Danielle Colby Once Said She’d ‘Love a Spinoff’ of ‘American Pickers’
American Pickers isn’t just another Antiques Roadshow. With its colorful cast and unique finds, along with a healthy dose of factoids about American history, the History Channel’s hit show breathes new life into old treasures. And a big part of its success lies with its cast. Mike Wolfe provides the expertise and goofiness. Frank Fritz, once upon a time, provided the straight-laced foil for Wolfe’s whims. And Danielle Colby adds an eclectic touch that shakes up what you think antiquing is supposed to be.
In fact, though Colby was a supporting cast member for much of the show’s history, she’s since taken on a larger role. This has been welcomed by many longtime followers of the series. But has she ever thought about a spinoff of her own? Here’s what she had to say when she was asked about it.
Danielle Colby has been with ‘American Pickers’ since it began
Colby began starring on American Pickers when it debuted in 2010. She started as a shop manager for Antique Archaeology, the store where Wolfe sells some of the items he finds on the road. The pattern of the show used to include Wolfe and Fritz palling around some obscure American antique shop, then cut back to Colby minding the store and generally keeping the two starring pickers in line.
The tattooed, direct shopkeeper has since expanded her role. She’s begun to go out on the road quite a bit herself, with a keen eye for vintage clothing, cowboy boots, and eclectic jewelry. She also helps to manage two locations of Antique Archaeology now: The flagship store in LeClaire, Iowa, and a second location in Nashville.
The ‘Queen of Rust’ said she’d love a spinoff of the show
It’s now been 12 years since the show’s inaugural season. With the ease of filming (only a small crew needs to follow the pickers) and relatively inexpensive production costs, Pickers is now in its 23rd season. Colby has endeared herself to longtime fans. They love her penchant for speaking her mind and her vibrant personality that brings new energy to antiquing.
Colby has entertaining in her blood. Long before appearing on the series, she competed in a roller derby league. She also performs as a burlesque dancer under the name Dannie Diesel. Colby’s also a model and a dancer in other formats, as her website details. With her bold personality and personal fan following, it’s no wonder she’s also carved out a niche for herself on American Pickers as well.
In a past interview with the Miami New Times, Colby said she’d consider a spinoff with a more central role. However, she was careful to pledge her loyalty to Wolfe and the original series that put her in the spotlight. “I have an obligation to Mike who put me in the position I’m in right now, and I’ll respect that ’til the end,” Colby said. “My plan is just to stick around and see what happens. But I have a contract, and I’ll of course honor that contract. I guess that’s a sugar-coated way of saying I’d love a spinoff.”
Drama between Wolfe and Fritz opened up new opportunities for Colby
It’s been several years since that interview. And Colby has only entrenched herself as a part of the American Pickers franchise more and more. She naturally began hitting the road more often as part of the series a few years ago, which has only increased following the rift between longtime duo Wolfe and Fritz. Fritz has since left the show, leaving an opening for Colby and others like Wolfe’s older brother Robbie to get more screen time.
Throughout that conflict Colby has been staunch in her support of Wolfe and the longevity of the show, giving no indication that the hypothesized spinoff was anything other than interviewing banter. Some fans might welcome a Colby-focused series. But for now, Colby has been hitting the road to film the next season of Pickers and try to unearth more American treasures. Her recent Instagram posts show her posing with rust-covered Americana, expressing her excitement for the future of the show. For now, it seems that Colby is content exactly where she is.
“One never knows what will happen in the future,” she told the New Times. “I highly doubt that Antique Archaeology is the last job I’ll ever have in my life, though it is definitely the coolest job I’ve had to date.”
