The Airstream Trailer That Cost American Pickers $8,000
If you think there's any limit to what the "American Pickers," Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe, will purchase for their popular period-piece purloining series, you'd be dead wrong. The guys have haggled for all manner of things, from a centuries-old Jell-O wagon to glass soda shop signs. As long as it's a good old piece of American history, and the seller is willing to make a deal, these guys are gung-ho when it comes to having it in their shop. Still, we're sure you're wondering just how expensive the items can get.
It isn't unrealistic to say that these guys will buy and sell an entire home if it's considered Americana. In fact, they've done so before. Granted, it was a retro mobile home, but that's still more than you might expect from a show about buying and selling antiques. However, that classic aluminum trailer made by the company Airstream during the early 20th century wasn't cheap.
How the pickers found a new home for an old home
In the Season 4 episode, "Airstream Dream," Mike and Frank make their first move to the state of Arizona. They find a number of interesting things on this escapade, including a totem pole that enchants Mike. However, that love is quickly replaced when the seller shows Mike an aluminum Airstream trailer behind a strip mall. It's a beautiful piece, complete with the company's signature rounded design. Mike desperately wants it and asks the old man selling it what his highest price would be.
The man replied with a simple "75," leading Mike to accept his presumed offer of $7,500. However, the picker is shocked when the man refuses the deal and clarifies that he meant a whopping $75,000, well out of Frank and Mike's allotted budget. Nonetheless, Mike is a master in the art of the deal and manages to obtain the trailer for a more reasonable $8,000.
Like most things the pickers procure, they find some way to flip it for a profit. In this case, the boys find a seller who is willing to barter a bit. Mike and Frank sell him the trailer at an apparent loss at $5,000. However, the new buyer also grants them an antique motorcycle (via Noteably). Thus, the Pickers likely made a profit in the long run.