So I was at one computer the other night, minding my own business when my husband rushed into the room and said, “Quick! Turn the TV on channel 40!”
Have you seen American Pickers on The History Channel? I don’t get excited about much on TV these days. I rarely even turn it on. Thursday nights with Community, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock and The Office is the only night I get excited about. Other than that, it’s Ghost Hunters or some special on UFOs or Big Foot or something goofy. Mad Men, but it’s out of season right now. But I’m excited about this one.
It’s a new series and leaves Antique Roadshow and Pawn Stars In. The. Dust. This is us, ladies! Whether we’re dealers, pickers or hunter gatherers. This is what we do. They just do it on a much larger scale than most of us. They, the two guys, have Connections. They know People. They know Buyers of Certain Things. I don’t know about the rest of you, but the only people I know who say “watch for [this] for me”, the [this] will be a cup and saucer of a certain pattern of a particular company. The chances of me running across that certain pattern of the particular company and the specific piece they need is one in a million. The chances of me remembering that certain pattern of that particular company and the specific piece and even who wanted me to watch for it are one in 100 million. I just don’t have people wanting to buy old carnival rides. Not that I run across many of those, anyway.
Not only do these fellows have Connections and people calling them to sell them stuff, they’ll ride down a rural road, find a likely looking barn and go knock on the house door. They just ask the owner if they have anything they’d like to sell.
I’ve always wanted to do that, but don’t have the nerve. Or the money. You have to go with a fistful of dollars. Lena and I always talked about doing that. I told her I’d have her back if she’d do the talking. That was fine with her, but we never did it. Guess neither of us ever had the fistful of dollars.
The only thing that bothers me a little is they show us the buying price and the selling price. Now, it’s one thing to do that on Pawn Stars where the people brought the item to them with the amount they wanted for it in mind, but to go up to an 88 year old man’s house and ask to buy stuff, then get something for $75 that sells for wang-dang-doodle-dollars, I’m just not comfortable with bragging to the world about it. I hope they share some of that profit or have something worked out. Let me explain. I have no problem paying 50¢ for something and selling it for nearly $400.00. That happened to me once. I was expecting to get $10.00. However, I didn’t televise the results. I did not ask them if I could buy it and after it sold, I chose carefully who I told about it. Didn’t want it to get back to the sellers and have them mad at me. Yes, that’s unreasonable, but since when are most people reasonable when it comes to money? But how does that make the seller – the person who hadn’t even thought of selling anything – who was approached and asked if he’d sell stuff – feel? How about his family? Are they going to think they were being taken advantage of. All I’m saying is if you’re gonna broadcast the results and there’s a ridiculously huge profit margin, maybe share some of that. Sure you have expenses. I understand that. All too well. The difference here is between someone coming to you to sell something and you knocking on someone’s door asking them if you can buy something they hadn’t thought of selling and had no time to research to make an informed decision – and then bragging to the world at what a good deal you made. It just makes me uncomfortable. That’s all. Maybe they do share or maybe there’s more behind the scenes stuff we don’t know about. Like maybe they get paid for being chosen to sell stuff out of their barn. Or something. But I love the show and hope it has a long run!
When the show was over that night, Ricky came back in the room (we don’t watch TV together – don’t like the same stuff) and proclaimed, “That’s what WE’RE gonna be doing!” “Ok, honey. Sounds great to me, but you’ll have to be the one going up to the door.”
Sue at Vintage Rescue Squad wrote a good review of the show the other day. Check it out!
The fuzzy pictures are two places near me that have always intrigued me. Two places I’d love to plunder. But I could barely stop the car long enough to snap the picture. I was afraid someone would come out with a shotgun demanding to know why I was taking a picture of their junk.
ROFL – I so understand that “shotgun” feeling – that’s exactly what would happen here if I tried walking up to some of these backwoods places. I’m thinking having a camera crew with you does a lot to smooth the way.
i never really got how the whole “picker” business worked. i mean, if you’re hunting for something that someone else told you to find so *they* can sell it, you’d have to know it’s desirable, and wouldn’t you just sell it yourself if you found it?? and what kind of money are we talking about? how does someone *else* know what YOU would spend for something??
so the show sounds awesome and maybe it’ll answer some questions for me. now i’m off to search for it on the history channel and set it to record.
and, excuse me, PAWN STAR?? where have *I* been?? under a ROCK??
We LOVE the show, and have set it to record so we won’t miss a show. They find amazing stuff and I see so much more that I’d want. I also wish I had the nerve to stop and ask if things are for sale. Love your blog, it’s great.
Whew – I thought I was the only one uncomfortable with the “showing how much we made” piece – especially when it was an “unsolicited” visit to that poor ole farmer (some of the other folks they visited I was not so sad about). I too hope they shared sum of their profit – but I’d be surprised if they did. It was the only thing that really turned me off watching this show in the future…now getting a deal at a Thrift Shop is a totally different thing – Junk On!
Thanks for the shoutout, Wanda! I think I’ll be “reviewing” it every week. I did a little research, and many of these are leads (and sometimes the sellers themselves called in to participate). The pickers do do a little “free-styling” and I think that’s where people’s discomfort comes in. The bottom line for me, however, is that even if a seller didn’t know what it’s worth, he still chose to sell it. Their prices are still fair, compared to what locals might pay, or GOD FORBID, their heirs might pitch things. I do suspect that there’s a lot more behind-the-scenes deals that we don’t know about. There’s no way someone can appear on TV without being fore-warned about what they’re getting into (and many times they sign a waiver). I suspect the show might be paying them something. Oh, I’ve written too much, but I soooo love the show! Thanks for your enthusiasm! XOX
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I missed the show but it is supposed to replayed tonight so I set the timer on the TV to record.
I laughed when you talked about going up to strangers doors and asking them if they had anything for sale. My husband is really good at this. We have a 60 foot windmill we are going to put on our property that he had been looking at for years when driving past a rural farm house. The windmill was bent over near the top and obviously needed a lot of work. My husband went to this farmhouse about a dozen times before he found someone home. He asked the owner if he wanted to sell the windmill and was told a lot of people stop and ask about it but no one ever returns to remove it. My husband tried to pay him $500 for the windmill on the spot but the man said no. Then the man said if you come back on the weekend and take it down I’ll sell it to you. So, Thanksgiving weekend, in 40 degree weather my husband climbed the windmill tower and one by one lowered each piece down to me using a pulley. It took us two days but now we have a windmill we plan on putting up on our property.
It’s amazing what you can buy if you just ask.
Kelley
I was an “Antique Picker” for about 30 years, and love the show on the History Channel. Many of their experiences were my experiences, finding treasures by traveling the Eastern US. The show reveals secrets to the trade. Every Antique shop has its own hidden treasures,that can to purchased and resold in some other part of the country for much more to the right collector, dealer, gallery or museum. It is all knowing what to look for,to see the potential someone else misses. So much more when you travel the backroads of America. Many times you haven’t got any idea what something is worth because you have never see or heard of it before,that is when you have to go with you “gut feeling” or intution. Some of the best items I have purchased came from this divine gift. A picker uses this everyday. You buy what you can, but always remember what you saw and who had it. Together that memory of where to find it is you real moneymaker,because years later that item may be just what your antique dealer or museum cutator friend may be needing. Timing is another key to picking. A seller may not sell today but will sell for the right price tomorrow, next month ,next year. An item is worth more if you have a potential buyer looking for it,otherwise it is anyone guess as to how much or when you will sell it. I am sure they will reveal all the keys to sucessful antique picking.
I had seen the preview on the American Picker website, and just loved it, but I was SO hoping this show would be about the stuff, and not the prices stuff brings.
The guys talk about the joy of the find, and yes you can see it in their eyes, but it seems to me the joy looks a lot like $$$.
Not that there is anything wrong with that – this is their business after all. I just just hoping for another direction.
I agree that the people on film have to know what they are getting into. As spontaneous as it looks, I’m sure there is a guy with a clipboard and a legal agreement that is gone over and signed before the filming begins.
Have been a Antiques and Collectibles dealer for 20+ years and have made some good deals and some bad. But the seller has answered an ad placed by me and has asked for an offer or it has been a tag sale or auction. Never have I cold called on someone because there residence looked inviting. That is wrong, it is wrong to pressure someone to sell something when they have not initiated the sale. It makes no difference if they are young or old. But prying on the elderly is especially disgraceful. As a up front dealer I will never use a So called picker.
I have been picking for years and had some good and bad times doing it. I show needs to show more of the “Freestyle” stops gone bad…it happens more than most think. I have more say “No thanks” than say “Yes we have what you need”. I have had the police called on us as well. Never charged with anything as it is free capitalism and we did nothing wrong however,a pain to go through. I see it as we help stimulate this broke state by trading money from hand to hand. Many think this is wrong however, I make it known up front that we are pickers and sell in antiques. We tell any potential sellers that they are not pressured to sell anything and not to feel guilty for turning down an offer. It is their item and I reserve their right to say “No”. I also let them know that they do not have to show us around and tell them to just keep in mind what we seek. If they have it we ask them to bring it into our shop and we will sell it on a consignment program. If not we could pay cash on the spot, we leave it upto them. We love our jobs and would not trade it for the world! We are not our to “Rob, Steal or Scam anyone as we allow sellers many options and are straight up with our intent. Great show on tv these days…I feel they stole our job and made it into a great tv series! Mike,Frank…where’s our cut!? Lol! Pick on!
My husband and I absolutely love the show. This is something I have wanted to do for so long but we were still working and not able to because we didn’t have the time to. Now we do, we’re retired. We live in a county that has many backroads with old houses with tons of “junk” on the property and a lot of buildings that I’m sure are full of wonderful finds. My problem however is I’m not sure how or where to find the right buyer for the item I found. I know we are going to do it even if we have to do it on a “wing and a prayer”. I would love any tips or advise that anyone may have to help. I would be more than happy to help someone else if I can. Thanks, Beth