American Pickers TV Show

[Bones]

Yeah, there's a lot of cool old stuff on the show, but I can not wrap my mind around how these people who live out in the sticks and really never seem to have a job or much of a career manage to accumulate so much stuff???? Hundreds of motorcycles, all sorts of buildings full of items bought at flea markets and auctions, I just don't get it. Most obviously can't even afford a vacuum cleaner or duster.

[superchicken_VI]

Several of these people live very near me. I'm watching the show right now, as a matter of fact. It's amazing the stuff people acquire just bumping on through life.

[SamClemons]

A lot of them, if you listen close, did have pretty good jobs. Many ran body shops, contractors, autioneers, real estate agents, etc.

Here in the south, folks are ecentric and don't put on the kind of show they do up north or out west. They got their own thing going. I work (surveyor) for a lot of wealthy strange people. That old farmer in overalls with cow mess on his 20 year old beat up truck and holes in his overalls.....richest man in town worth many millions. Seen it over and over.

[superwho]

Originally Posted by SamClemons

A lot of them, if you listen close, did have pretty good jobs. Many ran body shops, contractors, autioneers, real estate agents, etc.

Here in the south, folks are ecentric and don't put on the kind of show they do up north or out west. They got their own thing going. I work (surveyor) for a lot of wealthy strange people. That old farmer in overalls with cow mess on his 20 year old beat up truck and holes in his overalls.....richest man in town worth many millions. Seen it over and over.

Lol, that was my dad. Old jeans, cheap rubber boots, snap button shirt, driving a 78 Chevy pickup. Owned a 200 acre ranch, ten rental properties in Houston, and 0 debt.

[dented]

I watch the program quite a bit. I think these folks do have a considerable amount of income from family business and farming business or retired income. But the vast amount of things and acres of out buildings piled high is just amazing. I can't get my head around some of these folks with all of the stuff they have. More interesting is the stuff they won't part with!

[tazzboy]

I like to see Frank and Mike Pick a Hoarders house. That would be fun.

[Slow Reflexes]

Originally Posted by tazzboy

I like to see Frank and Mike Pick a Hoarders house. That would be fun.

I'm pretty sure some of those houses would fit right in on Hoarders. Like that guy in Malibu who had everything burn up in the big fire and collected it back tenfold. He said he had at least a half million records in there, and that wasn't anything like the main body of his treasure pile.

[scat4me]

Originally Posted by Bones

Yeah, there's a lot of cool old stuff on the show, but I can not wrap my mind around how these people who live out in the sticks and really never seem to have a job or much of a career manage to accumulate so much stuff???? Hundreds of motorcycles, all sorts of buildings full of items bought at flea markets and auctions, I just don't get it. Most obviously can't even afford a vacuum cleaner or duster.

I agree ! Where om earth do they find all this stuff and how do they make a living?

[DrumBob]

I love this show. I'm going to start picking up here in the stix of NW NJ where I live.

[tcadam]

Originally Posted by SamClemons

A lot of them, if you listen close, did have pretty good jobs. Many ran body shops, contractors, autioneers, real estate agents, etc.

Here in the south, folks are ecentric and don't put on the kind of show they do up north or out west. They got their own thing going. I work (surveyor) for a lot of wealthy strange people. That old farmer in overalls with cow mess on his 20 year old beat up truck and holes in his overalls.....richest man in town worth many millions. Seen it over and over.

I don't think that's a Southern thing; there's folks like that all over.

[Coop47]

My wife and I really enjoy the show, but I get the nagging feeling that a lot of it is staged. I'm sure they don't have a camera waiting in the store for every time Danielle calls them, or that they walk up cold to a house on a freestyle with a bunch of cameras behind them. A recent one where they "caught" Frank sneaking away to a biker's weekend was awful - the stuff and the people are interesting enough without having to manufacture a storyline. I understand it's a TV show, but I'd love to know more about the logistics of them buying and shipping the stuff (the van always seems empty when they start a new pick, even when they're on a long road trip) and even how the stuff eventually gets sold.

[uriah1]

They got large cajuns, to drive up to some of those houses, down some of those
backwoods, and just knock on the door!!

[Swampash&Tweed]

Oh . No doubt alot of it is staged. All reality shows once they hit , the Producers swoop in and "manafacture" the drama. They did a spin off show when the Boys visted Ricks restorations. I like that show as well , but oh boy........it is anything but a reality show.

[Coop47]

Originally Posted by Swampash&Tweed

Oh . No doubt alot of it is staged. All reality shows once they hit , the Producers swoop in and "manafacture" the drama. They did a spin off show when the Boys visted Ricks restorations. I like that show as well , but oh boy........it is anything but a reality show.

Yeah, I should have re-phrased that to say "I know most of it is staged." Not sure if the show you're referring to is the cross-over with Rick from Pawn Stars, but what a disaster that was. It had the awkward feel of a craigslist deal gone horribly awry. I remember saying to my wife, "There's no way this happens without a bunch of cameras and producers there." I'd love to know how much the show impacts what deals get made.

[horsespatoot]

My daughter's in laws have 3 or 4 out buildings full off stuff they accumulated over their lives. I know he has two or three MGA's and a couple MGB's .. a 67 Mustang ... and a half dozen other cars. Plus tons of "stuff" piled everywhere. They throw nothing away. They have 3 or 4 generations of stuff in those buildings. My daughter has asked me (when it's time) to go through it all and organize a sale. I'm estimating it will take me (full time) a month to do so. (no guitars ... i've already asked))

[Bill Hullett]

I agree it's TV... but let me tell you, if its like other reality situations they burn tape EVERY DAY... I had an occasion a few years back to do some bizz with Boyd Coddington (American Hot Rod) ...each time I went to the shop and any time I got near Boyd the cameras were rolling (Just in case something TV worthy transpired I guess)

Bill Hullett

[trailboss]

Originally Posted by Slow Reflexes

I'm pretty sure some of those houses would fit right in on Hoarders. Like that guy in Malibu who had everything burn up in the big fire and collected it back tenfold. He said he had at least a half million records in there, and that wasn't anything like the main body of his treasure pile.

...and so Frank bought the crappy $40 bass and left the '70s era silver strat hanging in the rafters wtf?

[telemaster1953]

Originally Posted by trailboss

...and so Frank bought the crappy $40 bass and left the '70s era silver strat hanging in the rafters wtf?

he should stick to oil cans

[getbent]

Originally Posted by tazzboy

I like to see Frank and Mike Pick a Hoarders house. That would be fun.

I've seen them do it several times on the show... many of the picks they go on are at 'hoarders' places... watch the way the sale has to go... they totally speak the script that will get a hoarder to give something up...

[WaylonFan76]

I live in one of the areas where they shoot Swamp People and the amount of copycat shows they are trying to create right now is insane. I was at the local bar one night to watch my friend's band and 3 ladies walk in with two camera guys and a sound guy in tow. Turns out they are shooting a reality show about a beauty salon down here ( I guess a cross between Real Housewives and Swamp People ). They of course had extremely bright lights to light the scene. It made me realize how unnatural it is to be constantly recorded and how contrived one must feel and act in such a situation.
A friend of mine was actually approached about doing a Swamp People spin-off and they actually coached him into using the thickest accent he could muster...
If you add the story about Pawn Star and how the supposed "client" bringing a guitar to the shop was actually an employee of the same store as the "expert" that Rick called in...
But, hey, mindless entertainment and suspension of disbelief works when you've had a long day at work, I guess...

Here's the show in question, shot in my neighborhood ( I actually teach one of the ladies' son ):