Picking The (American) Pickers

[Jim Oaks]

I was in Davenport Iowa this week. On my way back I realized how close I was to Le Claire Iowa, and decided to stop in and check out 'Antique Archaeology' from American Pickers.

Le Claire is a very scenic town right off of Interstate 80 that runs along the edge of the Mississippi River. The shop is just off the main street behind the BP gas station.

When we stopped, the guys weren't there, but we looked around and bought a couple shirts and fridge magnet.

The BP station has a A&W, so we stopped there afterwards for a snack and root beer float.

It's a pretty nice place to stop and stretch if you're going through the area. The store is pretty neat looking inside.

I didn't get a photo of the section where there were books, shirts and souvenirs for sale, so the photo with the shirts is borrowed from their facebook page.

 

[4.0B2]

nice.. I like their show. Don't watch it much, don't watch much tv.

 

[bobbywalter]

i seen those guys last summer in sc...didnt get to talk with them directly but talked with the crew a bit.

it only took a few weeks for the episode they were shooting to air, i was surprised by that. but they seem to be really good people and very charitable as well.

i can tell you this much, if kim ever gets close she will be there.


i know we will be in the tennesee store this summer.

 

[Will]

I'm glad I don't know what you guys are talking about. It means my television ban is working. I'm the Kin Il Sung of my family.

 

[Tominator]

I'm glad I don't know what you guys are talking about. It means my television ban is working. I'm the Kin Il Sung of my family.

I'm sorry, but he's not white, bald and wearing a feather in a head band.

 

[SnC RangeR]

I love the show. That's so cool you got to see the store, was Danielle working? They did an episode in my town I actually was riding my bike and saw them filming Mike doing one of his little side bar talks, didn't see frank though.

 

[Jim Oaks]

No she wasn't there.

See the upper section in photo #2? Her office is up there, but there was a different girl working in there.

I learned something interesting though:

Frank Fritz is not part of Antique Archaeology. He actually has his own store and a website:

http://www.frankfritzfinds.com/

Him and Mike pick for (2) weeks, and are off for (2) weeks. They sell their stuff from there own individual businesses.

Also, Mike Wolfe started video taping his picks to share his experiences on his website. He made his own pilot and pitched it to someone who pitched it to the company producing the show. It wasn't so much a case where he was 'discovered'.

 

[MastuhWaffles]

The stuff they find on that show is pretty cool. I'd like to go out and do that sorta stuff some day just for fun.

 

[Redneckryder]

I like watching them, but My problem with that show is this.....
"What do you gotta have for this?"
"$200"
"I can't do $200, how about $75?"
"$150?"
"Nope....I will go to $80" (first problem....guy drops $50, Mike goes up $5....)
"$100?"
"$90, final offer..it's dirty and rusty and dented....."
"ok....I guess....$90"
Mike on sidebar...." I scored this for way cheap....I can re-sell in this condition for $600!"

My point is....if you can sell it for $600, give him the $200 he wanted.....you are still making a profit. Especially on the picks where they drop in un-announced.....these people weren't ready for you, stop screwing them......

 

[Mark_88]

I like watching them, but My problem with that show is this.....
"What do you gotta have for this?"
"$200"
"I can't do $200, how about $75?"
"$150?"
"Nope....I will go to $80" (first problem....guy drops $50, Mike goes up $5....)
"$100?"
"$90, final offer..it's dirty and rusty and dented....."
"ok....I guess....$90"
Mike on sidebar...." I scored this for way cheap....I can re-sell in this condition for $600!"

My point is....if you can sell it for $600, give him the $200 he wanted.....you are still making a profit. Especially on the picks where they drop in un-announced.....these people weren't ready for you, stop screwing them......

That is what ticks me off too...and it's happened to me trying to sell something on a few sites...one guy offered to trade me for an air compressor that was worth $1,200 new...I wanted $200 for it because it was disassembled...anyway, the guy sends me a list of things he wants to trade...

A hockey bag...worth about $40
a broken outboard boat motor...worth $5 in scrap
a truck tool box...with a broken lid...worth about $5 scrap metal
and a list of other things that I sort wished I'd kept but I deleted the e-mail after I told him "thanks but no thanks"...

There are people that go over these ads and low-ball everything...knowing that they could sell what they get if they get it for profit...but I do know it costs money to store this stuff...and trying to keep up with the inventory can be a full time job...but I also know people that do this sort of thing for a living and they do pretty good...but it is a lot of work...and they are doing some good by taking tons of used stuff from people that either don't want it or need the money big time...

Oh, and I've actually watched that show...but not something that I would set aside an hour or two regularly...

 

[wildbill23c]

I agree, not just that show, but craigslist is really good for this. Oftentimes I see people listing crap on there that should have just been trashed, but trying to sell it for hundreds of dollars. Call them on it and they're like oh yeah it works, blah...blah...blah. Go look at it, not even close to working condition, pictures are of a new item from a website, not the item they are selling. I live about 30 miles from the closest town that has anything good, but its a lot of gas to waste to drive over and find out the item is a scam or not even worth looking at.

Had a local 2nd hand store claiming to be a storage wars of Emmett, cheat me out of a bunch of money for a snow plow/winch for a UTV, then tried to take out a sellers fee or some BS, I said no you already stole the plow/winch that I told you not to sell for under a certain price that you sold for 1/2 of what I told you to sell it for, therefore you get no sellers fee. He sold my plow/winch for $150 which the winch alone was a $400 winch, and the plow was at least $300. Should have thought about it sooner and did an ebay sell, but big stuff like that its hard to set a price and shipping on.

 

[kryptonitecb]

A friend of mine recently stopped by the store and said they only really sell t-shirts there. The pics confirm this.

I agree on the cl nonsense. Once I had a guy offer me an AK-?? For a truck I was selling. First off the price comparison was horrible and I'm not taking the liability of taking stolen/illegal goods for something I'm selling. Unless I'm looking for a specific item to trade I tell people cash talks, first come first served.

Sent from the road while ignoring traffic

 

[adsm08]

i know we will be in the tennesee store this summer.

I was disappointed by the Nashville store. It was an overpriced gift shop.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I like watching them, but My problem with that show is this.....
"What do you gotta have for this?"
"$200"
"I can't do $200, how about $75?"
"$150?"
"Nope....I will go to $80" (first problem....guy drops $50, Mike goes up $5....)
"$100?"
"$90, final offer..it's dirty and rusty and dented....."
"ok....I guess....$90"
Mike on sidebar...." I scored this for way cheap....I can re-sell in this condition for $600!"

My point is....if you can sell it for $600, give him the $200 he wanted.....you are still making a profit. Especially on the picks where they drop in un-announced.....these people weren't ready for you, stop screwing them......

Sometimes they do offer more than the potential seller wanted. It could be a ploy to make them feel good about the whole deal or something though.

Since I no longer have cable I haven't watched it for about 8 months.