"American Pickers"

sc_rufctr · 07-06-2011, 06:50 AM

Any body else watching this show? I'm completely addicted.

Some of the stuff these guys find is just fantastic. I can't believe how much stuff some people accumulate in their life time.

On tonight's show they had a guy who had a collecting of horse drawn hearses. He had about 6 of them in the same shed.
I couldn't believe how well made they looked and they were huge. Amazing!
They also found a Vesper scooter that had a two seat rear end with a canopy. It was in rough shape but was actually sold for $6,000

Great show. It's only been running for about two weeks down here.

Would you pay $6,000 for this?

krystar · 07-06-2011, 06:57 AM

collectors pay crazy money for crazy junk

Embraer · Embraer's Garage

Oh yeah, the Ape scooter. That show's been on for a few years here in the US. I have every episode DVR'd. Watch the episode with the "Mole Man"....a crazy old guy who built a tunnel/cave network under his property. he's mega crazy.

dad911 · 07-06-2011, 07:55 AM

I watch it, but keep in mind its fake....big time.

romad · romad's Garage

I have been "picking" for 35 years and never knew it. I think there plant a few of the more odd or valuable things, but most of the finds are pretty realistic. Now the show that really plants the finds is storage wars, its a complete joke.

azasadny · azasadny's Garage

I love the show! Those guys have one of my "dream jobs"!

A930Rocket · 07-06-2011, 08:45 AM

I think the two guys are goobers and another set of guys might make it more interesting but the people/collectors they meet are interesting.

Schrup · Schrup's Garage

My favorite is Swamp People. Their culture & lifestyle are amazing to me. I can't imagine taking on a 11 foot gator solo with just a .22 revolver & then try to drag it into a boat only slightly larger than the beast.

They have these big family gatherings where the little kids are out playing in the swamp. Around here, people put their kids on leashes & walk them around the mall like pets.

tabs · 07-06-2011, 03:01 PM

Pawn Stars is a set up..I know one of the guys who came in a sold them a spoon. Both living in LV for decades they have to have known each other.

tabs · 07-06-2011, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by romad

I have been "picking" for 35 years and never knew it. I think there plant a few of the more odd or valuable things, but most of the finds are pretty realistic. Now the show that really plants the finds is storage wars, its a complete joke.

I don't know about planting stuff. Where else would they get that stuff. It is all the calls where they get nada that U don't see. Or if they do plant something, they get it from somewhere that isn't very interesting. So to make an entertaining show?

There is more valuable stuff lying around just in spoons than I have money to buy.

What they never show are the spoons, military items. art, silver etc that they must come across. If U told me that they don't pick that stuff up I would tell you your nutz, as they wouldn't be leaving that kind of bank behind. If U really want to score big dinero you look for art.

944Larry · 944Larry's Garage

I watch it. I know 2 of the people "picked" personally. They're both wheelers and dealers. Knowing what they had at their places makes me think the show is real, to a degree anyway.

URY914 · URY914's Garage

Nope, it's all staged. I read a very long thread on another forum about the show. The skinny dude worked for years trying to pitch the show to networks. They never just stop in on people. There are producers that go in before the guys to scope it all out. Think about it, the legal paperwork alone would take hours. The guy that posted on the other forum had them film on his farm. They spent most of a day filming his 10 minute segment. Oh, and the girl, she's an actress and tatoo model. You can Google her, she's on the web. You really think she spends her time in Iowa?

mjohnson · mjohnson's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by tabs

I don't know about planting stuff. Where else would they get that stuff. It is all the calls where they get nada that U don't see. Or if they do plant something, they get it from somewhere that isn't very interesting. So to make an entertaining show?

There is more valuable stuff lying around just in spoons than I have money to buy.

What they never show are the spoons, military items. art, silver etc that they must come across. If U told me that they don't pick that stuff up I would tell you your nutz, as they wouldn't be leaving that kind of bank behind. If U really want to score big dinero you look for art.

Yeah, hard to imagine they're making a fortune in oil cans and storefront signs.

Fun enough to watch anyway...

sc_rufctr · 07-06-2011, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schrup

My favorite is Swamp People. Their culture & lifestyle are amazing to me. I can't imagine taking on a 11 foot gator solo with just a .22 revolver & then try to drag it into a boat only slightly larger than the beast.

They have these big family gatherings where the little kids are out playing in the swamp. Around here, people put their kids on leashes & walk them around the mall like pets.

I like the guy with the missing tooth.

They've been advertising Swamp People locally for a few weeks now. I'm looking forward to that one as well.

tchanson · 07-06-2011, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjohnson

Yeah, hard to imagine they're making a fortune in oil cans and storefront signs.

Fun enough to watch anyway...

Agreed. We stopped in at their IA store during a road trip a few days ago, mostly because its right next to a BP station in LeClaire on the Misssissippi.

I suspect that once you make it onto basic cable, your real business quickly becomes merchandising overpriced and overdesigned hats, t-shirts and coffee mugs. (aka the Teutel Business Plan) That's what about half the "antique" shop floor space was dedicated to. Little else of interest there, but I agree they seem like nice enough guys.

God bless opportunism.

Tim

widgeon13 · 07-07-2011, 02:29 AM

I thought they were migrant farm workers from the name.

targa911S · 07-07-2011, 03:11 AM

that show jumped the shark with me a long time ago. So have the rest of the shows like Pawn Stars and hardcore pawn from Detroit. It's TV folks. It's not real. The whole 3 guys and one's a moron format is pretty predictable.

VaSteve · 07-07-2011, 03:14 AM

I read an article that Mike the picker used to sleep in that van when on the road before the show was picked up. Don't think its a huge money making job....gotta love it to do it.

VaSteve · 07-07-2011, 03:15 AM

Oh yeah, and you can tell when the producers are interfering...when they went to CA and NYC for example. I wonder how many miles that van has on it.

Gretch · 03:30 AM

They are goobers, and the skinny one is an arrogant douchebag to boot. Pawn Stars is only interesting because the "subject matter" changes with each new item brought in. It carries the audience the same way Antique Roadshow does.......... The stars are the antiques.

In Pickers, the three stooges are so pitiful that the manage to overcome this dynamic and ruin the show anyway........ The addition of that tatooed slut-ho, built-like-a-linebacker with the personality of a rattlesnake broad, pushed the show into "unwatchable".

The biggest problem with ALL these shows is that everyone on them thinks they are a STAR and goes into full attention whore mode.............. Like daily life doesn't provide more of that bull**** than any sentient being needs.