Dan

Then some complain that they are ripping folks off. Get real! Nobody has to sell them anything. Those that do kind of like their 15 minutes of fame. There isn’t too many among us that wouldn’t mind being on television once in a lifetime.

You pups that just have to complain about something wouldn’t say a thing if it was you getting this stuff! That’s for sure. Makes a difference who is getting the goods.

Thanks for your comment. It was really well written and thought out. I have nothing to say about it because it’s that good.

Thanks

Dan

You are being arrogant. Your post would benefit greatly from the most important thing anyone can learn: That you don’t know shit, just like everyone else. I can not express enough how important it is to keep this thought in your mind at all times.

Your observations have less to do with your knowledge of documentary production than they do about your lack of knowledge about the antiques industry and the content of American Pickers.

The show constantly and consistently focuses on the story of the people Frank and Mike find. It shares quick, relevant details about the lives of their clients and the history of the items they posses. On more than one occasion, the show has spent handfuls of its 30 minutes sharing information about people Frank and Mike don’t even purchase items from.

On other occasions, the show has dedicated nearly its entire 30 minutes to telling the story of and history of a particular item, as in “Super Scooter,” which was about a Vespa Ape.

Frequently, the show features fact boxes that give quick, relevant details about the history of a particular item.

And now you see the problem with your argument. People don’t necessarily want an entire 30 minute show about an old oil can Frank finds in a barn, where it came from, where the oil went, etc.. If the audience wants to know more about a particular brand featured on a sign the pickers purchase, they will go to the Internet and learn about it. Will you be looking up what a Vespa Ape is? Then why would you be advocating for an entire documentary about it? If you wouldn’t watch it, who would?

And as for your contention that they are gold diggers swindling old people out of their junk, well, this is the most misguided thought of all. Do you own any antiques? Have you ever been in an antique shop? How do you think that stuff got into that shop?

It got there because someone bought it. Most dealers I know purchase their items from auctions. Usually, those auctions are of the estate variety, i.e. someone died.

Not every antiques dealer knows about ALL the stuff they buy in an auction. As such, many, many valuable items get discarded or thrown out. Others find their way into another junk pile.

When Mike and Frank pick an item, they sell it to someone who won’t be leaving it in a barn waiting for an estate auction. Those people cherish the item.

Back at the property where the item came from, some person is living a better life with more cash in their pocket. Was it the same amount of cash Mike and Frank sold the item for? No. But that is business.

How dare you tell the stories of people for money, Dan. How dare you. You swindled those people out of the money they could have made by telling their own story. What a horrible thing to do to that person. Did you even tell them they could tell the story on their own? Yeah, I’m being sarcastic, but perhaps you will now find that business is all about buying low and selling high. You bought the stories of the people you have documented, and you sold it for more than you bought it.

The people who Mike and Frank buy from are perfectly capable of making up their own minds on how they would like to part with their items. Don’t worry, they can defend themselves. They don’t need your help or your sympathy.

One final note: Your post is riddled with misspellings, suggestive of the little time you obviously took in preparing your appraisal of the show and its stars.