Why American Pickers Fans Are Divided Over Frank Fritz's Antique Shop
In today's economy, it's not enough to have just a single gig to your name. Many people have learned the art of the side hustle, including Frank Fritz and Mike Wolfe of "American Pickers."
The two probably bring home decent paychecks through their appearances on the History show, but that's not their only revenue stream. Wolfe and another "American Pickers" mainstay, Danielle Colby, sell intriguing finds through their shop, Antique Archaeology, in Le Claire, Iowa. And while Fritz no longer appears on new episodes of the History series, he has his own side ventures bringing in some dough, namely, Frank Fritz Finds in Savanna, Illinois. It's an antique shop as well as a bar and restaurant where people travel from far and wide to grab a bite to eat and browse through some of the more eclectic finds Fritz has stumbled upon over the years.
Is Frank Fritz Finds a worthwhile tourist destination if you happen to be in the area? That depends on who you ask, as reviews online are decidedly mixed on the store.
Frank Fritz Finds has been described as everything from 'great' to 'disorganized'
Frank Fritz's name carries a lot of weight due to his time on "American Pickers," so naturally, a lot of people visit the shop off that reputation alone. When browsing through Google reviews, it's clear a lot of people love this kind of store, with one person writing, "The place was great, I found [an old] bomber jacket I was searching for on the internet and I got a great deal of the price." One of the most exciting aspects of the store that's sure to catch fans' attention is that Fritz apparently stops by regularly, and by all accounts, he's a nice guy. Someone else wrote, "[Fritz] showed up on one of his bikes while I was there. Was very friendly and was more [than] happy to take pictures with my grandson and me."
Of course, not everyone was as transfixed with the store. Apparently, one person wasn't too impressed with the way the shop was set up, writing, "The antique store was disappointing. Disorganized with poor lighting with very little items of interest." Another person echoed those sentiments over on Yelp: "I love antiquing and don't mind the dust but everything is pretty much scattered all over the place and there is no one there to help customers."
As is the case with most things, it's open to interpretation, but you never know. Perhaps when you decide to swing by, Frank Fritz himself will stop in to take a picture and elevate you to cloud nine.