Since its premiere in January of 2010, “American Pickers” has aired more than 330 episodes across 22 seasons. In those 22 seasons, fans of the show have seen the cast come across some interesting finds and find ways to give back to communities.
One instance of the cast’s altruism is in the “American Pickers” Season 3 premiere. Frank Fritz, Mike Wolfe, and Danielle Colby visit a theme park in Pennsylvania called Bushkill Park.
Before they arrived, the amusement park suffered damages from recurring flooding. After Hurricane Ivan in 2004, Bushkill Park saw more damage.
Later, it was subjected to flooding from the nearby Bushkill River and sustained damage from heavy snow. By the time the cast visited the park, it was still recovering.
The Pickers decide to purchase some banners from the park’s owner, for which they paid $700. However, the signs are by an artist named Fred Johnson, whose work is well-known to connoisseurs of the type of signage. Due to their prestige, the Pickers sold the signs for $10,000.
Yet, the cast didn’t keep the money all to themselves. Instead, they return to Bushkill Park and give the owner $5,000 in cash to put toward the park.
‘American Pickers:’ More Than Antiques
At the end of the episode, the owner is so emotional that he declares an annual day in their honor. The Pickers’ goodwill toward the owner makes their return to the park stand out as one of the most heartwarming moments in the series.
If you’re not familiar with the show, antique experts Frank Fritz, Mike Wolf, and Danielle Colby search towns both big and small for their rare oddities. Their expertise helps them identify lost treasures that may be underappreciated, which they then restore, flip, and then sell.
In one episode of the series’ tenth season, the cast purchases a motorcycle with a sidecar that appears to be around 60 years old for a pretty penny of $10,000.
After buying the bike, the Pickers then restore and flip the bike for $18,000. As a result, it became one of the most valuable items purchased in the history of the show.
However, not every episode of “American Pickers” is about making money. Mike Wolfe even states that sentiment in the series’ intro, “The people we meet? Well, they’re a breed all their own.”
The draw of “American Pickers” extends beyond its hosts to the original owners of some of the items they come across.
In some situations, the relationship established between the cast and a seller can result in an emotional, heartwarming moment, such as when they returned to the struggling theme park with a surprise for its owner.
You can catch the show’s latest season on Amazon Prime, Hulu, History, Hoopla, DIRECTV, Spectrum On-Demand, Discovery+ or for free with ads on Pluto TV and Peacock Premium.
