Went on Antiques Roadshow Today with my collection of Berliners...

[Jop Amberola 30]

They’ll literally walk right past shelves full of early battery radios and phonographs… but go crazy over rusted out 30s-40s era oil cans and signs that I wouldn’t bother hauling home for free.

I think Frank bought one phonograph in the 12 years that the show has aired.

As a fan of Antiques Roadshow, it' depressing to read how much is ignored by "experts". I get the same sinking feeling watching The American Pickers walk right past beautiful phonographs to get to an old oil can.

[Dischoard]

I think Frank bought one phonograph in the 12 years that the show has aired.

As a fan of Antiques Roadshow, it' depressing to read how much is ignored by "experts". I get the same sinking feeling watching The American Pickers walk right past beautiful phonographs to get to an old oil can.

I hate to speak ill of anyone, and I'm sure they're both nice guys, but on the show Frank has always rubbed me the wrong way. It seems more often than not Mike will actually up-bid what someone is asking for an item as they don't know what he knows and he seems genuinely gleeful when he does. Frank seems to be the one to... well... not do that. But yeah, our hobby is certainly a niche among niches.

[epigramophone]

American Pickers is shown on UK TV but I soon gave up on it. I found the pickers too abrasive and the haggling too aggressive, but what really exasperated me were the timewasting "sellers" who clearly had no intention of selling anything.

[Dischoard]

but what really exasperated me were the timewasting "sellers" who clearly had no intention of selling anything.

So true!

[EarlH]

I was delivering packages in a town that had an episode of the pickers being filmed in it about 10 years ago. The whole thing was scoped out a few weeks earlier and behind the cameras it looked like a carnival came to town. Food stands were set up and a lot of merchandise was for sale. It was a real pain to navigate a package car through, but it was interesting to see how it was filmed. It was 4-5 barns full of old cars that had been sitting for 40-50 years. I have no idea if they really bought anything, but most of the cars ended up in a junk yard and were parted out. They were all in REALLY bad shape after sitting on dirt floors all those years.

I got a call about 15-20 years ago from the people on the Antiques Roadshow. They wanted to snoop around and see if there was anything that they "would like to see me bring in for an appraisal" I declined the offer and found out later that an antique dealer I'm good friend with told them I might have something they would like looking at. I really doubt it, but you know how that goes. I did learn later from a gal that worked at the police station, that a lot of stuff got sold to pickers that show up for these things, and a lot of bad checks were written out for the stuff.....