The Giant Shoe That Cost American Pickers $1,000
"American Pickers" is a show that encourages the viewers at home to do a little digging as well. It forces the audience to confront their preconceived notions of what's junk and what holds value. So when Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz walk through another garage, you also keep your eyes peeled for anything that could be a significant find.
It makes for a fun game of cat and mouse. Some items are easy to see their value, such as any vintage car or boat. With a bit of maintenance, even something covered in dust and cracks could be worth a small fortune. Then again, there are the items that Wolfe and Fritz go crazy over that make viewers scratch their heads.
One of the latter instances occurred in Season 18's "The Jersey Jaguar." The guys find some old-school signs and clothing racks that catch their attention. It's all pretty standard fare for the "American Pickers" crew initially, but then, Wolfe becomes obsessed with a giant shoe.
An old woman could live in this shoe ...
Naturally, no one outside of maybe Andre the Giant could actually wear this shoe. As Mike Wolfe explains in the episode, this was a display shoe that would go in shops to let customers know they carry the specific footwear brand. It's not unlike when the "American Pickers" team spent thousands of dollars on a cutaway Indian motorcycle motor, which was also used for display purposes.
Apparently, there are markets out there of people who want to get their hands on these unique items. Wolfe asks if the seller would take $1,000 for the shoe. Typically, a bit of back and forth with negotiations would occur, but the seller doesn't mind unloading the shoe right away. He settles for $1,000, which is excellent news for Wolfe. He mentions how he should be able to sell it at his shop for about $1,300, so hopefully, he'll turn a nice, little profit off of it.
It's definitely one of the most unusual purchases the pickers have made on the show, but it just goes to prove you never know what might hold value in someone's warehouse.