American Pickers: The Best Buys Of All Time

There no doubt as to why American Pickers is as popular as it is, after all as Americans, we sure do love shopping, reality shows, and history. The show’s success was proven in their spin-off shows, Canadian Pickers, Picked Off and Picker Sisters. The show has made history, let’s check out American Pickers best-ever picks.

Dodge A100 Hot Rod Truck

When visiting a truck collector, Frank never thought he would find something so perfect for himself, and he got it at a great price. Finding a Dodge A100 hot rod truck was a highlight for Frank and he happily paid $12,500 for it.

Who Wants Some Jell-O

While in New York, the American Pickers team found an amazing original Jell-O Wagon, and as soon as they saw it, they knew that they wanted it. The wagon was found not so far from where Jell-O originated. They managed the get the price down to $6,00 including parts and paint.

Train Set

The American Pickers sure thought they scooped a profitable buy when they purchased a Lionel Train set in perfect condition for $8000. But it wasn’t long before Fritz discovered his mistake when it went to auction and only sold for $3,400 after it was found to have replaced parts.

Airstream

It looks as though the guys don’t have much luck with items costing $8,000. After they bought a 1948 Airstream travel trailer, they later swapped it for an antique motorcycle along with $5,000. It would have been a good deal if they didn’t previously have to spend $3,000 on repairs for the trailer!

Elephant’s Head

Most taxidermist’s spend time working on smaller animals however on one particular series, Wolfe stumbled across an elephant’s head that had been serviced by a taxidermist, that he went on to buy for $9,500. It seems there are a few celebrities that are also fans of the show as it was later sold on to White Stripes frontman Jack White.

Vincent Motorcycle

The American Pickers are always on the lookout for ‘hard to find’ goods and that is exactly what they got when Fritz spent $10,000 on a Vincent Motorcycle. The bike was only produced for a short amount of time in England and so it was a particularly great find for them. He later sold it to the National Motorcycle Museum for $12,000.

Motorcycle and Sidecar

During a Europe trip, the Iowa guys found some really cool items that included a Zundapp RS 750 motorcycle with a sidecar attached. The guys knew they would make a great profit on the item even with having to spend an extra $1,000 to get it back to America. In total it cost them $11,500 and they later sold it for $18,000.

Harley-Davidson

If we have learned anything from American Pickers, it is that they sure know their stuff when it comes to motorcycles. The exchange of negotiations was intense and at one point it looked as though a deal wouldn’t be made but they got themselves a 1937 Harley Davidson Knucklehead motorcycle for $20,000.

Von Dutch XAVW Motorcycle

If there is anything custom available to buy, the American Pickers are going to work hard to secure it and that is what happened what Wolfe found the “holy grail” of finds in 2012. Finding a unique Von Dutch XAVW motorcycle that was built in 1966 was a dream come true, and it had been lying around a barn for years. The cast went on to sell it for $21,000.

Auburn

Sometimes part of the picker’s job is to route around unorganized and messy barns or garages but in one episode it turned out to be the best thing they could have done. Wolfe worked tirelessly and took a barn to pieces when he found a 1935 Auburn Phaeton 653 hidden at the back. They purchased it for $26,500 and spent $10,000 in repairs and later sold it for $45,000.

Merz Cycle Car

Now known as one of the biggest purchases ever made on the show, Frank came across a 1914 Merz Cycle Car which was one of the only two that were made. After some hard negotiation, they pickers grabbed the car for $35,000, saving $2,000 on the owner’s original offer.

Getting The Boot

When on a visit to Kansas, the American Pickers team popped by Johnnie Walker where they found an old boot. The boot was not something you put on your foot but rather a decorative piece. The boot made out of fiberglass was 10 feet tall and weighed just 300 pounds. Instead of profiting from it themselves, they sold it at an auction to raise money for St. Jude.

Indian Motorcycle

Another great find was a 1939 Indian 4-cylinder motorcycle that the American Pickers’ team ended up nicknaming ‘The Aristocrat’. They ended up buying the bike for $30,000 and added an additional 1030s Indian Chief motorcycle for $10,000 and later sold them both as a pair for $58,000.

Classic Motorcycle Parts

If the American Pickers’ hear about a good lot, no matter where it is, they are prepared and ready to travel. In 2014 they were told about two brothers who had a lot of motorcycle parts that they were looking to sell. The guys hit the road to Massachusetts and paid $62,000 for five classic motorcycle parts.

Motorcycle

Season 17 kicked off with the pickers heading out to the Pacific Northwest where they found a four-cylinder motorcycle. At that time, the motorbike was one of the team’s most impressive finds and they paid a staggering $90,000 for it.

Handmade Model T

One of the things that gets the pickers most excited is anything handmade because this mostly means that the item is one of a kind. They found a handmade Model T that even though it was made from wood, it was still road worthy. Over a seven-year period, the owner Brent had built the car. Knowing the car was special, the picker refused to buy it, but did tell Brent they would put him in a contact with a museum.

Chevrolet Bel Air

Frank couldn’t hide his lust for this 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air car. The iconic ‘50s car, in which he called the “peanut motor” was purchased for $21,500 with an additional $1,000 for shipping costs. Frank valued the special unit for $26,500.

Bat Mobile

This was one of the first times the American Pickers wanted something, and they didn’t get it. They visited the King of Kustomizers to go and see his Batman’s famous ride, the Bat Mobile. The owner Barris wasn’t budging and so they agreed to buy another of his creations for $5,000 that was then valued at $10,000.

Guitar

Another band the pickers came into contact with was the Ohio rock band, The Black Keys. Dan Auerbach, one of its members, was sold an antique 1958 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 guitar by Wolfe and Fritz. After buying the guitar and amps for $9,500 they sold it on for $10,000.

Polarimeter

Strangely enough, there was one episode in which Fritz bought something that was already his. After seeing a polarimeter owned by Fritz on the show, a man from South Carolina tried to purchase the $300 – however, the buyer never received his item. The whole thing ended up being very chaotic, with a lawsuit, Fritz not turning up to court and then being made to pay the man $1000.

A Little Bit Of Scandal

As with all popular shows, someone always finds something negative to say and that is what happened to the beloved American Pickers. Some of shows fans became annoyed and accused the show of being a staged reality set up, rather than true to real life.

She Loves To Dance

The shows Danielle Colby, who joins in with the search for some exceptional finds, has another hobby alongside digging for treasures. As well as appearing on American Pickers, she also has a hobby on the side. The 42-year-old loves to and regularly partakes in burlesque dancing with the stage name, Dannie Diesel.

Do They Make The Decisions?

Not only have eagle-eyed fans started wondering if the show it more set up, but they have a have openly claimed that the producers of the show set up the locations and make the deal before the pickers arrive. And it wasn’t long until someone who had previously appeared on the show spoke out to confirm just that!

Jack The Hobo

If you are a fan of country music, then you can head to Hobo Jack’s website. The character appears on American Pickers often, so the shows dedicated fans will know who he is. He has an eye for items and regularly sells items to the pickers.

The Name Of The Show

Mike was the first to be approached by producers for their idea on a new show and as he signed the contract, the show was called Vintage America, with another possible name of Flip That Junk. Later on, when the show was coming together, they changed the name to American Pickers, and we’re glad they did.