Last night's episode of "American Pickers" was titled "California Streaming." 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 headed to California towing a vintage 1948 Airstream mobile home that they had repaired and polished to look like new. Mike is sure that they have a buyer for the Airstream, but Danielle is not so sure. The Airstream inventor loved camping, but his wife would not go unless she had a kitchen; the rest is history.
Upon arrival, the deal fell through, but they left the Airstream with the hopeful buyer, who will contact everyone he knows on their behalf. The last thing they want to do is tow it back to Iowa.
Meanwhile, Danielle gave them a lead to see a man named Guy whose late father was in the film industry. When they arrived, they found a picker's paradise for the vintage auto lover. Then they stepped into the back of the shop; they found a complete town from long ago. They specialized in prop rental, like old vehicles. This place had the guys near ecstasy as they oohed and ahead at all the sights. They found a Stanley Steamer dashboard gauge that they got for $200.
The actual carriage from "Gone with the Wind" was on display with a sign of authenticity. Walls covered in license plates from long ago, vintage bicycle and motorcycle signs. Mike made a deal for the entire wall of artifacts for $4,200, along with two plaster busts of Lincoln and Washington of museum quality for $700 for the pair. The money earned will go to the care of the man's mother in a nursing home, and the seller felt that after his father died ten years ago; he is still taking care of his wife, now via his precious collections.
The next lead was to meet with a brother and sister who are waist-deep in their parents' collection of military items going back to the Spanish-American War. They have not seen some of this stuff since they were kids. They found a Sputnik toy, tin toys from the 1930s and 1940s. Their father was also an inventor of sort and even sold one of his concepts to "Wham-O." The great thing about this pick, was they were anxious to sell.
In the house, they entered the toy room where Frank was seven-years-old again, finding toy after toy from his childhood. They also found aviation items like goggles and headwear from pilots of yesteryear and Mike and Frank turned them on to a reliable auction house where they could get the most from this precious collection. They admired the integrity of the "American Pickers."
Back at the Airstream, they found a buyer; well sort of. He had an Indian motorcycle that they traded for the Airstream and an additional $5,000. However, it was a great trade, and they did not have to take the Airstream back to Iowa.
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