The Eyebrow-Raising Reason A 1960 Porsche 912 Failed To Sell On American Pickers

Mike Wolfe from "American Pickers" is a classic car nut. He loves all things antiques, and he's more than happy to geek out over an old toy or a vintage advertisement, but when push comes to shove, there's a special place in his heart for vehicles from decades ago that have a history and story to them. 

He's almost always happy to make an offer, and for the right price, sellers are willing to hand over the keys to Wolfe and whoever his picking partner at the time is. There are some real finds out there, such as the vintage Rolls-Royce Wolfe was able to purchase for the low, low price of $16,000. Sadly for the picker, there are the times when he simply can't make a deal on a particular car, so he has to walk away. Ultimately, he's there to turn a profit one way or the other, and occasionally, he and the seller are too far apart in terms of price to make a deal. That was the case with one Season 23 episode, which saw Wolfe and his brother, Robbie, come face-to-face with a 1960s Porsche 912. 

In the episode "Picture Perfect Pick," Mike Wolfe and his brother stumble upon a vintage Porsche, which the seller says has everything original to it, including the paint. She even goes so far as to say they've gotten an offer of $25,000 in the past for it but turned it down. Before throwing down that kind of cash, Wolfe calls an expert to get a second opinion, and the expert allows them to see that the vehicle's been repainted before, meaning it doesn't have the original paint. 

That's a major knock against the car's value, seeing how collectors want everything about these cars to be original. It comes as a massive shock to the owners, as Wolfe's only willing to pay $20,000 for the vehicle. It's substantially less than the kind of offers she's gotten in the past and seeing how there may be another potential buyer on deck, they decide to pass. 

Wolfe and his brother may have walked away empty-handed from this encounter, but it's all in a day's work for a picker. They undoubtedly have to save their money for something that can turn a higher profit, but at least they got to be in the presence of such a cool car.