American Pickers is History channel reality TV series that follows antique and collectible “pickers” Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz and Danielle Colby who travel around the country “picking” and buying various items either for resale or their personal collections. It’s a pretty cool job, particularly for those who enjoy American history and have a knack for spotting diamonds in the rough. Viewers have been joining the pickers on their hunt for antiques since 2010, but some picks are definitely more noteworthy than others. Here are ten of the coolest things found on American Pickers over the years.
Yoda Prototypes
It doesn’t get much cooler than finding original Yoda prototypes used for the first Star Wars film, even for those who aren’t a big fan of the movies! When Mike and Frank went rifling through a woman’s movie memorabilia collection they found an entire rack of little Yodas and decided to call Mario Chiodo (a creator of prototypes) for a little bit more information on what kind of “force” they were dealing with. After speaking with him, Frank and Mike agreed to pay $6,250 for Yoda. Good deal, that is, particularly for Star Wars collectibles.
$9,500 Elephant’s Head
At the beginning of this particularly quirky episode, the Pickers visit a taxidermy hoarder and buy a massive elephant head for $9500. Soon after, they’re told that Jack White, formerly a member of the rock duo, White Stripes, might be interested in acquiring the elephant head. Why? If you’ll remember, one of White Stripes’ most popular albums was named Elephant.
In the end, Jack and the pickers worked out a deal in which the singer/songwriter paid $6,000 for the elephant head and gave Wolfe $6,000 in antiques to make up the difference, including an old photo booth and jukebox.
$21,000 Von Dutch XAVW Motorcycle
Mike Wolfe described his acquisition of a custom Von Dutch XAVW motorcycle as “the holy grail” back in 2012, and it certainly looks impressive. The bike is a one-of-a-kind creation built in 1966 using both Harley and Volkswagen parts, and the pickers (unbelievably) found it sitting in a barn where it had been abandoned for decades. A complete Von Dutch motorcycle is rare indeed, so Mike didn’t waste any time. He eventually sold the bike for $21,000.
$5000 Sideshow Banners
At the beginning of season three, the pickers traveled to Bushkill Park in Pennsylvania to visit an abandoned amusement park that had originally opened in 1902. After a tour of the park alongside Neal Fennel, a.k.a. “Balloons the Clown,” they eventually came across some old sideshow banners from the early 1900s.
Fritz and Mike have a pretty good eye for a deal, because they paid $700 for the banners and eventually found out they were worth $5,000-$6,000.
Original Jell-O Wagon – $6,500
This beauty was found by Danielle Colby inside a family barn in rural Louisiana, quite a long way from the home of Jell-O in LeRoy, New York. The pickers paid $6,500 for it before selling it to the Jell-O museum. The horse-drawn wagon dates between 1902 and 1904 and was once a huge source of advertising for the company. Pretty cool find, even for those who aren’t big Jell-O fans.
$9,500 Guitar
This particular episode featured singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys LOSING HIS MIND over a Chet Atkins model Gretsch guitar that once belonged to someone named “Rudy.” The pickers had previously bought the instrument for $9,500.
“The Chet Atkins model is probably the most desirable Gretsch,” Auerbach gushed, before buying the guitar and amp for $10,000. “There’s a difference between guitars that collectors collect and ones that players use. This one is a player’s guitar.”
Laurel And Hardy Masks
Mike and Frank took a trip to California on a hunt for some Hollywood memorabilia and found themselves at the home of Don and Nannette who live in an old Honky Tonk dance hall. After looking behind a curtain, Mike discovered a set of Laurel and Hardy masks, who just happen to be Mike and Frank’s alter egos. For those who are unaware, Laurel and Hardy were a slapstick comedy duo who were well-known in the 1920s to the mid-1940s. The pickers scored both masks for $60, and now both permanently reside at Mike’s store in Nashville.
Lionel Train Set
It’s rare that Mike and Frank are involved in a bad deal, but this particular toy appeared to be an original, mint-condition Lionel Train set. The man they bought it from had saved every single toy he had received during his childhood, and his Lionel train cars dated back to 1931, known to be the finest Lionel ever produced. Unfortunately, Fritz paid $8,000 on a sneakily restored set that contained replaced parts. In the end, it only sold for $3,400. Ouch.
The Aerosmith Van
Before the band Aerosmith became hugely popular, they once traveled to their gigs in a tiny van back in the early 1970s. Sure enough, the pickers managed to locate the 1964 International Harvester Metro on the property of a Chesterfield, Massachusetts resident after 40 years.
The stamp of authenticity was given by former founding band member Ray Tabano, who says the band used to sleep and change in it on the daily. In the end, the pickers acquired this piece of rock n’ roll history for the grand price of $25,000.
Homer Tate’s Wolf Boy
The acquisition of “Wolf Boy” is one of the most famous (and most morbid) picks in American Pickers history. “Wolf Boy” was created by sideshow artist, Homer Tate, who displayed him at circus shows as an attraction. Homer Tate was a curator and creator of oddities of the macabre who used both papier-mâché and dead animal remains to create creatures like Wolf Boy, one of 26 mummies found in a cave in Peru. Homer Tate eventually opened Tate’s Curiosity Shop to display his many oddities in the 1940s.
