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American Pickers
Also known as	Pickers
Genre	Reality
Created by	Mike Wolfe
Developed by	Mark Poertner Stephen Pettinger
Directed by	Anthony Mastanduno
Starring	Mike Wolfe Frank Fritz Danielle Colby Robbie Wolfe
Theme music composer	Jingle Punks Music
Composer	The Dark Studio
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	26
No. of episodes	389 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Charles Tremayne Mark Poertner Mike Wolfe
Producers	Simon Lloyd Stephen Pettinger Julie Cooper
Production locations	LeClaire, Iowa Nashville
Cinematography	John Chiappardi
Editors	Julianna Borg Max Cherpitel Charles Montany William Shaw
Camera setup	Multi-camera
Running time	60 minutes
Production companies	Cineflix (AP2/AP3/AP4/AP5) Inc. A&E Television Networks, LLC
Original release
Network	History
Release	January 18, 2010 (2010-01-18) – present

American Pickers (or also known as The Pickers for international broadcasts) is an American reality television series that premiered on January 18, 2010, on the History Channel, produced by A&E Networks in collaboration with Cineflix Media. In the series, the hosts travel across America in search of rare Americana artifacts and national treasures that they can buy from the collectors to add to their personal collections or sell in their antique shops.

Overview

The show follows antique and collectible picker Mike Wolfe and a co-host (originally Frank Fritz until 2022), who travel around the United States to buy (or "pick") various items for resale, for clients, or for their personal collections. Danielle Colby runs the office of Wolfe's business, Antique Archaeology, from their home base in LeClaire, Iowa, and more recently at a second location in Nashville. They originally traveled in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van and now in a Ford Transit. Fritz sells his acquisitions at his own shop and on his website, Frank Fritz Finds, upriver in Savanna, Illinois. The men go on the road, not only following up leads that Colby has generated but also "freestyling"–stopping at places that look like they might hold items worth buying. They also pick some places more than once.

The series introduction is narrated by Wolfe and Fritz. The first three seasons used a lengthy introduction, but beginning with Season 4, a shortened version began to be used:

e're pickers. We travel the back roads of America looking to buy rusty gold.

We're looking for amazing things buried in people's garages and barns. What most people see as junk, we see as dollar signs. We'll buy anything we think we can make a buck on. Each item we pick has a history all its own. And the people we meet? Well, they're a breed all their own.

We make a living telling the history of America... one piece at a time.

Wolfe and Fritz explore people's homes, barns, sheds, outbuildings, and other places where they have stored antiques and collectibles. They call upon amateur and serious collectors, hoarders, and also people who have inherited overwhelming collections of items that they don't know what to do with. Wolfe, who has been picking since age four, has a particular interest in antique motorcycles, air-cooled Volkswagens, old bicycles, and penny-farthings while Fritz has a fondness for antique toys, oil cans, and old Hondas with a special love for peanut-related items. They have purchased old advertisements and commercial signage, film posters, a rare 15-gallon visible gasoline pump, and a Piaggio Ape (pronounced "ah-pay") which a friend told them is probably the only one of its kind in North America.

In December 2011, American Pickers revealed that Antique Archaeology had leased part of a former 1914 car factory in Nashville which originally made the Marathon automobile for a second business location to decrease the distance required to haul their finds from the southern states.

On July 21, 2021, The History Channel announced that Frank Fritz would be departing from the cast of American Pickers. On July 21, 2022, various news outlets reported that Fritz was hospitalized with a stroke after Wolfe posted about it on social media. In a late May 2023 visit between Fritz and Wolfe, Fritz deferred rejoining the series at that time due to his health. Danielle Colby, Mike Wolfe's younger brother Robbie, and friend and antiques expert "Jersey Jon" Szalay have since taken turns accompanying Wolfe on his road trips. At times, they also strike out on their own trips at the same time that Wolfe is on the road. Fritz was born on October 11, 1963, and died on September 30, 2024, at the age of 60.

Reception

The series debuted on January 18, 2010. The premiere episode of American Pickers had 3.1 million viewers, making it the highest rated History channel debut since Ice Road Truckers in 2007. The September 8, 2010, episode "Laurel & Hardy" garnered Nielsen ratings as high as 5.3 million viewers in the 25–54 age group. As of that episode, the show retained the title of #1 new non-fiction series of 2010 among all viewers and adults 25–54.

Australia

American Pickers was also shown in Australia on 7mate. In 2013, an Australian version of the show, called Aussie Pickers, premiered on 7mate. The series ran until 2014, lasting two seasons. In 2019, Road to Riches was launched on A&E Australia.

Episodes

Home media

In other media

• In the NCIS episode, "One Man's Trash", Gibbs and Ducky watch American Pickers and see an antique war stick from a 16-year-old cold case. Mike Wolfe guest stars as himself in the episode.

See also

• Canadian Pickers / Cash Cowboys (2011–13), a similar TV series featuring two pickers in Canada; produced by Cineflix Media for the History channel in Canada.
• Picker Sisters, a 2011 TV series about two female pickers/designers.
• Picked Off, History's 2012 reality competition series, also produced by Cineflix Media.

References

1. Steven Kurutz (August 24, 2011). "At Home with Mike Wolfe: The Jack Kerouac of Junk". The New York Times.
2. Rob Owen (September 2, 2012). "'Pickers' don't compete on sales". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
3. The Store frankfritzfinds.com
4. "'Mike Wolfe & Frank Fritz'".
5. "Mike's Breakdown" (season 2, episode 12)
6. "American Pickers": The Inside Story of the History Channel’s Surprise Hit Archived September 11, 2010, at the Wayback Machine River Cities' Reader Quote: "The episode "Super Scooter" shows how the pair works together. Wolfe is nearly drooling over a Vespa Ape scooter."
7. "Big Bear" (season 1, episode 1)
8. Antique Archaeology web page about Nashville location Archived December 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
9. "Frank Fritz will not be returning to American Pickers". July 21, 2021.
10. Haring, Bruce (July 22, 2022). "'American Pickers' Former Costar Frank Fritz Hospitalized With Stroke". Deadline. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
11. Ickes, Barb (May 31, 2023). "'American Pickers' Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe reunite". Quad-City Times. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
12. Kealey, Kate (October 2, 2024). "How old was Frank Fritz? 'American Pickers' star and Iowa native died Monday". Des Moines Register.
13. Darwish, Meaghan (October 1, 2024). "Frank Fritz Dies: 'American Pickers' Star Was 60". TV Insider. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
14. Hollingsworth, Heather (October 1, 2024). "Frank Fritz of the reality TV Show 'American Pickers' dies at 60". AP News.
15. "'Series Debut of American Pickers Scores 3.1 million'". Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
16. "'HISTORY Posts Blockbuster Ratings on Monday Night with Premiere Episodes of Hit Series 'American Pickers & 'Pawn Stars'". Archived from the original on September 14, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2010.

External links

• Official website
• History's "Meet the Pickers" cast bios
• Official Antique Archaeology website
• Official Frank Fritz Finds website
• American Pickers at IMDb
• "American Pickers": The Inside Story of the History Channel’s Surprise Hit, Jeff Ignatius, River Cities' Reader, 17 March 2010

• 2010 American television series debuts
• 2010s American reality television series
• 2020s American reality television series
• Antiques television series
• American English-language television shows
• History (American TV channel) original programming
• Television shows set in Iowa
• Television series by Cineflix