Fans of the show know just how important Danielle is to the entire operation. Thousands of viewers tune in for every episode just to see her. But even though she’s great at helping the boys find buried treasures, it still doesn’t pay all of her bills. So, to make ends meet (and just to have a good time,) she took on an additional gig as a burlesque dancer. So, when she isn’t on TV, she tours the country to give sultry dance shows in different clubs and other venues.
Danielle recently took her burlesque show on a cross country extravaganza with her very own band, The Gin Rummy Show. When she performs with them, she goes by her stage name, Dannie Diesel, and there are a lot of tassels and shimmying and such going on. She entertains crowds at such places as Radio Radio in Indianapolis, Indiana. Okay, so maybe she isn’t performing at the classiest of venues, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good show…
Producers Negotiate the Deals
It might appear that Mike and Frank are the ones who are negotiating the prices with all of the people that they’re dealing with, but it's not the case at all. The producers have pretty much everything worked out ahead of time, from the location and seller, to the exact amount of money that will be exchanged. Of course they don’t really want you to know about that since it doesn’t make for very good TV if the stars just have everything handed to them.
A team of researchers and producers all ensure it runs smoothly but handling the deal prior to the exchange. Those two aren't exactly left to their own devices. Once Mike and Frank are on the scene, all of the picking has pretty much already been done for them! Apparently, producers tell the sellers to ask for more than what they’ve already negotiated for so that they can capture the scene once cameras start rolling. Well, that’s pretty disappointing.
Fritz Was Sued
Frank found himself in some hot water a few years ago when a viewer of the show launched a lawsuit over one of his finds in 2010. Jerry Bruce of South Carolina was awarded a settlement in court over a device that the picker found, called a polarimeter. But what exactly did this man have to do with the show or that piece of equipment?
Bruce watched that episode of American Pickers from his home in Greer, SC, when the polarimeter caught his attention. He was thinking of opening up a museum for farming equipment and wanted the piece to finish off his collection. Frank initially agreed to sell it to him but didn’t follow through with the sale. When Bruce didn’t receive his delivery, he sued and was awarded $1,000 in court. .
A Lot of Stuff is Staged
Like with any popular television show, almost everything is staged to have the most effective impact on the audience. How many people would tune in to the show if they never found anything interesting or expensive will picking? Probably not too many, so it’s understandable why the do this.
People who have worked with the show before revealed that producers plant some of the items that end up with the most screen time. If you think about it, it makes a lot more sense that they would go to those locations specifically for the pricey items they’ve planted, and not just get lucky digging through some random person’s garage. Of course, they actually have found some cool stuff by chance, but a lot of it was put in just for the show. We know, we know. Sorry to burst your bubble.
You know Hobo Jack? He’s not a Hobo.
Good old Hobo Jack is a fan favorite on the show and has appeared countless times over the seasons. However, Jack Sophir, as he was born, is definitely not a homeless person. The persona that everyone sees on the show was invented for entertainment purposes. Well, that’s certainly good news for Jack.
In real life, Sophir actually owns quite a bit of property, on which he’s got a nice and comfortable home, and he is seen regularly bidding on big-ticket items in auctions. He has also dabbled in music, and written quite a few accomplished books, including a “philosophic fantasy” novel dubbed Amazing Adventures of the Tramp Prince, which is rated 5 stars on Amazon. He continues to use the name Hobo Jack on all of his work and is reportedly writing yet another one of his novels.