Dave… what is your take on the American Pickers television show?…
The American Pickers were in Walla Walla last week, so they are a currently a local topic of discussion. My wife, Jill, and I own Shady Lawn Antiques so I am often asked what I think about the American Pickers television show.
My thoughts have changed over time. Initially I thought that American Pickers was a show about the antiques “business”. It soon became clear that the emphasis of the show was entirely on the “buying” side.
After several episodes the ‘American Picker’s’ introduction finally struck home: “Each item we pick has a history all its own and the people we meet are a breed all their own.” …
Look at any episode and you will see the Pickers describe the history of each item and who the item will appeal to. Further they tend to visit individuals who are unique characters with vast accumulations of items. The interaction between Mike, Frank, and Danielle (and for that matter also the sellers) appears to be genuine and for the most part “unscripted”. The combination of these factors contributes to an interesting and enjoyable program.
My review would stop there if I was not antique dealer as well…
Let me say that the American Pickers show has been good for the antiques and collectibles business. It has introduced antiques and collectibles to the general public and brought antiques into the “mainstream”. It is now cool to find, buy, collect, use, and/or decorate with vintage items.
However… yes, the ‘however’ word… However, the Pickers does not present a realistic view of the economics of the antiques business. Come to think of it, the show doesn’t address the economics at all. The closest they get is ‘I picked this for $XX and I’m going to sell it for $XXX.’
The $Xs never to seem to add up to enough total $Xs to support one person let alone three. Further there seems to be no consideration of the expenses involved in buying something. Those would include the van, gas, food, lodging, cell phones, and computers. Then there is the time investment, the cleaning, the restoration, advertising, building expenses and… you get the point.
Dave listen to the introduction again: “… Each item we pick has a history all its own and the people we meet are a breed all their own.” …
My take is that the American Pickers show is what it is. It is an interesting show about vintage items and the unique people that have collected them!
