The Millstone That Cost American Pickers $2,500
Throughout their 11 years on air (and counting), the cast of "American Pickers" has proven time and time again that there's value in seemingly useless items. Mike Wolfe, Frank Fritz, and Danielle Colby have spent a staggering 22 seasons traveling the country and looking through other people's garbage to find hidden gems. It's a unique, exciting kind of antiquing that gives viewers a brand new setting each week, and plenty of awesome items that people have kept hidden away for decades. Some of their more impressive finds include an original Yoda prototype from "The Empire Strikes Back" and even a taxidermied elephant head that was eventually acquired by Jack White of the White Stripes.
Despite some recent changes to the program due to the exit of longtime host Frank Fritz, the show doesn't seem to be slowing down. Furthermore, White is far from the only celebrity who has crossed paths with the cast of "American Pickers," as evidenced by an early episode featuring none other than William Shatner.
To boldly go where no stone has gone before
In Season 3, William Shatner of "Star Trek" fame charged the Pickers with finding him an authentic millstone for his garden. A millstone is a carved stone used in a mill for grinding or crushing wheat and other grains. Yes, despite all the unique historical items the Pickers have discovered throughout the years, Captain Kirk just wanted them to find a big rock.
Find one they did, and in a surprising twist, the millstones turned out to be remarkably expensive. The owner of the millstones was adamant that the stones were worth at least $2,500, and that normally, they go for over $3,500. As it happens, the Pickers ended up paying the minimum $2,500 for what ultimately amounted to a large stone with a hole in the middle of it. While we're sure they will never forget their work with William Shatner, the millstone arguably marks one of the Pickers' more disappointing ventures overall.