What about American pickers?

we all talk about Sw and AH, but what about American pickers you all think its a good show or has the Sw effect?

Good entertainment.I wonder about the prices they quote.

it is a good show but i was wondering if people now want more for,well best way to say it is, their junk. any pickers on here having any problems now because of that show

I like Pickers, I think as much for the personalities as anything else.

As for the prices they quote, these guys have built a significant clientele and they tend to know who will want those types of items and what they've been able to get for them in the past. Occassionally, you'll see "sold" where you normally see "valued." That tells you what they actually got for the pieces.

One other thing to note about the show. The business is Mike's and he's been doing this for quite a while. Frank is a long-time friend who is more of a hobbyist picker. When the show was being put together, Mike wanted to bring in Frank full-time to have someone to play off of and they had the relationship/chemistry already in place. The show makes it seem as though they are partners, but that isn't truly the case.

it is a good show but i was wondering if people now want more for,well best way to say it is, their junk. any pickers on here having any problems now because of that show

YES! I stopped going to estate sales, and yard sales because soo many people have researched collectibles and antiques and have thier stuff priced at EBay asking price. Add in what they see on American Pickers and everything that has a heavy coat of rust on it they want $25 to $50. 

All in All, between the internet and the various TV shows people are becoming more knowledgable about the value or suspected value of their property. The old timers who don't use the internet are dieing off pretty quickly now, so give it about 10 years and everybody will know the going retail price of what they have, even used property.

I've not watched the show but I may have to one day.

It's funny what you said about estate sales Cobia.  I moved over to storage auctions as my results at estate sales had declined greatly.  Things that use to go for a few bucks or 100 was going for 2-3x that.  Of course this was all before the downturn in the economy.  Not been to an estate auction in almost 2 years now.  Equipment auction was just as bad last summer.

One side note - while there is a ton of knowledge at your fingertips now a days there are still many lazy people.  So there are still some good find out.  I think there is just much more competetion in everything now a days.  Everyone is trying to make a little extra money.  It's like the soda/beer cans on the side of the road.  Use to I would see the old homeless (he isn't homeless) looking guy picking up cans.  Now I see him and 3-4 others every week.  Even saw a guy w/ a golf cart and trailer driving down the road picking up everything of metal.

I have been debating how they as pickers make any profit.  You always see them on the road and I'm assuming they are only showing the really good finds, but how the hell are they making an income?  Between Gas, Food, repairs, nd lodging, thos profit margins have to be razor razor then.

The old timers who don't use the internet are dieing off pretty quickly now, so give it about 10 years and everybody will know the going retail price of what they have, even used property.

Ain’t that the truth, but maybe not a bad thing.

I deal only in bicycles and every time I see Mike grab on to a rusted bike frame I have to wonder if he every actually makes any money on it.  
All-in-all though, as far as these types of shows go, I think American Pickers is the most interesting and ‘realistic’.

Another thing that gets me, besides the rusty bicycles, is when they find a good place and a willing seller, they only buy a few things and then they move on.  
I’d get heading down to the ATM and getting a rental truck!