TV

A show like American Pickers is bound to be a success because it combines a few things that Americans love: reality shows, shopping, and history. In fact, the show has been so successful that it has led to a whole family of similar shows, from Canadian Pickers to Picker Sisters and Picked Off. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest picks in American Pickers history. 1. $1,000 Polarimeter Fritz had to pay $1,000 for a polarimeter he already owned due to a misunderstanding between the star and a buyer. A South Carolina man saw the antique polarimeter on the show and contacted Fritz about buying it. The man sent his $300 to the picker, only to never receive his end of the bargain. A lawsuit erupted, and Fritz failed to show up to his court date. The judge awarded the customer a $1,000 judgment. 2. Leather License Plate Back before the days of metal license plates, the government allowed a variety of different ways for car owners to mark their vehicles. They could paint their license number on the car, hang a wooden sign on it, or engrave the number into leather. When Mike stumbled on the only leather license plate issued to Oldsmobile, he knew he needed the rare find for his collection. He bought it for $1,000. Such a rare item could almost be considered priceless. 3. Tether Car Toy How many people remember these? A tether toy car featured a real engine and would drive around in a circle. We’re not talking a slow drive here. These things could get up to, and over, 200 mph. (According to Wikipedia, the current world record is 214.358 mph.) Mike knew he wanted these little blasts from the past and picked up one (with two extra bodies) for $1,100. 4. $5,000 Sideshow Banners In the premiere episode of season 3, the picking duo took a trip to Bushkill Park in Easton, Pennsylvania, where they explored the abandoned amusement park. Neal Fennel, otherwise known to the people of Easton as “Balloons the Clown,” served as a tour guide for the men. Wolfe and Fritz came across some worn-out sideshow banners and paid $700 for the collection. Later, the banners were appraised for $5,000-$6,000 each, so the pickers did the right thing and gave $5,000 to their faithful tour guide. 5. Yoda Prototype Here’s another example of the Pickers finding something so rare that they just have to have it. When the guys were called by a woman to peruse her movie memorabilia collection, they weren’t quite sure what to expect. Turns out “The Force” was strong with this antique collection. They found original Yoda prototypes used for the first Star Wars film and scooped them up for $6,250. If you know Star Wars collectibles, you’ll know rare pieces could be worth far more than that. 6. Jell-O Wagon What would you do if you came across an original Jell-O wagon in immaculate condition? You bargain as best you can! Despite a few minor fixes, an original Jell-O wagon in Western New York (Jell-O was created by Pearle Bixby Wait in LeRoy, New York), complete with original paint and parts, drove a hard – but fair – bargain of $6,500. 7. $8,000 Train Set The beginning of season 7 was a learning opportunity for the pickers, as they lost quite a bit of money on what they thought was an original, mint-condition Lionel Train set. Fritz paid $8,000 for the locomotive and attempted to flip it at an auction. But they discovered that it had replaced parts. It only sold for $3,400. 8. $8,000 Rundown Airstream The men paid $8,000 for a 1948 Airstream travel trailer, which ended up costing them nearly $3,000 to repair. However, they traded it for an antique Indian motorcycle and $5,000, so the Iowans didn’t make out too badly. 9. 1960 Cadillac Fleetwood When Mike and Frank stumbled on this find, they knew they had to have it. It’s a 1960 Cadillac Fleetwood. They managed to get the price down to $9,500. After a shipping charge of $500, they snagged the beauty for $10,000 total. The car is currently valued at $14,500, so they paid way under the asking price. 10. $9,500 Elephant's Head On the 57th episode of the show, Wolfe acquired a taxidermied elephant’s head, creating one of the show’s most bizarre trades. Jack White of the White Stripes and the Raconteurs just had to have this severed elephant’s head, so he paid $6,000 and gave Wolfe $6,000 in antiques, including an old photo booth and jukebox, to complete the transaction. 11. $9,500 Guitar Fritz and Wolfe exchange with yet another rock star in this hefty transaction. The pickers came across a 1958 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 guitar, which they bought for $9,500, along with two amps. Dan Auerbach, guitarist, and vocalist for the Black Keys, bought the guitar and an amp for $10,000. 12. $10,000 Vincent Motor Vincent Motorcycle was a British manufacturer of motorcycles from the late 1920s to mid-1950s. Because of their short production life and superior technology, Vincent merchandise is evidently hard to come by. So when Fritz dropped a substantial $10,000 for a motor it came as no surprise that he would generate a profit. He eventually sold it to the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, for $12,000. 13. $10,500 Motorcycle and Sidecar While in Europe, the guys found a Zundapp RS 750 motorcycle with its sidecar for $10,500. It cost them $1,000 to ship back to the United States, but they instantly flipped the German bike for $18,000. 14. $12,000 Cyclecar In another profitable automobile investment, the pickers bought a 1914 Henderson cyclecar for a hefty $12,000. They later sold the Indianapolis-built vehicle for $14,500. 15. $12,500 Dodge A100 Hot Rod Truck When Frank found a truck that only he could “fit” into, it was love at first pick. The Dodge A100 hot rod truck was sitting in a collector’s garage and Frank didn’t seem to mind the $12,500 asking price. 16. $20,000 Harley On one episode, the Iowans heard a rumor about a 1937 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead motorcycle lingering nearby in someone’s barn. They travel to the source and haggle with the owner for what seems like the tensest barter session ever aired. Wolfe takes the Knucklehead home for $20,000, and later he even declines an offer for $25,000. 17. $21,000 Von Dutch XAVW Motorcycle In 2012, Mike Wolfe came upon the “holy grail” of finds: a custom Von Dutch XAVW motorcycle. The bike was built in 1966 from both Harley and Volkswagen parts. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind motorcycle that the Pickers found sitting in a barn, abandoned for decades. They eventually sold the bike for $21,000. 18. $26,500 Auburn On a more surprising episode, Wolfe literally takes a barn apart to rescue its contents. Inside he finds a 1935 Auburn Phaeton 653 that has seen better days. With a $26,500 price tag and another $10,000 for repairs and a facelift, Wolfe eventually brought the antique car’s value to $45,000. 19. $35,000 Rare Merz Cycle Car David and Frank visited a collector who had a rare Merz Cycle Car from 1914. According to the owner of the car, there were only two in existence and the Pickers were looking at one of them. The owner originally asked for $37,500 despite some missing parts. After some haggling, they eventually agreed on $35,000. 20. $40,000 Indian Motorcycles It is no wonder that they call the 1939 Indian 4-cylinder motorcycle the “Aristocrat;” its price tag certainly reflects that. Antique Archeology purchased the Aristocrat for $30,000, and they picked up another bike, a 1930s Indian Chief, for $10,000. The value of both bikes is believed to be $58,000. 21. $46,000 Nash-Healeys Fritz and Wolfe gambled big on two 1954 Nash-Healey coupes found in an old AMC dealership. They were able to negotiate with the willful owner for a great price on both automobiles, $21,000 and $26,000. According to an update from the show, one of the cars have been sold and the other is undergoing repairs. 22. $55,000 Rare Motorcycle Royal Pioneer was the luxury motorcycle brand of the early 1900s. They spared no expense when it came to quality, but unfortunately, they were only able to produce bikes for one year because of a devastating fire that bankrupted the company. Therefore, less than 500 of the motorcycles were ever made, and fewer than five reportedly exist today. So when the pickers came across this bike, it was no surprise that Wolfe paid the massive price tag of $55,000 for the rights. Apparently, it isn’t for sale either. 23. $62,000 for Five Classic Motorcycle Parts In 2014, the Pickers took their crew to Paper City Brewing in Springfield, Massachusetts, where two brothers were looking to unload their motorcycle collection and parts. The brothers had five bikes — Harleys and Indians — and didn’t have the time to restore them. The money would also help them expand their brewery. The Pickers loved the whole lot and took it for $62,000. 24. $90,000 (Rarer) Motorcycle In the season 17 premiere, aptly titled “The $90,000 Question,” the guys have to come up with a large sum of cash in order to walk away with a rare motorcycle collection. The duo headed to the Pacific Northwest, where they were tipped off about an impressive antique automobile collection. There they found the bike of their picking dreams, an extremely rare Ace four-cylinder motorcycle. The guys secure a line of credit and gamble big on the rarest item they’ve come across yet on this tense episode. 25. Bonus: Priceless Handmade Model T Believe it or not, this Model T is made of wood, is handcrafted, and is actually road-ready. The Pickers visited Brent, the son of a passionate Hot Rodder who took seven years to build the wooden roadster. While Brent didn’t offer up any kind of a price, the Pickers agreed to help Brent get the Model T into a museum somewhere. Credits: definition.org

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