The Best Episodes of American Pickers
Last Updated: Jan 6, 2019
This isn't your grandmother's antiquing. Pickers like Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz are on a mission to recycle America, even if it means diving into countless piles of grimy junk or getting chased off a gun-wielding homeowner's land. Hitting back roads from coast to coast, the two men earn a living by restoring forgotten relics to their former glory, transforming one person's trash into another's treasure. American Pickers follows them as they scour the country for hidden gems in junkyards, basements, garages and barns, meeting quirky characters and hearing their amazing stories. If you think the antique business is all about upscale boutiques and buttoned-up dealers, this show may change your mind--and teach you a thing or two about American history along the way.
#1 - Everything Must Go
Season 2014 - Episode 29
They guys are on the trail of two vintage Harleys in Pennsylvania, but Frank gets more than he bargained for when one bike collector takes a liking to him.
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#2 - Like Father, Like Daughter
Season 2015 - Episode 25
A retired auctioneer and his daughter have haggling in their blood; Mike has eyes for a long-sought 1930s Cord convertible.
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#3 - Big Tennessee Welcome
Season 2018 - Episode 21
In Nashville, Danielle introduces the guys to a former Chevy dealership that could provide an awesome new home base.
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#4 - Rocket Man
Season 2014 - Episode 20
Mike and Frank make a scene when they hit the streets in a one-of-a-kind rocket car.
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#5 - Let's Be Frank
Season 2014 - Episode 26
Frank meets another Frank and they really hit it off, plus the guys uncover some unusual micro-cars in Illinois.
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#6 - Pickin' Perry-dise
Season 2011 - Episode 24
Looking for roadside relics in West Virginia, the guys pick an Appalachian village museum where Mike ups the ante to score a rare retro motor. The museum's octogenarian owners--The Perrys--have never sold anything before, and after sealing the deal on an odd electric peacock, Mike makes his move. In Nashville, Danielle is unimpressed with the pool of quirky candidates she's met to manage the new store. Dave's Ohio storefront is filled with cool bikes and scooters but his business plan is more show than sell. With every room packed to the gills, a father-and-son duo open the doors to their staggering collection where the guys find a giant Goliath head that bears a strange resemblance to Frank.
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#7 - NASCAR Challenge
Season 2011 - Episode 9
The men search for auto-racing memorabilia at the request of the curators of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in North Carolina. Included: a visit with "Humpy" Wheeler, former president of Lowe's Motor Speedway; and Billy Biscoe.
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#8 - Thunderdome
Season 2014 - Episode 23
It's make or break for the Virginia blitz strategy. Mike and Frank meet a real-deal motorcycle legend ready to clear out some of his high-octane stock, and a VIP pass to a unique mancave turns up a rare item that's old and odd.
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#9 - Plymouth Rocks
Season 2014 - Episode 19
In car country, Mike falls hard for a 100-year-old turbo-charged hotrod; the guys land some sweet deals at a massive man cave, and Frank rescues a vintage muscle car from a rusty demise.
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#10 - California Gold Mine
Season 2013 - Episode 6
Freestyling in Los Angeles, Mike and Frank tail a vintage steam car to an auto shop where they uncover an acre of unbelievable junk. Packed with oddball artifacts, the guys stumble upon a salvage yard turned prop shop. Later, the guys meet Cecil, a man who has built himself a rustic little Western town and filled it with amazing stuff.
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#11 - Space Oddities
Season 2015 - Episode 19
Picking in New Mexico for the first time ever, the guys head straight to Roswell, but take a detour to a Wild West town with a million-dollar item for sale.
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#12 - They Boldly Go
Season 2011 - Episode 5
Mike and Frank are out in the Kentucky on a different kind of mission. They're going to someone who needs their expertise to make his home unique. The owner is William Shatner, who gives Mike and Frank a very specific list. While Danielle looks for leads, the picking is red hot at Thurman's Tennessee hills property. The lifetime collector says he's ready to make a deal, but is he really? Next, the guys hunt for the perfect showpiece for Shatner's garden and think they've hit the jackpot with an amazing millstone collector. That is, until they find out his prices outweigh even the heaviest of stones. And, with just one week to deliver the goods to their celebrity client, Mike and Frank call in a favor from a designer friend. Finally, with a van full of treasures, they deliver their booty to Shatner, hoping they haven't let him down.
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#13 - Cheap Pick
Season 2013 - Episode 9
The guys are blown away when legendary Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen opens the doors to his private rock'n'roll warehouse. Mike and Frank scour a log cabin village museum and go nuts for some cast iron erotica. John's Wisconsin property is packed with great stuff but he's attached to every single thing he's got.
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#14 - If You Talk Nice to Me
Season 2014 - Episode 25
Mike attempts to get his hands on a rare cycle car.
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#15 - Coin-Op Kings
Season 2015 - Episode 23
The guys discover the ultimate coin-op man cave hidden on a farm in upstate New York, and Frank hatches a plan to help lonely collectors find love.
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#16 - Big Boy Toys
Season 2014 - Episode 18
At an awesome California garage, Mike goes nuts for a must-have retro boat and then falls for a BMW micro car that could be worth some serious coin. Down the road, the guys pay a return visit to a totally rad radiator shop where they comb through the late owner's huge stockpile.
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#17 - Mike's Big Buy
Season 2017 - Episode 16
Mike and Frank are picking and dreaming in California. Then dreams become reality when Mike falls for the sweetest classic Ford pick-up he’s ever seen.
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#18 - Mighty Micro-Madness
Season 2018 - Episode 26
Mike has an epiphany in New Hampshire when he finds a mighty collection of microcars including one of the rarest in the world.
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#19 - Civil War Pickings
Season 2011 - Episode 10
The guys are on an assignment that's 150 years in the making. The Gettysburg Museum asks Mike and Frank to help expand its collection by hunting down some hard to find Civil War items. It's a daunting task made even harder with a limited budget. Danielle gets things rolling when she sends them to a previous customer who's a Civil War buff. Frank scores a Spencer Carbine. They next visit a collector, Keith, who doesn't want to sell, but they convince him to loan a rare Dog River Confederate sword to the museum. They also buy a Springfield musket and canteen. But their picking skills are put to the test when they spot a Union frock coat. It's at the top of the museum's wish list, but can they negotiate a sale and keep within the museum's tight budget? In addition, the guys experience a Civil War adventure when they sign up with a local re-enactment group. As Captains on opposite sides they go into battle, leading their respective troops.
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#20 - Escape To Motor Mountain
Season 2014 - Episode 28
The pickers discover a mountain of motorcycles, but it's protected by booby traps; and one stubborn collector stands in the way of the guys and a mega-warehouse mega-pick.
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#21 - Virginia is for Pickers
Season 2014 - Episode 21
It's a picking blitz in the state of Virginia, when Mike, Frank, Robbie and Danielle all hit the road to leave no lead unturned.
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#22 - Hyder's Hideaway
Season 2017 - Episode 21
While freestyling in Virginia's Appalachian Mountains the guys come across a hidden hideaway filled with history and even some mementos from a bluegrass legend.
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#23 - Woody's Picking Paradise
Season 2017 - Episode 13
It's a picking paradise as Mike and Frank come across a huge 200,000-square-foot factory housing a private collection cultivated by Woody, the building's dumpster-diving owner.
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#24 - Need for Speed
Season 2014 - Episode 14
The guys hit pay dirt in Alabama while freestyling at a retro automotive warehouse owned by a true blue racing family. They hit a dead end negotiating against the county's former police chief. And Mike hatches a strategy to walk away with a must-have Lambretta scooter
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#25 - Pinball Mania
Season 2011 - Episode 16
The guys head to the Lone Star State, hoping to uncover a Texas-size honey hole. Once there, Mike and Frank dig through a huge outbuilding filled with dead coin-operated games (in the dark because the electricity was out). While they make an offer on a few rare gems, the owner struggles to let go of his grandpa's merchandise and all the memories that go with them. He steers the boys to a hangar-sized warehouse down the street where the guys discover the mother-lode of pop culture pinball machines. They end up at John's jaw-dropping collection of rare motorcycles, bikes and even rarer parts. At first the guys go into overdrive, but when they realize nothing is for sale, Mike switches gears and comes up with a plan!
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