What’s Real and What’s Fiction on the Popular Pawn Series “American Pickers”

Since 2010, “American Pickers” has followed antique and collectible pickers Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz across America as they buy all sorts of items for clients, for resale, or for their own personal collection to display in their Antique Archaeology stores.

For 22 seasons, these guys have searched for national treasures and rare artifacts inside boxes and piles full of miscellaneous items located in barns and rooms inside strangers’ homes. But even though their show is categorized as a reality series, not everything is what it appears to be.

So, here’s what’s real and what’s fiction on “American Pickers.”

Negotiations Are Different in Real Life

Some critics have questioned whether “American Pickers” is actually reality TV or if it’s just made up. This isn’t the first time a reality show’s authenticity has come into question. But Mike Wolfe assures his fans that everything they see on the show is real… for the most part.

The purchases seen onscreen are legit, but the negotiations that take place off-screen are very different from what viewers see. They just make it seem good in front of the camera to keep things entertaining.

They Talk Down the Price

In 2017, the pickers were in negotiation with the owner of a vintage Aces 1930s motorcycle along with a lot of other collectible motorcycles. And although the men are loaded with cash in their bank accounts, they like to negotiate for the thriftiest price possible.

So, even though the seller was asking for $90,000 for the motorcycles, the pickers were able to talk him down to $85,000. $5,000 less might not seem like a big deal but it’s not chop liver either.

Most of the Picking is Done for Them

The show makes it seem as though Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz does all the picking onscreen, but that’s not really the case at all. It’s actually the show’s producers that do most of the picking for them, and the revelation doesn’t end there.

It turns out that the sellers often ask for a higher price while the cameras are rolling and Wolf and Fritz will only pretend to talk them down. But the price has already been negotiated before the show even starts.

Some Items are Planted

The show wouldn’t be a hit if the guys couldn’t find cool stuff as they rummage through piles of clutter. But Viewers might be disappointed to learn that producers will plant a couple of interesting items from time to time to allow the pickers to find things that they can talk about.

This not only provides content but also adds drama. And regardless of whether it’s ethical or not to claim it’s reality television when some of the stuff is fake, you can’t argue with the results of the show’s success.