‘American Pickers’: The 1 Vintage Item Mike Wolfe Regretted Selling
So many people love watching Mike Wolfe dig through forgotten junk, and for good reason. American Pickers is one of the most popular reality shows on the History Channel thanks to all the unique finds that Wolfe and his business partner Frank Fritz uncover as they travel across the United States.
The American Pickers crew finds some unique and interesting antique items during their travels. But most of those “picks” get put up for sale in their retail store Antique Archaeology, which is in Iowa. Or they sell directly to customers. The two antique experts rarely keep the treasures for themselves.
Wolfe once expressed regret for a found item he later sold. If he could go back, he’d have kept it.
The ‘American Pickers’ travel the country looking for hidden treasure
The opening monologue on the series sums up the American Pickers stars’ intentions well.
“We’re pickers. We travel the back roads of America looking to buy rusty gold,” Wolfe says.
“We’re looking for amazing things buried in people’s garages and barns. What most people see as junk, we see as dollar signs. We’ll buy anything we think we can make a buck on. Each item we pick has a history all its own. And the people we meet? Well, they’re a breed all their own. We make a living telling the history of America…one piece at a time.”
Over the years, those treasure hunts, or “picks” as Wolfe and Fritz call them, yielded expensive and unique finds from everywhere. But at least one of those rare treasures really captured the show host’s heart.
Mike Wolfe regretted selling vintage kids cowboy boots
The American Pickers host married longtime girlfriend Jodi Faeth in 2012 and welcomed a baby daughter with her, Charlie, just 7 months later. But before that, he gave up a vintage find that would have been simply perfect for his child.
“Before Charlie was born, I always had a thing for vintage kids’ cowboy boots. I once found a pair, but I sold them and immediately regretted doing so,” Wolfe said, recalling his biggest regret to Country Living. Ever since that moment, vintage kids cowboy boots became a small obsession of his.
Luckily, he was able to find the same thing again. And ever since Wolfe always has his eye out for those elusive boots. “When Jodi was pregnant, I found a second pair,” the American Pickers star continued. “It felt like fate, so I started collecting them.”
The ‘American Pickers’ host recommends investing in collections
Finding the valuable treasures among the useless junk is a skill that takes time, practice, and dedication. However, Wolfe managed to share a few tips on how to decide what to purchase and what to leave behind.
Wolfe told fans to “look for multiples” and create mini moments rather than just putting together a bunch of random, disjointed antiques. This goes a long way to decorating your home beautifully, too.
“They can be really cool when done right. I like to display objects with similar textures, time periods, and genres for visual continuity. In my office, each shelf has a theme: bikes, motorcycles, aviation, and cars,” Wolfe explained. “It’s easy to go overboard, though, so I like to stick to just one spot.”
And when it comes to that one item that “got away,” never stop looking for it. Especially if it’s vintage kids cowboy boots.
