American Pickers (History)

Whoever drew the comparison between one man’s junk and another man's treasure surely had Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz in mind. Business partners and lifelong friends, Mike and Frank are professional “pickers": antiques experts who hit the road in search of people’s junk collections to weed through for lost treasures they can buy and resell to dealers. Often their quests turn up little more than intriguing folks and fascinating stories, but once in a while they unearth some real gems that they turn around for a hefty profit.

AMERICAN PICKERS offers a unique glimpse at the antiques business, taking viewers into the trenches with Frank and Mike, two buddies with a passion for their work and an eye for diamonds in the rough buried below piles of rusty cars and dilapidated farm equipment. The show’s subject matter obviously caters to antiques enthusiasts and history buffs (the hosts often explore the historical value of the pieces they find), but even novices will enjoy seeing what the guys manage to dig up in other people’s backyards.

While they don’t necessarily set out to take advantage of the people they meet, Mike and Frank are ultimately opportunists looking to make a buck off of someone else’s stuff and, indirectly, off their unfamiliarity with the lucrative antiques market. It’s an eye-opening example of how things work in the exchange market and underscores the reminder “Buyer (or in this case, seller) beware.” Kids and tweens probably won’t be too interested in the show itself, but adults will be intrigued by the guys’ modern-day treasure hunting.