American Pickers' Mike Wolfe Bought Two Skylights (Without The Glass) For $300
One of the premises of History's hit reality show "American Pickers" is that the pickers themselves — Mike Wolfe, Danielle Colby, and until 2020, Frank Fritz — aren't just in it for the money. Rather, they are compelled by the history behind each item they find, preserving the past as much as running a business. Quite frequently, the people they encounter on their journeys across the country are similarly passionate about the story each item carries with it.
This goes as much for the collectors they don't show as the ones who do in fact make it on the air. A bonus scene from Season 16 sees Mike and Frank arriving at the home of a man named Neil. Neil's passion specifically applies, as we find out, to antique architecture. "I was always interested in old buildings. I started collecting because I found things that I couldn't find anyplace else," Neil tells the camera.
Sure enough, his yard is filled with decorative items that might have adorned various kinds of buildings back in the day, most notably, skylights. It's these that catch Mike's eye, particularly one long rectangular one and one small square one. Neil doesn't bother haggling much and agrees to sell them to Mike for $300.
An architectural honey hole
Both the metal skylights appear to be in excellent overall condition, though they are missing their glass, either having been removed or never having been put in. In the clip, Mike Wolfe remarks that either he or the person he eventually sells to would need to put some glass in, but he's confident that someone — perhaps someone in the middle of constructing a greenhouse — would definitely want them. According to Mike, Neil got a great deal when he purchased both items and is willing to pass on the savings to the pickers.
After Neil agrees to the sale, a chyron values the two skylights to be worth an estimated $550, meaning that Mike is primed to make a tidy little profit. But Mike seems more impressed by the fact that Neil is collecting at all, helping preserve history and allowing people to not just appreciate it but make it new and experience it in their own homes or daily lives.
Neil is certainly on that wavelength from the sound of it, but it also sounds like he's been needing to clear out some clutter, even as Mike and Frank see it as a mega pick. "I'm glad that the guys showed up today," says Neil, "because quite frankly, a little is okay, but too much is no good. You've got to thin things out, and just sitting here looking at it, it's not doing anybody else any good. I want other people to see this stuff and enjoy it and use it."