Several speculations have existed over the years as to how real the “reality” show actually is. Is it scripted TV? Is it raw footage? The short answer to both of those questions is – no. It’s somewhere in between a scripted show and a full-on documentary about picking. It’s far from being entirely real, though, that’s for sure.
But hey, does it even matter exactly how candid everything about the series is? It’s an entertaining show and everyday people who want to sell their stuff get to make a little (or a lot of) money here and there, so what’s not to like? Plus, you have to admit they find some pretty amazing stuff, and whether or not the items are planted, they’re new to us, the viewers, so who cares?
Pickers Down Under
Picking is by no means a solely American thing to do. People have been sifting through other’s stuff for ages. Hence the old saying. “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” But ever since the show’s rise in popularity, pickers in other countries have been eager to get their piece of the prize on TV. Canada and Australia have both had their own renditions of the show, while others simply air the original to fans overseas.
Aussie Pickers first premiered in 2013 and was hosted by Adam McDonald and Lucas Callaghan. Unfortunately, it only lasted for a brief 2 seasons before it ultimately bit the dust. The Canadian version was on the air from 2 years from 2011-2013. Hey, what can we say? Apparently we Americans just love our dumpster diving more than our neighbors to the North and South.
The Haggling Goes Down in Advance
Mike and Frank sure make it seem like they’re some tough negotiators when the cameras are rolling. But as disappointing as it may be to hear, they actually don’t negotiate the deals at all, they only make it look as If they do. The truth is that the producers handle all of that before the stars even appear at the location.
Of course, producers also tell everyone to ask for more money so they can haggle them down, which makes for better TV. After all, it would be a lot less interesting if that part was missing from each episode. However, all of this isn’t to say that neither of the stars can actually get themselves a good deal, because Mike has been picking since long before he did it on film, so he’s pretty much an expert negotiator, too.
Turning Kids into Pickers
Mike Wolfe has been picking since his own childhood, so you can imagine how important it is to him. He wanted to ensure that kids of the modern world could know all about his career path and make the choice to be pickers themselves if they wanted. But with all of the digital distractions today, he didn’t know how he was going to bring it to their attention – until the idea struck him.
He authored his very own children’s book that he called Kid Pickers: How to Turn Junk into Treasure.
How Mike Met Danielle
Danielle and Mike actually had a sort of warped “meet cute” experience back in the day, long before they started working together. The pickers met at an auction, where they were both interested in the same artifact. But in Danielle’s words, “he had the money,” – and she didn’t. Apparently, he snubbed her the first time he ever walked past her, saying, “Danielle who?”
Before Danielle started her rise on television, she was knocking elbows (and everything else) with her team on the roller derby track. Then, when she first started on the show, it was strictly on a behind-the-scenes research type deal. But once everyone around the set saw how well she interacted with the stars; they knew they had to put her in the show. Now, she’s pretty much a crucial part of the entire American Pickers experience. On a show that’s mostly geared towards men, it does make sense to have Danielle actually on screen. Especially given that she’s not only attractive, but she’s also pretty great when it comes to picking.