Tonight's episode of "American Pickers" was titled "California Gold Mine." Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe, are the professional hunters who travel across the country picking through rusty gold or hidden treasures covered with rust from age. That rusty gold is what keeps them in business, buying low and selling high, but even they find things that they do not want to part with.
In this episode, the guys are in California. Danielle has been having a tough time getting leads for the them, right now they are on their own. As they spot a steam-driven car on the freeway, they decide to follow it to see where it leads. It turned out to be a Stanley Steamer, circa 1910. It led to a man who did not want to sell anything. However, Mike broke the ice with an old oil can from a father and son who loved anything vintage that moved. The father looked like a cross between the Skipper from Gilligan's Island and Fred Sanford.
They found car club plaques, and the man has already been offered $1,000 for them. Now Mike offered him $1,200 for them, and it was accepted. Mike found an old Indian Motorcycle pre-1913, and the man's grandson would be the third generation to ride it; so no sale. In the back yard, there are rusty remnants of yesteryear. A large neon radio sign, that the man wants $2,000, but Mike cannot do better than $1,500. They spotted a Lambretta Lambro, Mike only saw these in magazines; $2,250 is the best he will sell it for, so Mike jumped on it, along with a Wagner motorcycle motor for $1,500.
They walked back to the bicycle room, that had about 200 bicycles. All around, and hanging from the ceiling, are wall-to-wall bicycles. None for sale, even though he did put a price on a bike that Mike agreed to, but there was no deal. All-in-all, they did score a lot of stuff, that even the son was shocked that his father sold.
They then stumbled on a junkyard that has been in business since 1946. A lot of the things are movie props, designed to look old for the movie sets. The "American Pickers" found some considerable items for their shop and collections. Danielle finally found a great lead, through a chain of people who knew people. She sent them to meet a guy who built and lived in his old Western town of yesteryear. Mike spotted a Stetson hat advertisement framed photo, of an Indian wearing a Stetson hat. It was a photograph by Carl Moon, and the man wanted $2,500. A recent Carl Moon photo sold at auction for over $6,000. Mike got it for $2,000, and the man was glad to sell it knowing how much Mike really liked it. Frank's father is a tailor, and he showed him an old tailor sign from long ago that he will give his dad for a gift. The man was glad to sell some of the items because now he will use the money to buy more thanks to the "American Pickers."
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