On the show, Mike and Frank are always together, acting as if they’re good friends. But according to those that have met the pair in person, things aren’t so buddy/buddy when the cameras aren’t turned on. They also live in entirely different parts of the country – sorry to shatter your dream of them being around one another 24/7!
Mike is married and lives with his family in Tennessee, while Frank stays in Illinois and lives a sort of bachelor-style life. And, if them having their own lives wasn’t disappointing enough – they really don’t even like each other. In fact, things are so shaky between them that there are rumors the show will be coming to an end in the near future. Noooo! Come on guys, you can work it out for the sake of your insanely awesome salaries!
Mole Man Strikes Again
March 24, 2010 is a day that would go down in American Pickers history, and maybe just history in general. Why? Because it was the day that the world was introduced to Mole Man, AKA Ron, an interesting character who has a serious thing for digging underground tunnels. Yeah, it’s totally creepy. He may have only appeared on 1 episode, but that was enough for Ron to amass an almost cult-like following among some viewers.
He’s reported unwanted people stopping by his house after the taping, and someone even tried to use his name on some items they were selling, when it didn’t have anything to do with him. Apparently, he is still very active in picking, himself.
Frank Doesn’t Care That Much About Antiques
Mike has basically lived his entire life as a picker. He’s been doing it since he was a kid, and it’s not hard to see that he’s extremely passionate about what he does. Even without taking his demeanor on the show into consideration, the fact that he’s owned his own antique shops for several years is enough to convince anyone that Mike is doing what he loves. But Frank isn’t necessarily so excited about the whole thing.
Let’s just say this – while Mike may be in the industry because he followed his passion, Frank is only around because of the potential for some serious money to be made with each pick. Sorry to disappoint you if you were under the impression that Frank was in it with his heart, but hey – he is basically an actor on the show, so it shouldn’t come as that much of a shock. Plus, as long as he looks like he’s enjoying it while the cameras are rolling, who cares?
Rumors of Romance
Several speculations exist as to how close the relationship between Frank and Mike actually was. After all, when 2 grown men spend (seemingly) every waking moment of their days together, it’s understandable that fans may come to the conclusion that they were a little more than just coworkers.
Of course, anyone who takes even a second out of their day to look in to the rumors can dispel them pretty much instantaneously. Mike is happily married to the woman that he has been with for several decades, and Frank has a girlfriend of his own. Plus, as multiple fans noted, “just look at the way they act…and dress.” So, it’s pretty safe to say that these guys are as straight as they come. Mike’s wife will be relieved to hear the good news, no doubt.
They Both Have Hefty Salaries
Unlike a lot of television stars, you wouldn’t exactly pick neither Mike nor Frank out of a crowd and use them as a shining example of someone who made a ton of money – but they do. For starters, each of them receives an impressive annual salary of $500,000, and that doesn’t include any of the artifacts that they sell.
Mike has the highest net worth of anyone on the show, coming in at an estimated $5 million. Although Frank isn’t far behind, as he’s got one of his own that’s only about $1 million less than his co-stars. Both of the pickers have some serious side hustles going on alongside of their time on the show, as well.