American Pickers' Mike Wolfe Recalls His Most Dangerous Antique Hunting Experience
One might think that traveling the back roads of America and hunting for antiques in sometimes remote locations would be perfectly safe, but unfortunately, interactions can sometimes be a little problematic. "American Pickers" is a reality television show that does what was previously mentioned, and the series follows Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz as they meet with people across America who may have untold and precious antiques located in their overlooked barns, garages, and businesses.
Currently in Season 23, the cast "American Pickers" have visited some truly interesting people, and have located some exceptionally precious things, like a $90,000 motorcycle collection. More often than not, "American Pickers" are called specifically to locations, or have them scouted out by supporting cast member Danielle Colby. As such, most people know that the crew from "American Pickers" will be knocking at the door at some point, but not everybody is as receptive as Wolfe and Fritz hope, and some can respond with downright hostility.
Mike Wolfe has had a gun pulled on him
When asked by Southern Antiquing and Collecting Magazine if he has ever been run off by gun-point, Wolfe answer, "One time, a guy opened the door and stuck a pistol in my face. All I could think of to say was, 'Hey is that [pistol] for sale?' I didn't buy anything there. I haven't had too many of those experiences. I can probably count on my hand how many times I have been run off." Considering that there are over 340 episodes of the show (via IMDb), having five or less threatening experiences isn't too shabby! According to Find Law, it is illegal to shoot somebody trespassing on one's property unless in reasonable self defense, and that property owners must adhere to an appropriate amount of force in response to any infraction. That means a homeowner cannot simply shoot at somebody for simply knocking on the door from a general legal standpoint.
Judging by these comments, it seems like it is not a common occurrence for "American Pickers" to be met with such force, but it seems like Wolfe handled the situation with a cool head and demeanor. Any other person would probably turn right back around if a gun gets pulled, but Wolfe actually stuck with it and investigated the place like a true professional. As noted, he didn't buy anything from this particular experience, but that's probably more or less based on the level of hospitality afforded to the reality television star.