Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe are a couple of Iowa boys with an encyclopedic knowledge of Americana, antiques, and collectibles. In each episode, they travel across the country and meet with private dealers, collectors, and people who think they might have something valuable. Along the way, they find treasures amongst peoples' trash or haggle down an experienced seller to get a great deal. American Pickers: Volume 2 is a 2-disc collection of 8 fan-favorite episodes of the show. Some of the highlights include finding a 1950 Studebaker, a gas pump, a Phillips 66 metal sign, and an ornate vintage cash register.
When I first started watching American Pickers, I was struck by the notion that there is a very fine line between American Pickers and Hoarders. In both shows, people have rooms and sometimes entire buildings packed full of junk they do not use. They hold onto this junk because it has sentimental value to it or they think that they will find a use for it later. There is one enormous difference between pickers and hoarders, though, and that is education and organization. Hoarders cling to junk while many collectors (though not all) will keep track of what they hold onto and categorize it. Some of them will have a table for old toys or a room for old bicycles whereas most hoarders just throw their stuff everywhere.
Picking might look like a simple job, but not everyone can do what Frank and Mike do when they are buying and selling. They have to know about American history, what their clients want, and popular trends in the industry. Additionally, they have to be likable and possess very strong interpersonal skills. To get the best deal from a seller, they need to build a rapport with a complete stranger in the matter of minutes to a few hours. On the other side, they have several clients who regularly buy from them, and if they want to keep those clients, they have to walk a fine line as well. They want to give their clients high-quality products for a price that is low enough so the client doesn't feel ripped off but also high enough so they make a profit at the end of the day. Watching them strike these delicate balances is impressive, and more importantly from a television perspective, it is entertaining.
I only have one complaint about American Pickers as a show. Frank and Mike do a great job hosting it, and as I said before, I enjoy watching them work. That being said, the reality show format often call for these contrived scenes where Frank and Mike are practically reading off of cue cards. I can recognize these scenes a mile off, and when they happen, I tune out of the show for awhile, which I am sure is not their intent. I get that these scenes are a necessary part of the reality show medium, but the show works better when Frank and Mike get caught up in bartering and the thrill of the hunt, and they forget that the cameras are there. At the end of the day, these guys are talented pickers, not actors.
Before I watched American Pickers, I was annoyed that the History Channel was following the reality show trend that The Learning Channel started with What Not to Wear and Jon & Kate Plus 8. In my mind, American Pickers didn't belong on the History Channel, and I thought that they should go back to funding documentary filmmakers instead of chasing ratings with these novelty reality shows. While I still think that History Channel needs to return to their stronger documentary roots, I can understand why American Pickers is a good choice for their channel. After all, so much of what we know about civilizations is defined by the stuff they leave behind. The treasures found on American Pickers each tell a story about a different time in our country, and by finding and preserving these treasures, Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe are celebrating our history and heritage.
SPECIAL FEATURES
There are no special features.
"American Pickers: Volume Two" is on sale October 18, 2011 and is not rated. Reality, Television. Starring Frank Fritz, Mike Wolfe.
