Since 2010, Danielle Colby has starred on History Channel’s “American Pickers” alongside Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz. While a vast majority of her income came from the show, many fans may not know about her other passions that also bring in revenue for the reality star.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Danielle Colby’s net worth lands around $1.5 million. Part of the net worth comes from her side gig: burlesque dancing.
Colby grew up in the midwest in a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses. While on a trip to Chicago with her family, she saw her first burlesque show. And after that, she caught the bug for it. Not only does Colby enjoy performing herself, but she also has a passion for the history of burlesque.
She spoke out about her she got started in burlesque during The Sailor Jerry Podcast earlier this year.
“I just kinda figured, I grew up a Jehova’s Witness and all my friends left and were stripping (laughs), so I was like, ‘Oh it’s the Jehovah’s Witness retirement program,” Colby joked. “I don’t know, I just think I fell in love with the culture of it more than anything. Because there are so many different breakdowns of culture within one culture of striptease. So, it’s like, there’s worlds within worlds within worlds. That always intrigued me.”
Colby even launched her own burlesque tour. It included nine dancers that traveled around the midwest to perform. She also owns Dannie Diesel’s Bump ‘n’ Grind Academy in Chicago, a burlesque academy she started in 2014.
‘American Pickers’: Danielle Colby’s Net Worth Comes as Result of Two of Her Major Passions
As “American Pickers” fans know well, Colby’s other major passion is picking. Interestingly enough, she says that picking and burlesque complement one another. She explained how that works out for her during an interview back in 2015.
“I love to collect vintage burlesque. So, anything that’s vintage burlesque or sideshow or oddities, I think are always really fun,” Colby told interviewer Sebastian Talbany.
“It’s important for me to be able to go out and find these items,” she continued. “And so, they kind of go together very well because it’s the burlesque that keeps me picking, and it’s the picking that keeps my burlesque looking good and fresh but still have that traditional feel.”
Both burlesque and picking require an adventurous spirit. In fact, Colby says that picking is definitely not for the “faint of heart.”
“I don’t think that enough people have enough drive to do – it’s a very hard job,” Colby said during the same interview mentioned above. “So, I think that a lot of people who probably start doing it realize how dirty and sweaty and demanding the job is and at that point will just probably back away from doing it. And then we come in. It’s not for the faint of heart.”
Danielle Colby also enjoys posting about her major passions on social media. Check out some of her recent pics, like her latest bathtub photo here.
