American Pickers' Mike Wolfe Lost An Arm Wrestling Contest That Cost Him $275
After watching even a single episode of "American Pickers," it becomes abundantly clear Mike Wolfe has an affection for antiques. There's nothing more exciting to him than uncovering an ancient part of Americana and hearing all about it from whoever owns it. He knows a good deal himself, and there's the occasion when he's able to teach the seller a little something about what they own.
But at the end of the day, Wolfe is a businessman. He oversees Antique Archaeology, and whatever he buys while on the road, he has every intention of reselling to turn a profit. As such, he can't just go around throwing around big bucks willy-nilly. He needs to be prudent and know not only the history of the items he encounters but also how much they reasonably retail for.
Wolfe's normally pretty good about staying within budget, but every so often, he probably spends more than he should. That was the case in one episode, although it wasn't entirely his fault. It all came down to an arm wrestling match Wolfe unfortunately lost.
Mike Wolfe wanted to spend less on the pinball machine
It's not unusual for Mike Wolfe to resort to intricate tactics to try to secure a better deal. On the Season 2 episode, "Mike's Breakdown," he wants to get his hands on a vintage pinball machine. It looks good and has cool decals, but he's just a little too far apart on what he wants to pay compared to what the seller wants. To try to secure the machine for $250, he offers an arm wrestling match. But if he loses, he has to pay $275 for it.
The seller agrees, and the two go at it on the hood of an old car. The seller's a big guy, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone when he emerged victorious. As a result, Wolfe has to pony up $275 for the pinball machine. But at the end of the day, a $25 difference probably isn't going to break the bank, and it was clear from the start Wolfe really wanted it.
Ultimately, Wolfe got the pinball machine that he probably still turned a profit on. And if nothing else, the experience may have convinced him not to skip arm day.