The Watchmaker's Clock American Pickers Bought For $1,500
It's been well over a decade since Mike Wolfe first brought his unflinching love for antiquing to the small-screen masses. Despite a few lineup changes, "American Pickers" is still going as strong as ever. And if you've been watching Wolfe at work in the past couple of seasons of the hit History series, you know he's as passionate about the picking life as he's ever been. The "American Pickers" star and creator has, of course, been hitting the road with a few new faces in recent seasons. While his big brother Robbie Wolfe has become his regular co-star, Mike actually took his pal "Jersey" Jon Szalay on a Southern Season 23 sojourn to pick the collection of a kindly Alabaman named John.
Upon entering the collector's massive warehouse, Mike and "Jersey" Jon were clearly blown away by what they saw, with artifacts ranging from vintage cars and motorcycles to antique furniture and taxidermied beasts. But of all the items the "American Pickers" found in storage, the first deal they made was for a classic neon watchmaker's clock. And they ended up shelling out $1,500 bucks for the rare item, more than the owner's original asking price.
The Pickers actually paid well above asking price for the neon clock
Surprisingly, it was "Jersey" Jon Szalay who actually made the deal for the watchmaker's clock on "American Pickers." The series regular spotted the item during his own inspection of John's storage facility and was quick to call the owner to talk it over. The first thing they did was plug the clock in to make sure it still worked. Upon doing so, the clock's dazzling neon lighting proved the vintage item was in extraordinary working condition.
"Jersey" Jon was clearly impressed with what he saw and immediately set out to strike a deal. According to the owner, the clock had been coveted by many folks who walked through his space, but few wanted to pay the right amount for the item. "Jersey" Jon was a bit surprised when the selling price was lower than expected, with the collector asking just $700. Being an honorable sort, "Jersey" Jon recognized this seller clearly did not know the value of the clock, and admitted that such a piece is likely worth more than twice that. He then offered John $1,500 for the piece. And as John savvily noted while making the deal, "I"m never opposed to going up [in price]."
The deal for the clock marked a rare occasion where the "American Pickers" team willingly paid more than the seller was asking. And it provided proof positive that Mike Wolfe and his various cohorts are never out to swindle sellers out of their cherished rusty gold.