Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
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I like to watch the show for the spectacle it is. As you said, it's amazing the hoards these folks have amassed. Pretty clear that most of them are into the thrill of buying, and just warehouse the stuff once they get it home.
The premise of the show isn't realistic, that they go see these places and buy a few items they intend to mark up a few dollars. It's more like they bookmark the place until the owner dies and buy the entire barnload for pennies!
If you saw the episode in Pennsylvania where they picked toy trains from Craig in the old railroad station, I know this guy! He's one of the model car guys.
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They did an episode in Dutchess county...i sure would like to know the location ! I realize the show is just a show..but these guys have been buying and selling for 25 years according to last nights viewing.
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The pickers home office is in Bettendorf, Iowa which is just across the river from us. I'm in Rock Island - where the Mississippi runs east to west. I've never been to their place. My brother was Mayor in Bettendorf and has met them. I have been told they are really nice guys. I always thought it strange when they only bought several items after driving all the way to the persons house but I always assumed it was just part of the show as they are time limited and probably buy more off air. You are right though that the amount of the profit on the few items they buy does not seem worth the trip.
Jack
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We get this programme in the UK on something called "Channel Dave". I have to say it leaves me utterly dumbfounded! #mutualculturalincomprehension 
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"I have been told they are really nice guys."
I know a few model car guys from that area who know them and say the same thing! Frank is a toy guy so he knows model cars. It set a thread off on a model car board when there was an episode that had old model cars on it, and Frank acted like he never saw them before!
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I goofed when I posted that the Pickers home office was in Bettendorf, Iowa. It is in LeClaire, Iowa which is a few miles up river from Bettendorf. My mind was still in second gear.
I always tell my brother that you know you are in Iowa when directions to anywhere require you to turn off the hard road.
LeClaire is an interesting town and worth a visit if you ever get out that way. It hurts me as an Illinois resident to say anything positive about Iowa but it is true in this case. Once a year they have what is called "TugFest". They stretch a rope across the Mississippi to Port Byron, Illinois and ave a big tug of war between the two river towns. I can't remember wo won last so it must have been Iowa
Jack
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A colleague of mine and her husband made their way to Antique Archaeology in LeClaire. Their take on it was that there was some very nice stuff there, but the real lucre was in the "American Pickers" brand - t-shirts, jackets, hats, etc...
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i will wear advertising if its free...the Orange county motorcycle boys turned out the same way. It was a show about what..putting a motorcycle together and getting it painted ?
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and it's been said that none of the TV folks actually work at the store. If you go there you won't find Danielle behind the counter. (what's with all those tats anyway?).
But I remember someone who went to the store that Jarrod & Brandy of Storage Wars run and Jarrod was actually there.
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Now Jack, the road to the Picker's actual store is mostly paved (their parking lot was gravel the last time we were there). 
I don't know about now, but a couple years ago, you would find Danielle working in the store. It ws fun to see some of the stuff they bought on display / for sale. Have only been to the LeClaire store once and that was actually to find the geocache in their parking lot. My husband did buy a coffee mug, and I am sure they make a lot off of the souvenirs.
Haven't seen the show in over a year, but it always did seem kind of weird that they didn't buy much at each location.
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"it always did seem kind of weird that they didn't buy much at each location"
Not weird at all. Projecting slim margins will discourage competition.
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We have a similar show called "Salvage Hunters" with similar small buys.
However I am sure that the guy buys more. You see him bargain for the featured items and load them into the van and empty them when he gets back to base.
.....however sometimes they come off the van in a different order to them going on.
My theory is that he fills the van every time, returns to base, empties the van of non-featured items then goes out down the road and comes back to empty the featured items.Also he travels a long way to see his "by invitation" suppliers - it's probable that he has regular sources he visits as part of the same trip. The economics of running a vehicle for the quantities he purports to buy do not stack up.
However none of the above points either add to or subtract from the interest you may or may not have in the programme - it just adds a little entertainment twist to what is quite an educational show -some people switch off if they think they are being educated !
Malcolm
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03:09:44am
" .... it's been said that none of the TV folks actually work at the store. ...."
While I was visiting Las Vegas a year or two ago. I had my son drive me to that Pawn Shop that is on the TV show "Pawn Stars.'
The experience was quite similar. The store on TV is loaded with interesting ephemera and appears educational. The real store is just a tourist trap. It was a waste of a morning.
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Also note the TV Shows are most likely incorporated as a separate entity from the original stores and make the money selling commercial time to advertisers, not on the antigues they claim to be buying for resale.
Josh
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On nights when there is not much happening on TV i browse the cable channels and catch American pickers. When i see people with barns and warehouses of motorcycles. automobiles and other valuable items gathering dust...it makes me feel better about my philatelic purchases.
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re: American pickers
I like to watch the show for the spectacle it is. As you said, it's amazing the hoards these folks have amassed. Pretty clear that most of them are into the thrill of buying, and just warehouse the stuff once they get it home.
The premise of the show isn't realistic, that they go see these places and buy a few items they intend to mark up a few dollars. It's more like they bookmark the place until the owner dies and buy the entire barnload for pennies!
If you saw the episode in Pennsylvania where they picked toy trains from Craig in the old railroad station, I know this guy! He's one of the model car guys.
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re: American pickers
They did an episode in Dutchess county...i sure would like to know the location ! I realize the show is just a show..but these guys have been buying and selling for 25 years according to last nights viewing.
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12:27:07am
re: American pickers
The pickers home office is in Bettendorf, Iowa which is just across the river from us. I'm in Rock Island - where the Mississippi runs east to west. I've never been to their place. My brother was Mayor in Bettendorf and has met them. I have been told they are really nice guys. I always thought it strange when they only bought several items after driving all the way to the persons house but I always assumed it was just part of the show as they are time limited and probably buy more off air. You are right though that the amount of the profit on the few items they buy does not seem worth the trip.
Jack
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re: American pickers
We get this programme in the UK on something called "Channel Dave". I have to say it leaves me utterly dumbfounded! #mutualculturalincomprehension
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re: American pickers
"I have been told they are really nice guys."
I know a few model car guys from that area who know them and say the same thing! Frank is a toy guy so he knows model cars. It set a thread off on a model car board when there was an episode that had old model cars on it, and Frank acted like he never saw them before!
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12:42:05pm
re: American pickers
I goofed when I posted that the Pickers home office was in Bettendorf, Iowa. It is in LeClaire, Iowa which is a few miles up river from Bettendorf. My mind was still in second gear.
I always tell my brother that you know you are in Iowa when directions to anywhere require you to turn off the hard road.
LeClaire is an interesting town and worth a visit if you ever get out that way. It hurts me as an Illinois resident to say anything positive about Iowa but it is true in this case. Once a year they have what is called "TugFest". They stretch a rope across the Mississippi to Port Byron, Illinois and ave a big tug of war between the two river towns. I can't remember wo won last so it must have been Iowa
Jack
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re: American pickers
A colleague of mine and her husband made their way to Antique Archaeology in LeClaire. Their take on it was that there was some very nice stuff there, but the real lucre was in the "American Pickers" brand - t-shirts, jackets, hats, etc...
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Auctions
re: American pickers
i will wear advertising if its free...the Orange county motorcycle boys turned out the same way. It was a show about what..putting a motorcycle together and getting it painted ?
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re: American pickers
and it's been said that none of the TV folks actually work at the store. If you go there you won't find Danielle behind the counter. (what's with all those tats anyway?).
But I remember someone who went to the store that Jarrod & Brandy of Storage Wars run and Jarrod was actually there.
Login to Like
this post
re: American pickers
Now Jack, the road to the Picker's actual store is mostly paved (their parking lot was gravel the last time we were there).
I don't know about now, but a couple years ago, you would find Danielle working in the store. It ws fun to see some of the stuff they bought on display / for sale. Have only been to the LeClaire store once and that was actually to find the geocache in their parking lot. My husband did buy a coffee mug, and I am sure they make a lot off of the souvenirs.
Haven't seen the show in over a year, but it always did seem kind of weird that they didn't buy much at each location.
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re: American pickers
"it always did seem kind of weird that they didn't buy much at each location"
Not weird at all. Projecting slim margins will discourage competition.
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11:20:53am
re: American pickers
We have a similar show called "Salvage Hunters" with similar small buys.
However I am sure that the guy buys more. You see him bargain for the featured items and load them into the van and empty them when he gets back to base.
.....however sometimes they come off the van in a different order to them going on.
My theory is that he fills the van every time, returns to base, empties the van of non-featured items then goes out down the road and comes back to empty the featured items.Also he travels a long way to see his "by invitation" suppliers - it's probable that he has regular sources he visits as part of the same trip. The economics of running a vehicle for the quantities he purports to buy do not stack up.
However none of the above points either add to or subtract from the interest you may or may not have in the programme - it just adds a little entertainment twist to what is quite an educational show -some people switch off if they think they are being educated !
Malcolm
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
03 Jan 2017
03:09:44am
re: American pickers
" .... it's been said that none of the TV folks actually work at the store. ...."
While I was visiting Las Vegas a year or two ago. I had my son drive me to that Pawn Shop that is on the TV show "Pawn Stars.'
The experience was quite similar. The store on TV is loaded with interesting ephemera and appears educational. The real store is just a tourist trap. It was a waste of a morning.
Login to Like
this post
re: American pickers
Also note the TV Shows are most likely incorporated as a separate entity from the original stores and make the money selling commercial time to advertisers, not on the antigues they claim to be buying for resale.
Josh
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