imagine real pickers are POed about the show driving up prices.
If your a picker you have to travel increasingly far from your home base to search out new territory and living on the road can be expensive and draining.
Eating in restaurants and sleeping in cheap motels gets old pretty fast.
Those guys would need to really hustle to keep that operation profitable.

That was sort of my reaction to being a Picker as well. Having a family and children would make it pretty tough.
I also wondered about the show effecting prices. I am guessing, by the weather etc., that the shows are aired months after the actual buying for that show has ended. Then again, how many people watch that show. It is not on regular TV---it's on cable. How many of those people out in the middle of nowhere get cable? They would have to get satelite. [huh]

 

[jamespowers]

Being able to write most everything off as a production cost would go a long way.

Good point. They also don't do that show for free so it is not like it would be their main income generator. [huh]

 

[cooncatbob]

That was sort of my reaction to being a Picker as well. Having a family and children would make it pretty tough.
I also wondered about the show effecting prices. I am guessing, by the weather etc., that the shows are aired months after the actual buying for that show has ended. Then again, how many people watch that show. It is not on regular TV---it's on cable. How many of those people out in the middle of nowhere get cable? They would have to get satelite. [huh]

That's true and many of these people seem to be semi-hoarders.
But people you collect stuff/junk think their stuff is valuable so to pry the good stuff away from them your really have to have a gift of gab and need to be a good bargainer.
You also have to really love the hunting and haggling part of the business.
I like the hunting for stuff, but I'm not good at haggling.

 

[jamespowers]

That's true and many of these people seem to be semi-hoarders.
But people you collect stuff/junk think their stuff is valuable so to pry the good stuff away from them your really have to have a gift of gab and need to be a good bargainer.
You also have to really love the hunting and haggling part of the business.
I like the hunting for stuff, but I'm not good at haggling.

You are in the same boat as I am. I don't like the haggling part. The hunt is fun.
I see that Frank got had last night for $5,500 for that car he bought.

 

[cooncatbob]

You are in the same boat as I am. I don't like the haggling part. The hunt is fun.
I see that Frank got had last night for $5,500 for that car he bought.

Some people are just the opposite and live to haggle, they'll haggle over $.25.
Obviously it's a show and it's staged.
If it was real Frank would have taken pictures of the car and sent them to his expert during the time between when he first saw the car and when he actually bought it.
Rick on "Pawn Stars" always calls in a expert before he lays out big money.
But since it's a show they have to show them getting the short end of the stick.
What I don't like is Mike's the (smart guy) lead and Frank is portrayed as the less successful (dumber) sidekick.
It's a cool show and I love all the old stuff, but I imagine being a Real Picker is a lot of hustling and hard work.

 

[jamespowers]

Some people are just the opposite and live to haggle, they'll haggle over $.25.
Obviously it's a show and it's staged.
If it was real Frank would have taken pictures of the car and sent them to his expert during the time between when he first saw the car and when he actually bought it.
Rick on "Pawn Stars" always calls in a expert before he lays out big money.
But since it's a show they have to show them getting the short end of the stick.
What I don't like is Mike's the (smart guy) lead and Frank is portrayed as the less successful (dumber) sidekick.
It's a cool show and I love all the old stuff, but I imagine being a Real Picker is a lot of hustling and hard work.

I am sure both of them can be had. Mike got had over that bike he bought so they are even in the amount so far. The monetary amount difference is pretty significant though.
The thing that bothers me with Pawn Stars is that Rick does call in the expert all the time and then helps the guy appraise it before he has to try to buy it. Obviously that is staged because he would likely take a picture and then call in the expert. He looks like a really honest guy that way though.
Being a picker is likely a lot of hard work, unless you have one heck of a database on where to get items and who to sell them to. lol lol